What are the benefits of marketing automation in 2022?

In recent years, there are many opportunities to hear the word MA (marketing automation). Currently, the market size of MA is expanding, and the number of companies introducing it is increasing year by year.

According to the survey results of the marketing media “Mtame”, out of 1,767 people who responded to the “Marketing Automation Questionnaire” (Mtame Co., Ltd.) conducted for men and women in their 20s to 60s who work for companies, “MA tool 15% answered that they have introduced

However, many people do not know what marketing automation is all about in the first place. Therefore, this time, we will explain about marketing automation, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to introduce it.

What is MA in the first place?

ma (marketing automation) refers to tools and software that automate and streamline marketing. We support marketing measures such as acquiring new customers and nurturing prospective customers.

5 Benefits of introducing MA

Here are five benefits of using MA.

1. Work man-hour reduction
2. Reduction of human error
3. Deliver the right information to your prospects
4. Advanced analytics
5. Lowering cost

1. Reduction of work man-hours

With the introduction of MA, it is possible to automate tasks that have been done manually so far. Examples of automation include:

2. Reduction of human error

Manual work is prone to various errors. When data is organized by automating tasks, human errors such as omissions or forgetting to send lists can be reduced.

3. Deliver the right information to your prospects

By introducing MA (marketing automation tool), you can properly analyze what information prospective customers are looking at and what materials they have downloaded. Therefore, it will be possible to know what information is necessary for prospective customers and to deliver appropriate information.

4. Advanced analytics

It is important to repeatedly analyze and improve the results of customer measures and customer information, but the introduction of MA makes it possible to perform a variety of analyses, from centralized management of customer data to extraction of promising lists.

5. Cost savings

Introduction of MA can be expensive, but if it is a cheap tool, it can be introduced for about tens of thousands of yen per month. In some cases, it can be introduced at a cost less than the labor cost.

The domestic marketing automation tool “List Finder” has an initial cost of 100,000 yen and a monthly fee of 39,800 yen. In addition, “HubSpot Marketing Hub” offers inexpensive tools that can be used from 6000 yen per month.

Three disadvantages of introducing MA

The following are the three advantages of using MA.

1. Expensive to install
2. run out of resources
3. Difficult to operate and may not be used

1. Expensive to install

Some tools with many functions are expensive, such as those with initial costs of hundreds of thousands of yen and monthly costs of hundreds of thousands of yen. If the cost of labor costs is currently high, there are cases where labor costs can be reduced .

2. Running out of resources

If labor costs are reduced for the introduction of MA, there is a possibility that there will be a shortage of human resources and the situation will be unmanageable.

3. Possibility of being difficult to operate and unable to master

MA is very versatile. It may be difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to secure resources to master MA. Therefore, as a result, you can only use it in the same way as an email distribution tool, and there is a possibility that you will not be able to master MA.

MA introduction steps

This time, we will introduce the introduction method of MA by dividing it into 5 steps.

1. Step 1 | Tool selection
2. Step 2 | Installation
3. Step 3｜Initial Settings
4. Step 4 | Manage Prospect Data
5. Step 5｜Individual settings for MA operation

Step 1 | Tool selection

The following two points should be noted when selecting a marketing automation tool.

Even for B2B and B2C companies, the “scoring function” that quantitatively manages prospective customers is effective when the purchasing behavior process is long due to large transactions or when the person in charge conducts face-to-face sales.

Conversely, if the period from purchase to consumer is short due to a small amount of transaction, and there are more customers than the former, functions such as “scenario design function” and “campaign management function” will be used rather than “scoring function”. It is recommended to choose carefully.

Step 2 | Installation

After carefully comparing the cost and type of tool with your current needs, install the MA tool that best matches the features and price you want.

Step 3｜Initial Settings

After setting up the tool, make initial settings to start MA operation. Don’t forget to check whether you need to design a database for MA, develop a linkage system, and whether you need implementation (setup agency).

Step 4 | Manage Prospect Data

After the operation, the prospective customer data will be automatically reflected, but it is necessary to register in advance the prospective customer data that has been retained before the operation. The registration method varies depending on the tool, such as individual registration for each item or batch registration using a CSV file.

Step 5｜Individual settings for MA operation

Finally, make individual settings for MA operation. Set segments to extract specific prospects from registered prospect data.

Two points to note when introducing MA

1. Select the one that matches your marketing level and structure

Select a tool based on whether the customer’s purchasing process is long or short, and whether the person in charge is conducting face-to-face sales. It is important to carefully consider whether there are enough human resources and select the one that suits your company.

2. Regularly analyze and clarify issues

When using MA, it is important to clarify the problem you want to solve. It is important to set a review period in advance, such as “once a week” or “once a month”, and organize the results obtained, problems solved, and new problems that have arisen through MA.

Summary

Even if MA is lumped together, the effects and usage methods vary greatly depending on the company’s system and the type of customer, and there are various ways to use it. As mentioned earlier, in some cases, there are disadvantages such as the cost being too high, but if you select and prepare well, it is considered to be a great advantage.