White Lies about Marketing Automation

What do you really know about marketing automation? The concept sounds great, right? You can just automate the entire process and never look at it again, right? That, unfortunately, is not how marketing automation works. Most people don’t even dip their toes into automation, because the technology is difficult to understand, is too expensive for most businesses, and takes too long to properly implement.

There are platforms, called Marketing Automation Platforms, that are making automation less expensive and less time-consuming, but the truth is that there is still a lot of misinformation out there about marketing automation. Success requires more than just choosing the right platform. Here are some of the biggest white lies that you will hear about marketing automation.

1. You can just set and forget your marketing with the best marketing automation platform.

No matter how good your marketing automation platform is, there is no marketing automation that is actually one hundred percent automated. It will still require a great deal of human involvement if the marketing campaign is going to be a success. Humans are still vital to this process for two reasons: only a person can adequately analyze the data being retrieved by the platform and second, only a person can decide what changes should be made in order to make the campaign more successful. People are also vital when it comes to generating the content for the campaign, creating the designs, building the contact forms, etc. No matter how automated the system appears, it still is not actually going to be fully automated. If a vendor implies that you can set and forget your campaign, they are lying.

2. Automating your marketing campaign will save you time.

This is the crux of just about every marketing campaign for every marketing automation platform. The truth is that you probably will spend exactly as much time on your marketing, if not more, when you are using a marketing automation platform. Getting the MAP running is not as easy as many vendors tell you it is. You have to do all of the analysis and design work that you would with any other marketing campaign, and you have to do it, on top of actually using the platform. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use a MAP—they do have their benefits—but if you are choosing one simply based on the claim that they will save you time, you are probably using one for the wrong reasons.

3. You only need one person to run your campaign.

This is another point often brought up by MAP vendors that is probably not true. It sounds convincing when you hear it in their marketing campaigns, especially if they say that that one person does not even have to be familiar with marketing or with the automation platform. While it might be true that one skilled person can run the campaign once it has been set up, has been running for a long time, and the funnel is working perfectly, it requires much more attention before it is running this smoothly. It requires input from many different sectors of your organization and is definitely not something that can be simply added onto the to-do list of someone who already has other tasks they need to worry about.

4. You have to hire someone with MAP experience to make your campaign successful.

While it might be helpful, especially at the beginning, to have the help of something with marketing automation platform experience, it is unlikely that you will need to hire someone to completely handle your campaign for the entirety of its run. Even more than you need someone who is experienced with the platforms themselves is someone who understand what makes a lead valuable, how to convert visitors into customers or clients, and how to craft and effective campaign, no matter what platform you are building it on.

5. The more expensive the platform is, the more successful my campaign is going to be.

This is patently false. While the platform does play a role in how successful your campaign is going to be, it is not the only aspect that you should worry about. Choosing an expensive platform simply because it promises a high deliverability rate is choosing a platform for the wrong reason. Many vendors will say that their platforms are worth more because the deliverability rates and stats are higher than platforms who offer their same services, but at a lower price. There are so many other factors that affect whether or not your campaign is successful that choosing to pay more for one that makes unfounded promises is just not a good idea. Before choosing your vendor, make sure to ask about their policies and how exactly they formulate their statistics.

6. All marketing automation platforms are is email marketing with a few extra features.

Those who rail against marketing automation platforms in general will spout this white lie. There is actually a big difference between a service like MailChimp and a MAP. MAPs usually offer more than one channel, provide features that make mapping your buyer persona simple and easy, the ability to generate custom forms, the ability to score your leads, an integrated sales and marketing process, etc. While some email service providers might have a few of these features, marketing automation platforms across the board have a wider view of the market and can provide you with much more comprehensive campaigns.

7. The vendor with the most recognizable name is the one to choose.

When choosing a vendor, choose the vendor that meets your needs, not the one that has the name you’ve heard the most. The technology you use should fit the specific needs of your business. Often, smaller vendors will be able to provide you with more personalized service, often at a lower price. Look for the vendor who is capable of working with you to develop campaigns that match your sales goals and are in line with your overarching marketing strategy.

8. Using a MAP means more qualified leads.

Using a MAP correctly means generating more qualified leads. Simply using one of these platforms does not necessarily mean that you are going to see more leads or more sales. As with all marketing, you have to be reaching out to the right people and providing them with a message that will convince your ideal buyer to choose you. This is something that the MAP cannot do for you. If the content does not work for your ideal buyer or you are not reaching out to the right segments, you are not going to see an increase in qualified leads. Understanding your audience and speaking their language is just as important when you automate your marketing as when your marketing is not automated.