[ { "id": 1, "subtitle": "5 features of Marketo that will make you a pro at Marketing Automation!", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/Marketo_Ftr.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketing automation experts all over the world swear by Marketo as their favoured marketing automation platform! This is mainly due to the myriad advanced features that Marketo offers, which are unavailable in other marketing automation platforms. By optimally utilizing all the features offered by Marketo, you can personalize every stage of the buyer’s customer journey, track all your campaigns, offer engaging content and boost your productivity. Read on to know 5 amazing features of Marketo that will make you a pro at marketing automation!" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. Revenue Cycle Analytics –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The 1st feature in our list is Marketo’s revenue cycle analytics feature. This is an extremely helpful feature as it helps marketers analyse marketing campaigns, sales opportunities, email effectiveness and more. The revenue cycle analytics features works on Marketo with the help of JavaScript tracking technology. The main functions this feature gives marketers include opportunity influence analyser, program analytics, email analysis, revenue tools, revenue cycle models and revenue explorer. Marketers using Marketo as their marketing automation platform should use this feature to streamline the sales funnel and generate more leads. With the help of revenue cycle analytics, you can understand if your marketing programs can be traced back to an opportunity. This helps in identifying sources from where you are generating maximum traffic and customize your marketing efforts accordingly." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Predictive Content -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketo’s predictive content feature is a favourite amongst our marketing automation experts at Telloquent Solutions! For people who have no clue what this is, predictive content refers to the methodology via which content is automatically personalized according to a user’s interests, needs and requirements. With predictive content, you can ensure that you provide the right people with the right content and at the right time. Marketo uses machine learning and predictive analytics to track how users are engaging with you and accordingly suggest them content that will give them the maximum benefit. Organizations using Marketo as their marketing automation platform can use the predictive content feature to identify which content to recommend, effectively engage with customers, drive ROI and track the success of content marketing." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3.Account-level Insights –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The 3rd feature on our list is Marketo’s account-level insights feature. This feature allows marketers to manage all the target accounts from one place as well as determine the correlation between the campaigns that are running and their actual effect on the marketing objectives. With the help of AI, marketers can identify target accounts, score them based on their priority and track the engagement of each account. This feature can also be upgraded with plug and play ABM integrations to improve the overall ABM workflow." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4.A/B Testing – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Achieving maximum returns from your marketing automation efforts depends upon testing any and everything that you do. With Marketo’s A/B testing feature, you can test alternative versions of your emails, landing pages, campaigns, forms etc to see which is working better for your target audience. An added advantage of using Marketo’s A/B testing feature is that it allows you to test different sections of an outbound email, like, subject line, email-from address and more. By ensuring that you test everything, you can ensure that you do not waste time, money and efforts on campaigns that will give no returns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5.Dynamic Content –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The last feature on our list is Marketo’s dynamic content feature. Every marketing automation expert worth their salt knows that the more you personalize, the more you can engage with your target customers! Dynamic content is the key to in-depth personalization. Marketo’s dynamic content feature allows users to dynamically change content based on the customer, for maximum engagement. If you are using Marketo as your marketing automation platform, all you need to do is first divide your prospective customers into homogeneous segments and use the dynamic content feature to dynamically personalize emails, landing pages, forms, campaigns and other pieces of content, based on these segments." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 2, "subtitle": "Marketing Automation Success: Barack Obama’s Campaign", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/automation_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketing automation is one of the most revolutionary trends in the marketing world. Today, marketing automation software can be seen any and everywhere, including politics. The best example of this is Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. Obama’s team effectively used the full potential of marketing automation, which ultimately contributed to his win. The optimal combination of social media, email marketing and marketing automation helped Obama’s team get more supporters and reach a larger segment of the voting population. Here, we take a look at how Obama used marketing automation software for his re-election." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1.Personalized Landing Pages -" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/obama_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "One of the major aspects of Obama’s campaign was the use of personalized landing pages. Every campaign had a separate landing page, to gather relevant information. One of the best landing pages created by Obama’s team was the Reddit inspired landing page. Barack Obama started a thread on Reddit called “Ask Me Anything” where he offered 30 minutes to answer all questions from users. At the end of the thread, he left a link to the Reddit inspired landing page. The personalized headline and structure of the landing page could effectively gather the information of the Redditors visiting the page." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2.The Dashboard -" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/dashboard_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The Dashboard is one of the most popular and talked about aspects of Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. The Dashboard helped Obama’s team take full advantage of marketing automation software. Obama’s Dashboard is nothing, but an online registration platform used to collect the zip codes and email addresses of his supporters. It also served as a platform where supporters and volunteers could get access to related news, discussions, press releases and events. Obama’s team used marketing automation software to track the visitors’ social media activity, their online footprint as well as their offline activities. Based on this information, the team crafted highly personalized and relevant content for each audience segment, giving them greater value and motivating them to support Obama’s re-election campaign." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3.Opt-In Forms" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/obama_biden.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "One of the major features of marketing automation is lead generation. Marketers across industries use marketing automation software to capture emails of prospective customers. Obama’s team extensively used this feature in their campaigns. The first thing that Obama’s website features is a pop-up opt-in form urging people to sign up with their email addresses and zip codes. In addition, the site contains both above-the-fold and sidebar opt-in forms at strategic places to capture as many leads as possible. Personalization plays a pivotal role in all of Obama’s campaigns. This factor is displayed in the opt-in forms. As seen in the opt-in form below, Obama’s team used marketing automation software to automatically capture the visitor’s location, thereby giving a more personalized experience." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/take_action.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4.Split-Testing -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "If you’re a marketer or a marketing automation expert, you know the importance of split-testing all your campaigns, landing pages, emails, subject lines etc. This is especially true if you are receiving a high degree of traffic. Split-testing is something that Obama’s team swore by during his re-election campaign! Everything from buttons, text, colours etc were split-tested in Obama’s opt-in forms. For example, here are two examples of the same opt-in form. The first one has a simple structure while the second one uses the “line-of-sight” technique, with Barack Obama looking at the opt-in form." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/2012_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/ruin_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5. Catchy subject lines -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "According to Convince&Cart, 35% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone. This proves the need for catchy and engaging subject lines. Obama’s team extensively did email marketing during his re-election campaign and used some interesting subject lines to garner the interest of the recipients. Some of the subject lines used by Obama included “Last Call”, “Meet me for dinner”, “Are you in?” and “Say you’re with me”. These highly personalized subject lines piqued the interests of the receivers, motivating them to open the email." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 3, "subtitle": "How to use Marketing Automation to create a Conversion Funnel?", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/funnel.