There are so many marketing channels and so little time to manage them all properly. That’s the state of modern marketing. Email, socials, chats with customers, even SMS – they all take attention away from strategizing and other high-level activities marketers depend on for bringing value to their business.
The answer? Marketing automation platforms! As their name suggests, these indispensable tools automate tasks ranging from lead generation through email coordination to general customer interaction. There are too many to count that seek marketers’ attention, so consider the following factors when choosing one.
Evaluate Your Needs
Before everything else, a compatible marketing automation platform needs to offer features you need now and expect you’ll need in the future. Specific needs vary by company size, industry, and countless other factors. A platform that excels at automating content en masse for potential B2B customers might not be the best fit for a bespoke approach when nurturing individual leads.
Take some time to assess your current strategies and associated pain points. Which specific problems could an automation platform solve? Which challenges will growing your business bring? Narrowing your search down to a handful of platforms that offer the best solutions will yield the best results.
Compatibility with Existing Tools
Marketers rely on a plethora of tools to create leads, assess KPIs, come up with email campaigns, and so much more. Automating some or most of these actions only makes sense if the new platform supports your existing tech stack and offers hassle-free integration.
Incorporating existing tools into the new automation platform is an excellent opportunity to assess and strengthen the credentials the marketing team uses to access them. Strong and unique passwords for all accounts need to be in place to maintain proper access control and data security. While not a marketing platform itself, a password manager for Firefox or other browsers will be instrumental in automating any and all credentials and strengthening them further through multi-factor authentication.
User-Friendliness
Marketing departments are always either refining their strategies or nurturing connections, which leaves little time to learn new systems. When choosing an automation platform, consider how easy it is for the average user to pick up and start hitting those conversion goals.
It’s best if the platform’s provider offers onboarding and training to help you get started. Others might not have formal training but offer extensive resources and how-to videos. Check whether these exist before pulling the trigger.
Costs
The costs associated with your marketing efforts may vary seasonally or as your company experiences growth spurts. Can the marketing automation platform keep up? Can you? Most automation platforms charge depending on the number of contacts, so the bill six months down the line may not be the same as the one you’ll pay now.
All providers should offer tiered pricing. Some will be more flexible, so you may save by turning off non-essential features. While getting a deal is great, keep in mind it’s worth paying a little more for the ideal blend of functionality and accessibility.
Data Protection & Privacy
Embracing marketing automation involves entrusting another third party with countless clients’ sensitive information. Thoroughly investigate the provider’s data protection policies and dismiss any who can’t provide evidence of using encryption or complying with data privacy laws like the GDPR or CCPA.
It’s essential not to neglect your team’s cybersecurity standards, especially now that working from home is a reality for many of us. The best & most effective way of safeguarding business data while still allowing for mobility is by using a VPN. Keeping it active creates an encrypted tunnel that protects users’ internet connection from eavesdropping while keeping their activities safe and anonymous. Make sure to select a reliable provider, though. Use the VPN comparison table on Reddit to measure which provider fits your needs the best.
Customer Support
Candidates who satisfy the above criteria will likely all be a great fit. How do they handle crises, though? Minimal downtime is a given, but considering factors like quick response times and being able to reach a human to resolve issues as they arise is also important.
Conclusion
Automation platforms turn modern marketing from a seemingly insurmountable act of juggling multiple channels into a streamlined, manageable experience that brings noticeably better results. We hope you’ll find this article in cutting through the noise and choosing a platform that’s tailor-made for your marketing team’s current and future projects.