Automation Is Only A Piece of The Puzzle
There are tons of great options out there when it comes to automation systems. We spent the last six months searching for a system that is right for our clients and for us, and we finally landed on a great fit for everyone –– Sharp Spring. We’re excited to use our new automation tool and dive into everything it has to offer, but it is also a great reminder that automation systems don’t do all the work for you. There is plenty of work to be done before and after you begin to automate your marketing. Let’s dive in.Tools like (insert every automation system ever) are only as powerful as the process you put in place before you start playing with your shiny new toy. A well-developed process leads to a bulletproof strategy. That strategy leads to implementing the necessary tactics to deliver on objectives. At TIV, that’s where our new system will come in. Automation tools are amazing for a tactical approach.For example, streamlining email automation based on how people interact with your emails isn’t a strategy, it’s a tactic. Tracking digital display ads and Google Ad Words are tactical approaches. Measuring ROI for each channel and optimizing budget from there are all based off your marketing tactics. This is where a tool like Sharp Spring is incredibly helpful. It allows us to develop all our marketing tactics in one tool and shows us what is working and what isn’t.From there, we’ll need to figure out what to do with this information (there's the strategy we've been looking for). Automation tools don’t tell you “Your click-through-rate on Ad Words is half that of your email campaigns, but your conversions are 7x your email campaigns so should throw all your ad dollars at Ad Words.” By analyzing and constantly adjusting your campaigns you will truly be able to utilize your automation systems. Analyze, adjust, optimize, repeat.I’m not much of a car guy, but I’ll attempt to explain what I mean with this example. A marketing automation system is the exterior of the car you’ve been building in your garage for the last 10 years. After doing basic work you decide to slap on a killer paint job. But, what good is that paint job if you never fixed your engine? Or if you never got a new transmission? After you get some serious work done on your engine and transmission (process and strategy) only then should you get a great paint job (automation system). From there you still have to maintain your can with regular checkups (optimize). What I’m getting at is we are absolutely stoked about our new paint job, but we had to do a lot of work under the hood to make our car fly.In short, tracking website visitors, automating emails, developing Google Ad Words, and measuring conversions all in one platform is incredibly useful. However, it will be all for naught unless you do your due diligence by creating your overarching strategy before diving into your new shiny toy. Then you must continuously monitor and adjust.