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "A conversion funnel refers to the path that your prospects take, ultimately resulting in a conversion. The percentage of prospects who convert into final customers is much smaller as compared to the percentage of leads generated, resulting in the funnel shape. A conversion funnel has four different stages. Prospects that cross all four stages convert into long-term customers. With a marketing automation platform, you can create a conversion funnel that is extremely effective in engaging your prospects and getting them to complete the sale. Read on to know how you can use marketing automation to create a conversion funnel:" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. Awareness –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The first stage in the conversion funnel is awareness. The awareness stage focuses on all activities aimed at making prospective customers aware of your brand. This step is extremely important as this is when you can identify your target audience and present your products and services to the people who have the possibility of converting. A marketing automation platform offers several features that can be used to create awareness about your brand. Email marketing campaigns are one of the most effective features of a marketing automation platform which can be used to create awareness about a brand. Once you have identified your target audience, you can create a drip-email campaign using marketing automation, gradually sending content which is relevant and engaging. A marketing automation platform can also help you in creating an attractive landing page with a form. People who visit your landing page and fill up your form with their email IDs/phone numbers become your prospective leads. Additionally, you can use marketing automation to create whitepapers, offers designed to obtain customer information as well as online ads to spread awareness. " }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Consideration -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Once you have created awareness about your brand, the next step is to generate interest in your products and services and make your prospects consider buying the same. The best way to make your leads consider your offerings is via an email marketing campaign which nurtures these leads. With a marketing automation platform, you can create an email campaign which is personalized for segmented groups of prospects. Based on the actions that your leads take, you can send them emails with compelling messages and interesting offers, thus getting them to engage more with you. Individually tailored offers and messages spark interest amongst your prospects and motivate them to take the action you want them to take. Additionally, marketing automation also gives you the opportunity to A/B test your campaigns, ensuring highest conversion and engagement rates." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Decision –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "tex": "The most important stage of the conversion funnel is the decision stage. This is the stage your entire funnel has been building up to as this is when your leads decide to take the action you want them to take. In other words, during the decision stage, your marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) start converting into sales-qualified leads (SQLs). While the final decision lies with your prospect, a marketing automation platform can tilt the scales in your favour. With marketing automation, you can track abandoned carts and customize emails with offers and incentives to get the leads to complete the sale. For example, for cart abandonment, you can send an email with a special exclusive discount of 10% on making the purchase within the next 24 hours. This will give the user an incentive to complete the sale. The trick here is to send the right content at the right time. For leads who are still browsing your products/services and contemplating on making the purchase, you can send them free trials and webinars. For prospects who need that extra push to complete the sale, you can send offers and discounts." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. Retention – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Just completing a sale isn’t enough. Retaining an existing customer is much more cost-efficient as compared to acquiring a new customer. Once the customer makes the purchase, you as a brand should ensure that you live up to their expectations and retain the customer in the long run. With marketing automation, you can design an effective ‘thank you’ email with helpful tips on how to use the product or service, which is automatically sent once a customer comes on-board. Also, a marketing automation platform can track a prospect’s browsing history, purchase patterns etc and predict other items they might be interested in. Such product and service suggestions create cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Finally, you can also provide your customers with exclusive offers on items that are relevant for them, thereby boosting customer satisfaction." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Building a conversion funnel will help you track your prospective customer’s actions and guide them to take the action you want them to take. If you have a marketing automation platform, this entire process is simplified, and you get an extra edge over your competitors." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 4, "subtitle": "10 best email marketing automation tools", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/10best_img.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Email marketing automation involves designing and sending personalized emails to prospective customers on a time-bound basis. With email marketing automation, marketers can send customized emails that are triggered by certain specific actions of the customers. As per Epsilon Email Institute, triggered emails have a 70.5% higher open rate and a 152% higher click-through rate than generic email newsletters. Successful marketers use email automation tools and strategies to achieve maximum success and results. For your benefit, our marketing experts have compiled a list of the top 10 email marketing automation tools in the market that will help you make the most of email marketing. " }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. Mailchimp -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Mailchimp is a leader in the email marketing automation category. Amongst the top email automation tools, Mailchimp allows marketers to create and send drip emails based on customer behaviour on the website. This all-in-one solution provides third-party integrations and customer relationship management which can be used to create targeted campaigns and personalized emails and landing pages." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Marketo -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketo is a behemoth in the automation industry, with a wide range of services. It is one of the most effective automation tools that marketers can use to streamline their email marketing efforts. This platform comes with email marketing automation capabilities that are functional and can assist in building brand value and driving revenue. The major advantage that Marketo provides marketers is the wide variety of behaviours based on which marketers can create trigger email campaigns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. HubSpot -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "In the same playing field as Marketo, HubSpot is another automation tool that is a powerhouse of performance and features. When it comes to the top email automation tools, HubSpot is a favourite amongst all marketers. HubSpot provides automated workflows which can be used to create personalized, relevant and timely email marketing campaigns. All marketers need to do is list the conditions and enrollment triggers and as soon as a lead encounters a trigger, a personalized email will be sent to them." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. Oracle Eloqua -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Oracle Eloqua is a dynamic marketing automation platform primarily aimed at big B2B organizations. One of its most popular and powerful features is its email marketing automation capabilities. Eloqua comes with advanced email marketing, lead generation and campaign management features that can be used to provide more connected and targeted email experiences to prospective customers. This email marketing tool can be integrated with sales automation platforms to create segmented lists and build personalized email campaigns from one place." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Marketo -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketo is a behemoth in the automation industry, with a wide range of services. It is one of the most effective automation tools that marketers can use to streamline their email marketing efforts. This platform comes with email marketing automation capabilities that are functional and can assist in building brand value and driving revenue. The major advantage that Marketo provides marketers is the wide variety of behaviours based on which marketers can create trigger email campaigns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. HubSpot -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "In the same playing field as Marketo, HubSpot is another automation tool that is a powerhouse of performance and features. When it comes to the top email automation tools, HubSpot is a favourite amongst all marketers. HubSpot provides automated workflows which can be used to create personalized, relevant and timely email marketing campaigns. All marketers need to do is list the conditions and enrollment triggers and as soon as a lead encounters a trigger, a personalized email will be sent to them." