Anyone who has ever searched the web to for insight how to increase leads through digital marketing or on whether marketing automation is “really worth it” has probably landed on Act-On’s blog post, 87 New (Really) Marketing Automation Stats. If not that post specifically, you’ve probably landed on a spin off, posted on one of the many marketing firms who have reposted, retweeted, or blogged about the stats.
Here are some of the common stats listed:
- B2B marketers who implement marketing automation increase their sales-pipeline contribution by 10%. (Forrester Research, The Forrester Wave™: Lead-To-Revenue Management Platform Vendors, Q1 2014, Jan 2014)
- 63% of companies that are outgrowing their competitors use marketing automation. (The Lenskold and Pedowitz Groups, 2013 Lead Generation Marketing Effectiveness Study, Nov 2013)
- 96% of B2B marketers say segmentation is the most valuable method for improving conversion rates. (Econsultancy, Conversion Rate Optimization Report, Oct 2012)
- 74% of top-performing companies use automated lead nurturing. Among average- or less-performing companies that use marketing automation, 2/3 fail to leverage the platform’s lead nurturing capabilities. (Gleanster, Nurture Marketing for the Overwhelmed Marketer, Mar 2013)
There are some who might be skeptical. Numbers can be misleading, right? True. But in this case, I can definitively say they are representative of my experience – with four caveats.
- Not all marketing automation systems are created equal
- Prior to moving to Act-On several years ago, NuGrowth was working with another marketing automation system. The system was “clunky,” didn’t provide a high level of visibility into prospect interaction, and was frustratingly challenging to use. Within the first six months of switching systems, we saw a dramatic uptick in KPI’s – most impressive of which was a 3X increase in leads. (Read the full case study here for details)
- Not everyone knows how to use them to their full potential
- Truth be told, NuGrowth achieved that increase in leads without even scratching the surface of Act-On’s capabilities. Over the years we have invested in continuous improvement, dug deeper into the system, and increased our knowledge and expertise – with KPIs increasing exponentially as a result. To achieve the results documented by top performers, you need to allocate time, training, and talent to the effort.
- Marketing automation will never live up to its full potential unless it is successfully integrated with a well-built, well-maintained CRM system
- As the statistics above show, most marketers view segmentation as one of the most valuable tools for improving conversion rates. A well-built, well-maintained CRM system provides that ability to segment in a way that marketing automation alone cannot—and provides a strong foundation for sales and marketing integration. A good portion of your time, training and talent should be focused on this area.
- Without good content none of it matters.
- As stated in Sid Smith’s Marketing Prof’s blog, Content: Fuel for the Marketing Automation Engine, “Rare is the marketing executive who can clearly articulate what marketing automation is or how it works. Executives will budget for the monthly software fee without understanding that the software is the easy part. But without content—reports, webinars, and follow-up emails—that expensive marketing automation software will be a big flop. Content is the fuel that makes any marketing automation system run.”
So, if you are searching to discover how to increase the quality and quantity of your digital marketing leads, a post on marketing automation is the right place to land.
If you are searching to discover whether marketing automation is “really worth it,” the answer is a definitive, “yes” qualified with “if you make the investments you need in the people, processes, and systems to keep the machine humming.”
Another solution, as we like to say at NuGrowth is to “Partner Effectively.”
If you are interested in harnessing the power of marketing automation, but don’t have the resources you need to succeed in a timely manner, NuGrowth Digital can help.We leverage the power of outstanding content, marketing automation and CRM integration to provide well-qualified leads that meet the high expectations and standards of our inside sales teams and those of our partners. We do this through a combination of careful strategy, strong content, and broad distribution backed by state-of-the-art systems that enable clear actionable reporting and complete transparency. Give us a call at 800.966.3051 to find out more.
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Author: Kate Gluck
As Director of Marketing for NuGrowth Digital, Kate Gluck is responsible for all facets of marketing for NuGrowth clients. From production management to content creation, she ensures that any marketing campaign is run smoothly, effectively, and on-time. Fueled by a lifelong love for writing, Kate produces and oversees the production of strong written content for a diverse array of clients.
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