Recently Marketing Sherpa held their 2017 Sherpa Summit.  Marketing Sherpa Summits talk a great deal about customer-first or customer-centric marketing.  Customer-centric marketing is an approach that focuses on providing a positive customer experience throughout the buyer's journey.  This approach enhances the buyer's experience, promotes sales, and grows customer loyalty by promoting a positive customer-first environment.  Email marketing is a prime area where you can put the needs and concerns of the buyer first.  So at this year's summit, customer-centric email marketing was a big topic.

Marketing automation platforms are primarily marketed to marketers.  There are, however, many benefits for your sales team as well. The infographic below highlights how marketing automation is beneficial to both sales and marketing and, in fact, helps align the two departments with common goals.

Long before the age of digital communications, associations were where like-minded individuals gathered together to share common interests.  Joining an association gave people the opportunity to engage with others in an exchange of information and the ability to become more knowledgeable about their shared subject matter.  Today information and the attainment of knowledge on any subject is easily available via the internet. It is therefore imperative that associations utilize the latest digital marketing strategies in order to retain current members and attract new ones.

Marketing automation is the hottest new tool to have in your marketing toolbox and organizations are implementing it at an ever expanding pace.  The infographic below shows exactly why organizations today need marketing automation in order to increase conversion rates and thereby increase revenue.

Do you think marketing automation is primarily used for lead generation?  If so you are certainly not alone, many marketers do.  The truth is marketing automation can do much more.  You can and should leverage this technology for brand marketing and customer marketing as well.  Marketing automation can be used at every stage of the customer lifecycle.  By using the power of data driven strategies derived from a marketing automation platform you can drive leads, build your brand, and deliver an outstanding customer experience.  We have found an article at Act-On, written by Cindy Collins-Taylor, that explains what benefits marketing automation has to offer, not only for lead generation strategies, but also for branding and customer marketing strategies.  This article will help you understand what marketing automation can do and how to get the most out of your marketing automation palform.

Marketing automation is technology that allows you to automate and measure your marketing activities and strategies.  It enables you to attract more leads, nurture those leads, and convert them more quickly into customers.  The infographic below illustrates 9 benefits of marketing automation that will save you time and money.