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. Oracle Eloqua -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Oracle Eloqua is a dynamic marketing automation platform primarily aimed at big B2B organizations. One of its most popular and powerful features is its email marketing automation capabilities. Eloqua comes with advanced email marketing, lead generation and campaign management features that can be used to provide more connected and targeted email experiences to prospective customers. This email marketing tool can be integrated with sales automation platforms to create segmented lists and build personalized email campaigns from one place." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5. ActiveCampaign -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "One of the most popular email automation tools, ActiveCampaign promises to convert leads into customers and customers into repeat customers. This tool allows marketers to create personalized drip email campaigns based on customer behaviour, location, customer interactions, interests and more. This easy-to-use tool comes with a visual automation builder, predictive content, A/B split testing inside automation sequences and many more innovative features." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "6. Pardot -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Salesforce Pardot is considered by many to be amongst the best marketing automation and CRM tools in the market. It offers enhanced email marketing automation capabilities, lead generation, lead scoring, automated customer interactions and more, all within a simple interface. Pardot comes with unique email marketing features that include A/B testing, segmentation and dynamic content generation, to help in building more targeted and effective email campaigns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "7. Act-On- " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "When it comes to email automation tools, Act-On offers a comprehensive suite of automation and email marketing features that can be used for email management, lead management, social media management and more. Act-On’s email marketing tool allows in-depth segmentation features via which marketers can use to segment target markets and design personalized email marketing campaigns. Advanced website tracking and analytical capabilities enable marketers to track customer behaviour and actions, which helps in building optimized and efficient campaigns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "8. GetResponse -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "With GetResponse, companies can design targeted email marketing automation campaigns, engaging content, boost sales, drive revenue, increase traffic and more. Priced competitively, GetResponse is the perfect email marketing solution for small and mid-sized companies. This tool offers various features like workflow automation, A/B testing, custom landing pages, design testing, video email marketing and more. They also offer an in-built CRM and webinar feature to help in providing maximum value to customers." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "9. Drip -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Drip is the world’s first eCommerce CRM and amongst the most convenient email automation tools in the market. The basic purpose of Drip is to drive visual email marketing campaign building and streamline the drip email marketing process. This tool can help companies build their email list with the help of automated lead magnet delivery, engaging emails, custom opt-in pop-ins, automated workflows and in-depth personalization." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "10. Mautic- " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Mautic boasts of having the world’s only open marketing cloud and comes with several email marketing automation and marketing automation capabilities. It allows marketers to trigger actions, segment audiences, make changes to content and more. Some of the features offered by Mautic include A/B testing, analytics, ROI tracking, lead scoring and more. " } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 5, "subtitle": "Marketing Automation Success: Panasonic", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/marketing_automation.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "According to a Salesforce report, 67% of marketing leaders currently use a marketing automation platform. Marketing gurus have been quick in adopting this new marketing technology and implementing the same in their business processes. In our previous blogs, we spoke about how Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and Paper Style, a wedding invitation company achieved massive success with marketing automation. In this blog, we will be discussing the positive results and success achieved by multinational electronics corporation, Panasonic." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The European arm of the global B2B division of Panasonic Corporation had a goal to streamline their sales departments and ensure better coordination between the sales and marketing departments. To achieve these goals, Panasonic implemented Marketo as its marketing automation platform of choice, after reviewing ten marketing automation vendors. Before incorporating a marketing automation platform, Panasonic’s 13 B2B product divisions operated as distinct entities. Each of these divisions had their own sales teams, marketing teams and customer databases. There was no connection or coordination between these divisions." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "In 2012, Panasonic Europe merged its various B2B divisions into PSCEU. The objective was to combine the separate sales teams, marketing teams and customer databases of the different divisions to make them more efficient as well as enable sales personnel to target larger accounts without hampering the existing run rate business in the channel. Panasonic also had a long-term goal to increase its market penetration and cross-sell opportunities." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "To achieve these KPIs, Panasonic brought Marketo into the picture. While implementing a marketing automation platform, the objective was to use a simple tool that could be easily used by the marketing department, with minimum interference from the IT department. Marketo as a marketing automation platform was the obvious choice due to its simplicity and superior functionality. Marketo was integrated with the existing Salesforce CRM to import more than 55,000 contacts and train 50 staff. The entire implementation process took 1 year, and all marketers had access to the new marketing automation platform through three user categories – levels one, two and three." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Panasonic observed a huge difference in its numbers after the implementation of marketing automation. The sales pipeline from marketing campaigns, also known as “campaign contribution”, displayed a growth of 26% from 10%. The number of marketing campaigns grew 100-fold per month, without any increase in marketing resources or budget. The contacts in Panasonic’s CRM doubled from 55,000 to 1,10,000, all this in only 18 months. Marketing personnel could function without any assistance from the IT team and event attendance doubled." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The effective use of marketing automation assisted Panasonic to drive their growth and achieve the outlined milestones. Before implementing marketing automation, the various teams at Panasonic underwent compulsory training programs to avoid any kind of tech culture shock. In addition, care was also taken to ensure that the employees did not use Marketo as a simple email marketing tool but used all the features available to them. By following a chronological pattern while implementing marketing automation, Panasonic ensured that the entire process happened as smoothly as possible." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 6, "subtitle": "Marketo account-based marketing", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/marketo_account.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "Kickstart your ABM efforts with Marketo account-based marketing!" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Account-based marketing is a B2B marketing strategy that is focused on creating marketing campaigns for certain target accounts within the audience segment. With account-based marketing, marketers can concentrate both marketing and sales efforts on target accounts, by creating personalized marketing campaigns for each, which will generate maximum positive results." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketo account-based marketing provides a unified solution to combine your account-based marketing and lead management activities. Marketo uses AI-based target account lists to help you streamline your marketing efforts to achieve maximum positive results. Marketo ABM consists of three components:" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1.Target –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The 1st component in Marketo ABM is targeting. Under this, there are three parts – account discovery, lead-to-account matching and named account lists. Connecting Marketo ABM with your CRM will show you all the relevant CRM accounts and information. Based on this, you can identify your named accounts. The information provided by Marketo ABM can help you discover accounts that are the perfect fit for your requirements and marketing strategy. The lead-to-account matching feature is in-built in Marketo. This feature automatically matches relevant leads to the named accounts in real-time. The third part is creating named account lists. A named account list is a collection of named accounts that can be targeted together. The objective of creating named account lists is to help you concentrate and customize your marketing efforts, such that they yield maximum results." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Engage –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Once you have created your named accounts, it’s time to engage with your accounts. Marketo helps you in your account-based marketing efforts by building highly personalized, cross-channel marketing campaigns that can effectively engage with your target accounts. Using Marketo Account Filters, you can create marketing campaigns that are engaging and targeted. In addition to this, you can also use Marketo Account Triggers to trigger and run personalized marketing campaigns as and when a new lead is added to the Marketo database." