You're running a small business. How do you find the right marketing automation tools?

I agree, but I would like to know if a new business (run by founder alone or max 2-3 people) should really start with automatisation? I think automation should be a result of iteration. Otherwise it will feel “foreign” to operate certain online tools... because the need might not be obvious. For example once I know how time consuming and frustrating is to manually send out welcome emails to everyone, I would be more motivated to start learning to operate an online tool. I know we all know it’s important and useful to automate but sometimes it can be scary and until we did experience on our own skin we might find it hard to find the motivation needed to set up and keep running the tools operating our automated systems… Just wondering…

Identifica tus Necesidades y Objetivos: Define claramente qué aspectos de tu marketing quieres automatizar (email marketing, redes sociales, generación de leads, etc.). Establece tus objetivos de marketing y cómo la automatización puede ayudarte a alcanzarlos. Investiga y Compara Herramientas: Investiga sobre diferentes herramientas de automatización de marketing. Puedes empezar con opciones populares como HubSpot, Mailchimp, Marketo o Hootsuite, dependiendo de tus necesidades. Considera el Presupuesto: Evalúa el costo de cada herramienta y determina si se ajusta a tu presupuesto. Muchas herramientas ofrecen planes escalables que pueden ser más adecuados para pequeñas empresas.

Marketing automation is a symphony of software and technology orchestrating marketing activities. It's more than a tool; it's a strategy. Marketing automation navigates the realms of lead generation, nurturing, scoring, customer segmentation, and analytics. It transforms your marketing landscape from manual to automated, freeing up time for strategic thinking. So, for small businesses venturing into this digital realm, marketing automation is not just a tool; it's the catalyst for a revolution in marketing efficiency!

Selecting marketing automation tools for a small business involves defining goals, setting a budget, prioritizing user-friendliness, and ensuring seamless integration. Prioritize scalability, essential features, and responsive customer support. Rely on user reviews, free trials, and compliance with data protection regulations. Consider the vendor's reputation, commitment to updates, and training resources. This strategic approach ensures that the chosen tools align with your business needs and contribute to its growth.

A automação de marketing permite segmentar e personalizar mensagens com base em informações demográficas, comportamentais e outras características dos clientes. Dessa forma, as empresas podem fornecer experiências mais relevantes e personalizadas, aumentando a eficácia das campanhas e melhorando o engajamento. Em resumo, a automação de marketing utiliza software e tecnologia para automatizar e personalizar várias atividades de marketing. Isso ajuda as empresas a se envolverem com seus clientes de maneira mais eficiente, aprimorar o relacionamento com eles e melhorar os resultados das estratégias de marketing.

In my case as a freelancer to find the right marketing automation tools for our small business, it is important to define your needs, consider your budget, research and compare options. Additionally to evaluate features, try demos or trials is also helpful. Try to ensure integration compatibility, prioritize scalability and flexibility, is key to assess customer support, consider security and compliance, and seek feedback from peers or experts. This structured approach will help you make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals and requirements.

Es geht bei Marketing Automation nicht darum, das Marketing zu automatisieren. Vielmehr schaffe ich es, Kampagnen zu skalieren und dennoch (in Grenzen) zu individualisieren. So bin ich deutlich effizienter und das Marketing hat einen größeren Wertbeitrag.

Imagine a world where your business operates like clockwork - emails dispatched, social media buzzing, and websites updated, all without lifting a finger. This is the magic of marketing automation, a catalyst for increased productivity and efficiency. Quality leads become the heartbeat of your business. Marketing automation captures and nurtures leads with engaging content. More leads transition into loyal customers, retention rates soar. Marketing automation becomes your analytical ally, providing insights that steer your business towards success.

Running a small business is not a walk in the park. There are countless of things that you can do. The big blocks - sales, product/service, marketing. If you neglect one it will be detrimental to the whole company and yet when we don't have time we often focus on what is immediate - sales and delivery. This is why establishing marketing automation in the times when we have some space is crucial for when we might not be able to focus on it.

Gerade im B2B gibt es eine Entwicklung vom Vertrieb zum Marketing. Sprich: viele Aufgaben, die früher vom Vertrieb übernehmen wurden, fallen heute ins Marketing. Das liegt auch am veränderten Kundenverhalten. Kunden wollen heute erst selbst recherchieren und später beraten werden. Um hier effizient zu bleiben, bedarf es Marketing Automation, mit der ich größere Zielgruppen ansprechen kann bzw. Kampagnen dynamisiert und automatisiert steuern kann.

Don't... hire a fractional CMO or a specialized agency; your ROI will thank you later. This is a constantly evolving skillset, and getting the most value means focusing on what you do best, like growing your business and outsourcing other skill positions.

Wenn Sie Wachstumsfantasien haben, sollten Sie groß denken bei der Auswahl der Tools. Die meisten der Top-Provider haben auch Einstiegspreise. Die sind vom Leistungsumfang meist dennoch besser als kleinere Anbieter und Sie sind langfristig gut aufgestellt. Denn ein späterer Providerwechsel ist ein enormer Aufwand.

Implementation isn't just about integrating tools; it's about bringing up a strategy that goes hand in hand with your business goals and customer journey. Consider your tools as supporting actors. How can they elevate your marketing strategy and tactics? Align them with customer segments, personas, and stages. This isn't just automation; it's strategic enhancement. By the above line, I mean to say that your tools aren't just automating; they're delivering an experience tailored to each customer. Monitor key indicators, track metrics, analyze data, and heed feedback. This isn't just data; it's your compass, guiding you towards optimization.

Es fundamental diseñar una estrategia clara y concreta donde definamos las fases de desarrollo de las acciones de marketing automatizado. Diseños flujos o workflows de trabajo y empecemos de lo más sencillo con pequeños test o envíos de email como el de bienvenida. Analizando los datos para volver a mejorar. Este marketing es aplicable a email marketing, redes sociales, landing...

Agiles Denken und Vorgehen sind gefragt. Der Versuch, Marketing Automation in einem Schritt ganzheitlich auszurollen, wird krachend scheitern. Stattdessen sollten Sie mit einem Pilot-Projekt starten (Gechäftsbereich, Marktsegment) und dann weiter ausrollen. Garantiert: auf diesem Weg wird es sehr viele Learnings geben, welche im ursprünglichen Konzept nicht beachtet wurden.

In my experience when starting out it’s a good idea to first manually deliver the processes especially if the business leader has no experience yet in running a business. It helps understanding the process and what our actual needs are. That will help picking the right solution with more understanding. When starting a new business there is lots of uncertainty and we ought to minimize it by thinking ahead and planning as much as we can. Mapping out customer journey, researching and gathering data is a good way. Some people feel more comfortable to deliver tasks and learn by doing and experimenting. Once you understand the work flows and the time it takes to deliver it you can pick the best way to automate and save all that time and money.

3 principais passos a serem considerados: 1. Defina Suas Necessidades: Identifique as áreas específicas do marketing que você deseja automatizar, como e-mails, mídia social, CRM, etc. 2. Avalie Seu Orçamento: Considere o custo das ferramentas em relação ao orçamento disponível. 3. Pesquise Opções: Explore diferentes ferramentas disponíveis, como HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, etc. Leia avaliações, compare recursos e verifique a facilidade de uso.