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No doubt about it, marketing automation adoption is on the rise, increasing fourfold in the past two years among B2B companies.
According to a recent Marketing Sherpa report 54% of CMOs have either begun or completed implementation of marketing automation software. And 79% have taken that all-important first step and established some kind of marketing automation process.
But here’s the catch: marketing automation isn’t actually automated. “It requires expertise, clear planning and dedication to be successful,” says Sam Weber of Connected Marketer. So if you’re one of those marketers wondering how to begin, don’t let the magnitude of what you are trying to accomplish overwhelm you -- there are many resources and providers ready to lend a hand.
To paraphrase Carlos Hidaldo, President of The Annuitas Group, in an article from DemandGen Report: New adopters are best served by first defining internal requirements and approaching the venture from a cross-functional manner, including teams outside of the marketing department like sales, operations, customer service and finance. The decisions you make about marketing automation will have an affect on each of these functional areas.
So make sure your “cross-functional requirements” homework is done. And then start your search process by checking out this list of the Top 10 Marketing Automation Software & Tools. Finally, remember that while marketing automation is evolving into a must-have vs. a nice-to-have, making the transition a smooth one will require patience and proper planning.
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