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Measure – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Once you have set up your accounts and started your campaigns, the next step is to measure and analyse the performance of your campaigns. Marketo ABM helps you measure the success of your marketing activities at the account level. With Marketo account-based marketing, you can analyse how your marketing activities are affecting your pipeline, sales cycle, revenue and engagement. This is done through the following – ABM dashboard, ABM sales report, account list insights, named account dimension in RCA and named account insights. The ABM dashboard allows you to receive an in-depth summary of your account-based marketing activities. The ABM sales report, as the name suggests, is simply a weekly report that provides information like top engaged people, key trends etc. The account list insights dashboard will help you get an idea about the aggregated insights and performance of all your named accounts. The named account dimension in RCA is an important feature of Marketo as it helps you create reports which are revenue-based, thus assisting you in measuring your account-based marketing activities based on revenue. Finally, the named account insights dashboard provides a 360-degree view of a particular target account, including the running campaigns, the performance, success metrics, improvement areas and more." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketo ABM incorporates AI to optimize your account-based marketing efforts holistically. With Marketo, you can ensure that you are providing a seamless customer experience across all your channels. Read on to know 5 features of Marketo that will make you a pro at marketing automation!" } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 7, "subtitle": "5 Customer Acquisition Tools that you need to start using!", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/marketo_based.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Your business is of no value without customers. The difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful one lies in the number and presence of customers. While retaining existing customers is important, acquiring new ones is equally crucial. If you are a marketer or a business owner, you would be knowing the importance of a holistic customer acquisition strategy. Acquiring new customers isn’t a simple task. With multiple options and alternatives, getting your customers to convert is a long and painstaking process. To help you in this task, our experts have curated a list of customer acquisition tools that will bring you customers like bees to honey!" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. Unbounce -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "One of our favourite acquisition tools is Unbounce. Simply speaking, Unbounce is a landing page builder. We all know how important attractive and engaging landing pages are to get new leads. Unbounce makes it easier for you to design a landing page that boosts conversions. This Canadian company boasts a drag and drop builder which makes it super easy for even non-developers to develop a professional and click-worthy landing page. The best part of this tool is that it provides all the necessary features required to create a great landing page like A/B testing, form creation, SEO, analytics and more." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. GetResponse -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "GetResponse is an email marketing tool that captures customer data with the help of a mailing list. While email marketing is the major forte of this product, it positions itself as an all-in-one marketing toolkit with capabilities like creating newsletters, automating emails and analysing campaigns. One of the most helpful features of this tool is its drag and drop editor which enables users to design interesting email templates, without the need for any intense coding. Customers of GetResponse can create emails, email campaigns, newsletters and more with targeted content, thereby attracting more leads. Some of the best features of this customer acquisition product include drip campaigns, A/B testing, dynamic content, autoresponders, subscriber management and more." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. HotJar –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "HotJar is a revolutionary tool that is a must-have for your customer acquisition strategy. This tool uses interactive heatmaps to track customer actions like clicks and sessions. Understanding customer behaviour is key to optimizing marketing activities that prompt leads to convert. HotJar makes this entire process more convenient by providing a visual representation of important metrics. Apart from heatmaps, HotJar also allows users to analyse forms, conversion funnels, surveys and so much more. Some of the main features include custom survey URLs, question branching, data analysis tools and more." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. Drift – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Drift is a cloud-based solution that uses live-chat windows to facilitate improved interactions with customers on a real-time basis. Positioned as a conversational marketing and sales platform, this tool connects prospects with sales personnel in real-time, via interactive chatbots. The objective of this product is to accelerate the sales process, pushing more leads to the end of the sales pipeline, within a short time. Drift is amongst those efficient customer acquisition tools that include customers throughout the end-to-end buying process to provide a better experience. This is done by asking customers questions through chat windows, understanding their needs and connecting them with the right sales agents. Conversations are the basis of enhanced service for this SaaS company. Some of the major features of Drift include automated scheduling and calendar sync." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "Outgrow -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Outgrow is an innovative platform that allows users to build interactive calculators and quizzes. Interactive content is a new marketing strategy that brands are using to drive engagements. With Outgrow, users can design value-added calculators, quizzes and more that have the potential to go viral and generate leads. This customer acquisition product comes with embeddable design templates which can be used to build ROI calculators, knowledge tests and quizzes with no complex coding involved. Some of the main features of Outgrow are MCQ, feedback collection, skip logic, online polling and more." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "For your customer acquisition strategy to work, several factors come into play like content, distribution channels, targeting and more. Customer acquisition tools can simplify the process by automating several activities like creating landing pages, email templates and tracking customer behaviour online. Our list of customer acquisition products can help you choose the platform that best suits your needs. By integrating these tools you can generate leads and drive conversions." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 8, "subtitle": "Outsmart Your Competition in 2023: Top 5 Best Competitor Analysis Tools", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/Outsmart.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Are you looking to stay ahead of your competition in the market? Do you want to know what your competitors are doing better than you? " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "If yes, then you need to start analyzing your competitors’ strategies and actions. Competitor analysis is a vital part of any business’s success, and the good news is that there are several tools available in the market that can help you with this task. In this article, we will discuss some of the best competitor analysis tools that can help you gain a competitive advantage in the market." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. SEMRush –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "SEMRush is one of the most popular and widely used competitor analysis tools available in the market. It provides a comprehensive analysis of your competitors’ organic and paid search strategies, keywords, and backlinks. With SEMRush, you can also track your competitors’ social media performance and advertising campaigns. The tool’s user-friendly interface and detailed reports make it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Ahrefs -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Ahrefs is another popular competitor analysis tool that provides an in-depth analysis of your competitor’s backlinks and content. With Ahrefs, you can analyze your competitors’ top-performing pages and keywords and identify gaps in your content strategy. The tool also provides detailed reports on your competitors’ organic search traffic and social media performance." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. SpyFu–" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "SpyFu is a competitor analysis tool that specializes in providing detailed reports on your competitors’ paid search campaigns. With SpyFu, you can analyze your competitors’ ad copy, keywords, and budget and identify opportunities for improvement in your own campaigns. The tool also provides detailed reports on your competitors’ organic search rankings and backlinks." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. SimilarWeb – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "SimilarWeb is a competitor analysis tool that provides a comprehensive analysis of your competitor’s website traffic and engagement. With SimilarWeb, you can analyze your competitors’ top-performing pages, traffic sources, and audience demographics. The tool also provides detailed reports on your competitors’ mobile app performance and advertising campaigns." