How many times have we heard this type of variation on the “your marketing is only as good as your data” saying? Isn’t it true though? If you’re in IT you probably roll your eyes every time a ticket request comes in from the marketing team for another list pull: “Please run a query and provide us with a list of people who attended last year’s conference, redeemed a coupon and sat on the left side of the room during the keynote address”. (It’s not that far-fetched, there’s a method to a marketer’s madness or request after all). The reality is that marketers rely on data – and it’s understanding this need which helps to facilitate in-depth discussions about data integration.

Today's marketers are focused on more than just lead generation.  Aquiring new leads is still a top priority, however, marketing departments are also spending time and resources nurturing the customers they already have in order to build long term relationships with them.  Modern marketing consists of 3 core segments:

Many organizations today are investing in marketing automation.  The reasons for this are simple.  Marketing automation is a technology that enables marketers to reach their audience on multiple channels in a more personalized, targeted manner.  It automates repetitive, time consuming tasks.  Marketing automation also allows marketers to track the effectiveness of their campaigns and to track where leads are on the buyer's journey through lead scoring.  Essentially, marketing automation makes your marketing efforts more effective while saving you time and resources.  So it's no wonder that marketers are continuing to invest in this technology.  As marketing automation continues to evolve, what does the future hold?  We have found an article, written by Charm Bianchini at Marketo, that lists 7 predictions about the future of marketing automation.

If you have made the decision to purchase a marketing automation system, there are a few things to consider first.  When it comes to marketing automation, taking some time before hand to understand what you need to plan for and expect from the implementation of your new system may save you pain down the road.  There are some questions worth considering when choosing a marketing automation system.  What do you want your system to achieve for you?  What platforms or tools do you wish to integrate with your new system?  What level of vendor support will you need to get up and running?  And for how long?  Gillian Wildfire at Act-On has written an article about the four steps you should take when considering marketing automation solutions.  Taking these four steps first will provide you with the information you need in order to ensure success with your new system.

We have been hearing a lot about marketing automation these days.  But there are quite a few misconceptions still floating around.  One of the most common is the mistaken belief that marketing automation is too complex a tool for smaller marketing teams to be able to set up and maintain effectively.  Actually nothing could be further from the truth.  Marketing automation is an ideal solution for smaller teams who have limited time and resources.  This is because a major benefit of marketing automation is to allow marketers to do more in less time.  We have found an article, written by Molly Hoffmeister over at Salesforce, that dispels four common myths and shows us instead how marketing automation can help grow organizations both large and small.

When is "good enough" really not good enough after all?  Quite often it seems.  If  your organization is looking for ways to boost productivity, marketing automation may be the solution you're looking for.  However, there are many marketing automation solutions available, so choose wisely.  Settling for a "good enough" solution may actually hinder your productivity.  Selecting the right solution for your organization's needs is critical for your success.  We have found a good article you should check out, written by Neha Shah, at Marketo.  The article explains in more detail why not settling for a less than ideal marketing automation solution is crucial and how to distinguish between a "good enough" solution and a truly good solution.