Marketing automation

Marketing automation - the use of specialized software and hardware solutions for the automation of marketing processes of the enterprise. The main areas of automation - it's marketing planning and budgeting, marketing asset management, marketing campaigns, customer relations, management of potential sales, integration of customer data and analytics, and other aspects of marketing. Solutions in the field of marketing automation distributed with some systems on customer relationship management (CRM-systems), as well as independent applications - specific marketing objectives of management programs (Enterprise Marketing Management - EMM). In turn, the independent applications can be complex or systems designed to solve particular marketing problems. 

The main functional

Marketing automation allows us to derive routine processes that are usually performed by hand, at a higher level, integrating data sources, increases the level of security and protection of corporate data, opens up new marketing opportunities and increase marketing effectiveness.
Report submitted by the research agency B2B Marketing lists the following five areas of functionality marketing automation solutions:
Creation and promotion of content: the ability to create on-line research, tools for lead generation (new websites, brochures), conducting promotional campaigns by e-mail, PPC advertising, public relations and others. The advantage of customized solutions that they allow a very high degree personalize these campaigns.
Management of marketing campaigns: a set of tools for designing campaigns, implementation and management of time and events.
Catching Lead: the ability to obtain information about what and how to make visitors to the sites draw data from them, and start interacting with them through the content they are interested.
Management lidami: evaluation (qualification), makeup and transfer of leads into the next part of the marketing funnel, is a central part of specialized marketing automation systems. Most systems that integrate with CRM solutions enable both marketers and sales professionals manage lidami across the sales funnel. Some systems also include the management of resources for these tasks.
Measuring results: systems allow you to set and track a set of metrics that are specific to these tasks and processes. In particular, we can compare the results of different campaigns together, establishing thus a process of continuous improvement.

Guidelines for Implementation

It should be understood that a comprehensive, integrated marketing automation is not just a program, but it is the system, including the technical means of data collection and sharing of data obtained. For example, in a retail store, it may be counting systems that are needed for detailed visitor statistics, consider allowing corporate development plan, identify patterns that enhance his popularity among potential customers. In addition, the implementation of the automation system includes the development of regulations of its use, reference documents, and other items. A comprehensive approach that addresses all aspects of the interaction of individual parts of the system and exchange information with other parts of the automation of the whole enterprise, is the most important principle of successful implementation.