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5. Google Analytics – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Google Analytics is a free competitor analysis tool that provides detailed reports on your competitors’ website traffic, engagement, and conversion rates. With Google Analytics, you can analyze your competitors’ top-performing pages, traffic sources, and audience demographics. The tool also provides detailed reports on your competitors’ advertising campaigns and social media performance." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Overall, competitor analysis is a crucial part of any business’s success, and the above-mentioned tools can help you gain a competitive advantage in the market. While each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, it is essential to choose the one that suits your business needs and budget. By analyzing your competitors’ strategies and actions, you can identify opportunities for improvement in your own business and stay ahead of the competition. If you’re looking for a reliable digital marketing agency to help you with competitor analysis and other marketing strategies, Telloquent can be your go-to partner. With years of experience and a team of expert marketers, Telloquent can help you grow your business and outsmart your competition in 2023 and beyond." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Telloquent is a leading digital marketing agency that specializes in providing customized marketing solutions to businesses of all sizes. Our team of expert marketers has years of experience creating and implementing successful marketing strategies that help businesses grow and succeed. Telloquent’s services include SEO, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and more. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique needs and goals and create a customized marketing plan that delivers results. With a focus on transparency, communication, and measurable results, Telloquent is dedicated to helping businesses succeed in today’s competitive market." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Hope you have found this article informative and engaging. Remember to choose the right tool for your business needs and start analyzing your competitors today! Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below. For more information, visit our website." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 9, "subtitle": "In-House Marketing Team Failing At MarTech?", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/fat-team.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "I personally know at least 5 companies who after spending thousands of dollars on Marketo for 3 or more years decided that it wasn’t worth it. The problem wasn’t with Marketo, of course – it was with the in-house marketing team and more importantly with the marketing heads of the companies who believed they could just buy an expensive marketing technology and it’d work out-of-the-box. Sophisticated marketing technology requires trained resources, thoughtfully laid out processes and relevant KPIs to measure what you set out to achieve from the new technology in the first place. Barring a few forward looking tech-savvy companies, very few others have an appreciation for this aspect." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/paper.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "According to this report – 5 Reasons Marketing Automation Fails – most in-house teams use only a couple of easy features offered by a sophisticated marketing automation platform; and you wonder why your MarTech investment isn’t generating positive ROI." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "In fact, something as basic as CRM requires a certain level of expertise to be useful. Agreed, you can have a CRM system that stores your customer data but when it comes to making use of the data stored in your CRM system for marketing purposes or making use of the other advanced features of a CRM platform, not many companies have trained resources for that kind of thing either, and they end up using CRM platforms more like a glorified excel sheet." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "“In most cases, the use and mastery of CRM software and processes should be a part of the annual review for each employee. Remember that CRM is a business strategy. This means that staff should buy into and support it. Staff should be trained on how to use CRM software and empowered to make use of the information gleaned through CRM to make their own customer decisions. ”" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "I think there are 2 ways to go about solving problem:" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "1. Either provide hands-on MarTech training to existing marketing team or hire MarTech experts to join your marketing team." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 10, "subtitle": "What Is Account Based Marketing And Associated ABM Tools", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/billu.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "What is Account Based Marketing (ABM) ?" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Account Based Marketing is a strategic approach that coordinates personalized marketing and sales efforts to open doors and deepen engagement at specific accounts." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "How ABM is different from Traditional Marketing?" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Traditional B2B marketing and sales funnel tracks the various stages to drive revenue into the company." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/b2bfunnel.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "1. Awareness - " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "( Start Board – Everyone is target) In the Awareness stage, marketers pour leads into the top of the funnel to identify all prospects who want to learn about your product or service." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Interest -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": " (Spend More Time , Energy and Money) – If a lead enter into interest stage, it become Marketing Qualified leads and then this lead pass on to sales team. Now salespersons engage in calls and emails to engage Sales Accepted leads ( SAL)." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Consideration - " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "(Call.. Email.. Call.. Email) : In B2B purchases, the decision is rarely goes into hands of one person/ single decision maker. That’s why even after Sales Qualified leads (SQL), it is always an battle to close the deals." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. Purchase - " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The final stage of traditional B2B marketing and sales funnel ends with a decision." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "Drawback of Traditional Funnel -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "1. Leads Focused: As in B2B purchases involves multiple decision makers, it is important to focus on accounts rather than leads" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "2. Quantity : Marketing team is completely focused on the quantity/volume of leads rather than Quality." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "3. Linear Path is assumed for all customer’s journeys: Traditional B2B marketing funnel look like a logical steps in progression which is not always the case in customer journey." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "4. Time , Energy & Money Spent : The biggest problem with traditional funnel is only a small portion of leads from awareness (top of funnel) makes all way into Purchase (bottom of funnel)" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Bottom Line : Its not about catching a lot of fishes with a net, but its about catching a big whale. ABM is focused on catching that big fish with a spear ( a more targeted approach)" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "How ABM Solves the Problem" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "In contrast to Traditional marketing funnel which focuses on batch and blasting process . ABM focuses on providing more personalized engagements with the targeted accounts." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The traditional leads based sales and marketing funnel has been turned into cone by using Account Based Marketing." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "Flipping the Funnel -" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/adm_cone.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "The tip of cone is initial lead . This lead becomes your contact and contacts turn out into account. There are four stages of this ABM marketing cone : Identify, Expand, Engage, Advocate. These four stages of account based marketing can be apply using specific technologies and tools." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 11, "subtitle": "5 brands that are succeeding with marketing automation", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/sabrina.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Implementing an effective marketing automation software in your organization can offer multiple benefits including lower costs, improved productivity and higher ROI. Once you have understood the entire scope of marketing automation, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving those targeted, yearly profit figures. Still contemplating on whether marketing automation is for you or not? Have a look at these 5 brands that are succeeding with marketing automation." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Netflix’s recommendation system influences 80% of the content watched on the platfor" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "148.86 million subscribers on Netflix" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Watch time per week: 1 billion hours" }, { "type": "2. Panasonic ", "text": "Panasonic Corporation is a multinational electronics corporation with its headquarters at Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. In 2012, Panasonic Systems Communications Company Europe, the European branch of the multinational company, decided to implement marketing automation into their organization, with the help of Marketo. Marketo marketing automation software was implemented with Panasonic’s existing Salesforce CRM solution across their marketing and sales departments. The objective was to drive higher return on investment and support expansion into new markets, with little effort from the marketing team and zero assistance from the IT department. Implementation of marketing automation helped Panasonic import more than 55,000 contacts and train 50 staff members. Sales grew from under 10% to 26% and the volume of marketing campaigns grew to over 100 per month, which is roughly 1 campaign every 2 hours for a team of 25 members!" