Today’s business leaders are facing a (good) problem when it comes to marketing. There are so many options for businesses. They include email, allowing consistent messaging to consumers, and direct mail options that give an added personal touch. And let’s not forget the litany of social media platforms and strategies any business could deploy.
Yet, these platforms create a big quandary for marketing teams. How do you create stellar campaigns, when there are so many options? Rather than ask everyone on your marketing team to grow an extra set of hands and a second brain, there is a solution.
You turn to automation.
The Key to Great Marketing
Here’s a quick history lesson: Automation became one of the most valuable tools for the economy at the start of the Industrial Revolution. It was a transformation of how businesses conducted … well, business. Machinery and tools churned out products at a faster rate than their human counterparts. So, slowly, fewer employees were required to complete larger orders.
Today, automation covers various needs within business. Notably, marketing automation allows a business to create, manage, and grow marketing campaigns that target current and prospective customers. It allows a small law firm with just 5 employees to create regular social media posts on multiple platforms and send email blasts. It also facilitates connection via a print newsletter and encourages new marketing strategies — without going insane. Automation takes care of the nitty-gritty details so employees can do the work that requires a personal touch.
So, if automation makes business easier and more streamlined, can you ever have too much? And if so, how much is too much? It’s a delicate line — a Goldilocks paradox you have to continually tweak.
Not Enough Automation
Ask yourself this: Is your team doing too much? Are they in charge of creating social media posts the day posts are due? Do they organize mailing lists by hand and answer easy questions frequently? If so, they are doing too much! And you don’t have enough automation.
Automation tools give your employees agency, allowing them to focus on processes that really matter, like personalizing your marketing or solving large issues. If they have to constantly interrupt their day because a prospective client wants to know if you provide “X,” tasks will be missed.
A chatbot could readily solve this problem. Now, chatbots have gotten a bad rap. However, in the last decade, the sophistication of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and software has improved. They are now a powerful tool for any business. They can answer small questions and direct users to a real person when the problem or question is too complex for a bot. That kind of gatekeeping is valuable.
Not having enough automation in your business means employees do too much “busy work” and not enough in-depth, personalized production. To put this into perspective, without automation, you’re paying your employees to do less. And you will eventually have an employee churn problem.
Too Much Automation
A healthy life is all about moderation. The same could be said for business tools. Far too often, we work with business leaders whose companies are so focused on what they should be doing. But in doing so, they have forgotten the basics.
You can easily fall into this trap with automation! There are many, many great tools that streamline processes and enhance productivity. If you utilize too many of these, you run the risk of de-personalizing or over-sensitizing your audience.
For instance, if your business utilizes email marketing to notify your customers of various special offers, you have to plan your sales accordingly. If you have a Valentine’s Day special, a daily email advertising it will surely find its way into the trash bin. No one reads emails from companies that send out too many.
Just because you have the option to utilize automation tools doesn’t mean you should use every one. It not only comes across as lazy and intrusive, but customers will see that as impersonal as well. Suddenly, you will lose the whole point of a multipronged marketing approach. The goal is to be personal, inviting, and always available. But don’t become clingy.
Getting Automation Just Right
We utilize automation frequently at Newsletter Pro, but our monthly newsletter product does it best. We use in-house writing, editing, and design experts and a designated manager to streamline the process. Our team then utilizes automation tools that ensure a client’s newsletter is sent with accuracy to the right people and with perfect timing. The added bonus of our services is personalization.
We don’t rely on automation tools to create our digital newsletter, nor do we abuse our power with automation tools. We create personalized, written-for-your-demographic articles that are designed to draw the reader into your circle. Thus, you are positioned as the expert. Automated processes, like mailing list organization, take care of the small details for us. We create a product that’s available on a monthly basis and pair it with our weekly digital newsletter. With celebration card products on top of that, we help you establish campaigns that blend together. You (and your customers) enjoy perfect timing, easy automation, and a personal touch.
You get the marketing campaign that’s right for your business without the hassle of doing all the work.
So, What Does This Look Like For You?
The beauty of automation is that you don’t have to get the answer right the first time. Securing an automated marketing system that is both streamlined and personalized takes trial and error. The only 2 ways you will fail at automation is if you don’t try and you don’t evaluate results. Stick to that mindset, and you will create an automation system that’s just right — for you.
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