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Marketing’s contribution to company revenue increased from 10% to 26%" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Contacts in CRM system doubled from 55,000 to 110,000" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Volume of marketing campaigns grew five-fold" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/panasonic.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Buffer - " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Buffer is a software application company that manages social media accounts including post scheduling and sharing. They developed an app called Pablo. In order to test new features of their app, they made very interesting and engaging use of marketing automation software. First, they identified their most recent and engaged Pablo users, asking them their experience and pain points while using the app. During the chat, Buffer enabled new, yet to be launched features and asked the users for their feedback on the same. This unique use of marketing automation was an instant hit. Save up on your beta-testing costs by using marketing automation to test new features with your engaged audience." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Scheduled posts per week on Buffer: 3 million+" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Pablo receives 181,732 unique visitors per day" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Visitors check 4.65 pages per visit on Pablo" }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/patrik.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type":"heading", "text":"4. Groove -" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Groove is a customer service help-desk company that effectively used marketing automation software to trigger customer behaviour-based emails for prospective clients. Using marketing automation, the marketers at Groove tracked their customers’ activities on their website. Based on these activities, emails were sent providing any required assistance. For example, if the marketing automation software picked up that a customer is taking too long to perform a particular activity on the website, an email would be sent providing help on how to complete that activity easily. Such an email marketing automation campaign helped Groove achieve a 10% response rate." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Campaign helped achieve 10% response rate" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Customers were 350% more likely to convert with this campaign" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "30% of the customers who responded remained customers after the initial 30-day period" }, { "type":"image", "src": "/assets/image/groove.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text":"5. Charles Schwab –" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "I think there are 2 ways to go about solving problem:" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "The Charles Schwab Corporation is a bank and stockbroker based in San Francisco, California and has been ranked as the 3rd best broker overall this year. This company used marketing automation software to boost engagement and productivity. Their objectives included personalizing their clients’ lifecycle, delivering relevant content, aligning marketing and sales departments and enhancing lead generation. In alignment with these goals, Charles Schwab established a demand generation expertise and implemented Marketo automation in their organization. They developed a nine-touch nurture campaign which helped them digitize their marketing department as well as automate their key functions." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "500% increase in engagement rates" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "$1.1 billion asset value contribution to sales pipeline" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "900% increase in productivity" }, { "type":"image", "src": "/assets/image/charles.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type":"paragraph", "text":"Marketing automation offers myriad tools and services which can help you and your business boost sales and earn huge profits. If you haven’t implemented a marketing automation software yet, it is high time that you do so. Know more about our marketing automation services: https://telloquent.com/" } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 12, "subtitle": "3 ways to retain your customers with marketing automation", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/set.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Did you know that 80% of your future profits will come from just 20% of your existing customers? Moreover, the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%! (smallbizztrends.com) As you can see, customer retention is absolutely essential to generating more sales and revenue. A properly implemented marketing automation platform can be very helpful in customer retention. While marketing automation includes a wide array of features and tools, the trick lies in knowing which features are going to most benefit your business and retain your customers. Here are 3 ways to retain your customers with marketing automation." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"1. Start off on the right foot with relevant emails – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Once a customer has completed a purchase, you do not want to make them feel that their value is only limited to that sale. The objective is to continuously engage and interact with your existing customers, converting them into loyal buyers. Marketing automation is a great tool to have constant communication with your customers, via emails, without being spammy. As soon as a customer makes a purchase, an email can be sent to them welcoming them as well as thanking them for the purchase. With the help of a marketing automation platform, personalized emails can be created and scheduled to be sent on important days for the customer, like their birthday, anniversary etc. Netflix, for example, continuously uses marketing automation to send dynamic emails to their customers, thus boosting their customer retention rates. After the preliminary welcome email, Netflix sends personalized emails suggesting relevant movies and TV shows, based on the user’s browsing and watch history. Interacting with your target audience via emails helps in boosting engagement rates and increasing customer retention." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"2. Upselling/Cross-Selling –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"It is 5 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Upselling and cross-selling are the easiest ways to retain existing customers. Marketing automation can be effectively used to upsell and cross-sell to your existing buyers, thereby promoting customer retention. Once a customer completes a purchase, marketing automation can be used to send them emails suggesting other products or add-ons which they can buy. Amazon, for example, is a clear winner when it comes to their upselling and cross-selling strategies. As soon as a customer adds an item to their bag or completes a purchase, they are shown other items that are “frequently bought” with their desired item, sponsored products related to the item and similar products bought by other customers. Amazon uses marketing automation to track a customer’s purchase patterns and actions and accordingly suggest items for upsell and cross-sell purposes. By suggesting relevant products which are helpful for their customers, Amazon effectively boosts their sales numbers while retaining their existing customers." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/dollar.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Loyalty Programs –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Loyalty programs are created in order to make customers feel that they matter for more than just their purchase. This is done by offering them a variety of rewards like cashbacks, offers, gifts, free shipping etc, which helps in customer retention. However, the mode loyalty programs take in case of B2B companies is quite different than that of B2C companies. An effective way to create loyalty programs for B2B companies using marketing automation is to give their big clients access to new products, services and offers. Medecision, a B2B health management solutions company develop webinars which are exclusively available only for their clients as a part of their loyalty program. This goes a long way in customer retention as the clients get information-rich webinars which are unavailable to their competitors. Marketing automation also helps in keeping track of buyer preferences, which can help marketers offer rewards and loyalty plans which are relevant for the customers." }, { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/boost.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text": "Your existing customers are a great source of revenue and profits. Engaging with them and providing them with a superior experience should be your primary goal. Marketing automation can help you with this goal, thereby boosting customer retention. Know more about our marketing automation services: https://telloquent.com/" } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 13, "subtitle": "5 steps in selecting a B2B Marketing Automation Platform", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/5step.jpg", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Every organization has its own set of needs, goals and requirements which are completely unique from that of other organizations. Unique needs require unique solutions. This is especially true in the case of B2C and B2B companies, which are strategically different. As a B2B company, your unique, specific needs define the marketing automation vendor that will complete your requirements. Here are 5 steps that will help you in selecting a B2B marketing automation platform:" }, { "type": "heading", "text":"1. Clearly define your requirements – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"The first step in selecting a B2B marketing automation platform is to have a clear definition and understanding of what you and your company require. The marketing automation vendor that you select should have the ability to effectively fulfil your requirements. The best way to define your requirements to the marketing automation vendors is by clearly outlining your current situation as well as the desired situation you want your organization to reach. Your goals can be myriad – converting leads into revenue, sales and marketing alignment, boosting profits etc. By defining your requirements, you can shortlist the B2B marketing automation platforms that can be perfectly synced with your goals." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"2. Evaluate your options – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Different marketing automation vendors have different features that they can offer. Too many alternatives can easily confuse you. In order to avoid any kind of confusion, you must first categorize your required features into 3 categories – essentials, key features and desirables. Essentials refer to features, the absence of which will be a deal breaker for you. Key features, as the name suggests, refers to certain activities that the marketing automation software should be able to perform. Desirables refer to features which are not essential but will be an added advantage. Before approaching any marketing automation vendor, make a list of your required features based on the above 3 categories. This will make the entire B2B marketing automation platform selection process easy." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Ask for a demo –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Now that you have shortlisted a few vendors, the next step is to ask for a demo by executing some real-life scenarios. A comprehensive demo can help you recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing automation vendors. Design 2-3 case studies which effectively reflect your business structure as well as situations that you may face. The marketing automation vendors should then solve these case studies and if possible, run a test campaign. This will go a long way in selecting a B2B marketing automation platform that can meet your present as well as future requirements." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"4. Ask questions –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":" By asking comprehensive questions, you can understand if the marketing automation vendor that you have selected is the right fit for your organization. A set of in-depth questions can help you in identifying B2B marketing automation platforms that include features which can help you in gaining a competitive edge in the market. You can ask questions like how many channels will the marketing automation software work, what are the critical features, how scalable is the software etc. Preparing a list of thorough questions and getting them answered by the sales representative of the marketing automation company is the best way to narrow down your prospective choices." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"5. Make the final selection –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Now that you have narrowed down your list of choices to 2 or 3, it is time to make the final selection. However, before you take a decision, pay attention to the services being offered by the marketing automation vendor. Services are as important as the B2B marketing automation platform itself. The implementation, set-up and training facilities provided by the marketing automation vendor should be highly effective in order to ensure the smooth transitioning from a traditional system to marketing automation. You can also ask for customer references from your industry who faced similar challenges as you and implemented the same marketing automation software. Finally, once you select the B2B marketing automation platform, ask them to develop and implement a constructive plan that is easy to execute and will yield high results." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Finalizing on a B2B marketing automation platform can be a daunting task. By following the above 5 steps, you can easily select a marketing automation software that is synced with your strategic goals and objectives. Read on to know how marketing automation can help align your sales and marketing departments" } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 14, "subtitle": "Top 10 Marketing Automation Platforms", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/marketo.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"What is marketing automation? In simple words, marketing automation refers to tools and platforms that automate repetitive, manual tasks and streamline your omnichannel marketing activities, thereby saving you both time and money. As discussed in our previous blogs, marketing automation platforms come with several useful features like lead generation, lead nurturing, lead scoring, content personalization, email marketing campaigns and more." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"According to a study conducted by Emailmonday, on average, 51% of companies are using marketing automation. With a wide variety of marketing automation platforms available in the market, selecting the perfect one for your company can get confusing. While comparing the available choices, these three points must be taken into consideration – ease of use, pricing and possibility of integration with existing software. Marketing automation platforms can be complicated, especially for first-time users. That doesn’t mean you need to shy away from marketing automation! Choose a software that not only contains all the necessary features but also is user-friendly. Additionally, make sure that the marketing automation platform you shortlist does not cross your budget. Most marketing automation vendors include some hidden costs related to additional features. Make sure you have a clear understanding of these extra charges before making a decision. Finally, you must ensure that the marketing automation platform you finalize on can be easily integrated with any existing software in your organization. This guarantees a seamless transition and smooth functioning of your marketing processes. " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Now that you know what marketing automation is and how to select a marketing automation tool, take a look at these top 10 marketing automation platforms that guarantee high returns:" }, { "type": "heading", "text":"1.Microsoft Dynamics 365 – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a CRM solution that serves as a singular cloud-based platform which can be used in sales, marketing, service, finance, operations, talent, AI, business central and mixed reality. This modular marketing automation platform combines rebranded versions of Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM to provide data-driven insights, creating intelligent workflows and automating repetitive tasks. Some of the features of Microsoft Dynamics 365 include relationship insights, outlook client, editable grids, relevance search, site map designer and much more. " }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Salesforce Pardot –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Salesforce Pardot is a B2B marketing automation platform that serves as a single, centralized platform via which businesses can get valuable insights, generate promising leads, create customizable campaigns, track results and more. This marketing automation platform offers four main solutions – marketing automation, B2B marketing analytics, Salesforce engage and Einstein account-based marketing. It’s email automation, content creation and marketing automation capabilities are best suited for small and mid-sized organizations. Some of the features include drip email campaigns, mailing list management, lead management, workflow automation, lead nurturing, lead scoring and more" }, { "type": "heading", "text":"3. Marketo – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Marketo is a user-friendly marketing automation platform that can be used by both B2B and B2C companies of all sizes. The solutions provided by Marketo include lead management, email marketing, consumer marketing, customer-base marketing, mobile marketing, revenue attribution and account-based marketing. The marketing automation services provided by Marketo are amongst the best in the industry and provides multiple features like landing pages, web-based email marketing, personalized customer engagement and more." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "4. HubSpot –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"HubSpot is a popular and advanced marketing automation platform that focuses on lead generation and lead management. HubSpot serves as a one-stop-shop for all your marketing automation needs, including lead nurturing, email drip campaigns, creating personalized workflows, Salesforce integration and more. A unique blend of marketing automation and inbound marketing software, HubSpot marketing automation provides several tools which are not available together for any other marketing automation platform. HubSpot provides SEO, CMS, social media services amongst others." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5. IBM Marketing Cloud –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Established in 1999 as Silverpop, IBM Marketing Cloud is the oldest marketing automation platform. This marketing automation platform is a software-defined storage in the cloud that is robust and easily applicable across different industries and verticals. The three key solutions of IBM Marketing Cloud are Marketing Center, Unica and Coremetics. Marketing Center includes features like A/B testing, website personalization etc. Unica is a multi-channel automation function with a focus on email marketing while Coremetics can help you with campaign results measurement, social analytics etc. The major features offered by IBM marketing automation platform are IBM Lead Management, IBM Digital Marketing, Journey Design and IBM Analytics." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"6. Adobe – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Adobe Marketing Cloud is an all-in-one, unified marketing automation platform which offers a complete set of solutions, including, Adobe Social, Adobe Campaign, Adobe Target, Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Analytics and Adobe Media Optimizer. The products provided by Adobe Marketing Cloud are content management, campaign execution, personalization and Marketo engage. The features include automating marketing processes, multiple access to data, cross-channel marketing, programmatic marketing, geolocation, dynamic tag management and much more." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "7. Oracle Eloqua Marketing Cloud – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Oracle Eloqua is a marketing automation platform targeted for B2B audiences. This platform provides an amalgamation of email marketing, demand generation and lead management. The main distinguishing factor of this marketing automation platform is that it offers only a handful of solutions which are extremely effective in fulfilling all your marketing automation needs. The product capabilities include targeting and segmentation, campaign management, lead management, marketing measurement and sales and marketing alignment." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "8. ActiveCampaign –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"ActiveCampaign serves as an integrated CRM and marketing suite which offers revolutionary automations, including autoresponders, contact list automation, list management and automations within its CRM system. This marketing automation platform offers 5 main features – email marketing, marketing automation, sales & CRM, messaging and machine learning. Considered as one of the most powerful marketing automation platforms in the market, ActiveCampaign provides segmentation, geo-tagging, deliverability tests, A/B testing, ROI tracking and more." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"9. Zoho – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Zoho is a cloud-based multi-channel CRM software targeted towards small and mid-sized businesses to provide a wide range of solutions. The services offered by this marketing automation platform can be applied in sales & marketing, finance, email & collaboration, IT & help desk and human resources. They also offer custom solutions that are personalized according to individual business needs and requirements. Zoho provides useful features like gamification, business-grade telephony, comprehensive reporting etc which can take your marketing automation activities to the next level!" }, { "type": "heading", "text": "10. Keap –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Keap, formerly known as Infusionsoft, is an all-in-one CRM, marketing and sales automation platform that is specifically targeted to small-sized businesses. The main advantage that this marketing automation platform has over its competitors is that it doubles as a digital marketing hub and an email marketing tool. The features offered by Keap include multimedia marketing management, social sharing, scoring tools, automated campaigns and more." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"In today’s competitive environment, a company cannot survive without some form of marketing automation. Although these are the top 10 marketing automation platforms in the market, the ultimate choice depends upon you and your strategic goals. Now that you know the top players in the marketing world, read on to know 5 steps in selecting a B2B marketing automation platform." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } }, { "id": 15, "subtitle": "What is mobile marketing automation and what are its benefits?", "content": [ { "type": "image", "src": "/assets/image/cunsumer.png", "alt": "Digital Marketing Image" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"According to a survey conducted by Blue Corona, consumers spend more than 5 hours a day on their smartphone. In 2018, mobile ad spends worldwide amounted to $138.1 billion and is expected to reach $212.4 billion by 2021 (Statista). Thus, it is quite obvious that mobile marketing is the best way to elevate your marketing efforts, which in turn demands for mobile marketing automation." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"What is mobile marketing automation? Marketing automation refers to software or platforms used to automate manual and repetitive processes in an organization, in order to boost all marketing processes and effectively market on multiple channels. Marketing automation activities are usually directed towards computers. Mobile marketing automation is simply marketing automation for mobile devices. Mobile marketing automation tools combine three important facets – personalized messaging, A/B testing and analytics. With these, mobile marketing automation is used to send highly targeted messages on users’ mobile devices, check what is and isn’t working and make the required changes in real-time." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Mobile marketing automation tools come with features unavailable in general marketing automation. With mobile marketing automation, you can interact with your customers on their mobile devices, with the help of push notifications, personalized SMS and MMS, in-app messaging and more. Sending highly targeted, relevant and personalized messages to their mobile devices can help you engage with your prospects at the right time. With features like geolocation, you can gather valuable data about your customers like their location, browsing habits etc. Unlike marketing automation, mobile marketing automation tools allow segmentation and personalization specifically designed for 1:1 communication." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"The benefits of mobile marketing automation include:" }, { "type": "heading", "text":"1. Increase in revenue –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Every organization, irrespective of size and industry, has one advantage, that is, achieving higher revenue and profit figures. Mobile marketing automation tools can help you streamline and target your marketing activities to be mobile-friendly. Consequently, there is a positive impact on your ROI and revenue figures. Mobile marketing automation can collect valuable customer data which can be used to design creative and customized mobile marketing campaigns. This assists in lead nurturing activities. Additionally, you can communicate with your customers in real-time, allowing you to understand and respond to their requirements quickly." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "2. Customer Retention –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"According to studies, it is 5 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Thus, apart from acquiring new customers, it is important for companies to retain their existing ones. In order to retain your customers, you must first understand their pain points, requirements and needs. Additionally, you must also track and check which marketing campaigns are working for which group of customers. This is where mobile marketing automation comes in. An important facet of mobile marketing automation is analytics. With mobile marketing automation tools, you can obtain relevant insights into your customers’ behaviour, feedback about your offerings, their touchpoints etc. As a result, you can predict your prospects’ future requirements and design campaigns to satisfy the same." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "3. Segmentation & Personalization –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"Sending personalized content based on homogeneous segments is one of the most important and useful features of marketing automation. With mobile marketing automation, you can take this to another level. Mobile marketing automation tools have geolocation capabilities which helps in collecting valuable customer insights, like their location, browsing history, purchase behaviour, the device they use and much more. Based on such information, you can create targeted segments and design personalized marketing campaigns for these target groups." }, { "type": "heading", "text":"4. Automate engagement campaigns – " }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"The level of engagement of different users is different. While some might make a purchase immediately after downloading your mobile app, others might take months before they purchase something. Instead of trying to manually engage with your leads, the best option is to automate engagement campaigns with the help of mobile marketing automation. To do this, you must first create segments based on user interests and actions. Once the segments have been created, use mobile marketing automation tools to develop drip nurturing campaigns to motivate prospects to take desired actions, like complete account setup, make a purchase etc." }, { "type": "heading", "text": "5. Re-engage old customers –" }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"An extension of the previous point, mobile marketing automation can also be used to re-engage with inactive users. As mentioned previously, it is much cheaper to retain old customers than to acquire new ones. Thus, when existing users go inactive, it is essential to understand why they went inactive and nurture them back into becoming paying customers. Mobile marketing automation tools can create a segment of users who have gone inactive and then send them reminder messages with offers and discounts to motivate them to engage with you." }, { "type": "paragraph", "text":"In today’s mobile-friendly world, mobile marketing automation has an elevated value for marketers. Mobile marketing automation tools are the best way to market on mobile devices, thereby generating higher results and profits." } ], "social_links": { "facebook": "#", "twitter": "#", "pinterest": "#" } } ]