Marketing automation in manufacturing: How to Leverage Marketing Automation to Fast-Track Manufacturing ROI

The definition of marketing is changing for everyone and so is the understanding of the benefits of marketing automation in manufacturing. For one, most marketing has shifted online in line with changing consumer behaviors. More importantly, the marketing department’s focus is no longer the product on sale but customer experience. Brands that find success in the future will be those that adopt new digital strategies for connecting and engaging with customers before, during, and after the sale. Marketing automation is currently one of the best solutions to solidify your digital presence while providing outstanding customer experiences. Automation platforms such as the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe Campaign, and Marketo allow businesses to scale operations and expand to multiple channels while personalizing experiences for maximum ROI.

What are the Benefits of Marketing Automation in Manufacturing?

There are endless benefits. For one, today’s marketers need to do a lot more to achieve organizational goals. That’s because competition has stiffened over the past few years. Moreover, marketers now need to cover more platforms, especially online. You need to adapt your marketing campaigns and messages for mobile, laptop, tablets, and different operating systems. The messages must also be adapted for email, text marketing, web ads, and so forth. Above all, we’re in a challenging period occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales are down, revenues are poor, and the market, in general, is just bouncing back after a mini-recession. Manufacturing organizations need some kind of boost to overcome these setbacks. According to Aberdeen, firms that implement marketing automation can expect a 107% boost in lead conversions. Manufacturing organizations that have automated their marketing also have a greater deal size of 40% and a 20% higher attainment rate. These organizations also report a 17% better forecasting accuracy.

Marketing Automation in Manufacturing: Tips To Guide Your Implementation Efforts

The following are seven marketing automation tips to help you boost your manufacturing ROI if you’re just getting started.

1.      Automate your lead generation to boost lead capture

Leads can take all sorts of forms for manufactures, from new distribution partners to new suppliers, and all the ways to end-users and customers. Marketing automation facilitates lead capture through landing pages and forms. Landing pages are the unique pages you’ve optimized for conversions. Although some people use the home page as the landing page, most organizations have specially-designed pages for this purpose. Lead magnets such as free e-books can help capture leads on the landing page. Make sure to add strong CTAs to drive conversions. Forms often form part of the landing page and should also be prioritized in your marketing automation efforts. Make sure your forms are short and to the point. More importantly, make sure you’re capturing vital information to help you initiate lead nurturing.

2.      Automate lead nurturing to lessen the burden on your shoulders

Lead nurturing is the process of cultivating relationships with potential buyers. It begins when the visitor converts into a lead and continues until the lead is a loyal customer. Meeting the lead where they are, listening to their needs, and providing helpful information is vital. Marketing automation tools allows you to nurture leads at a good pace until they are ready to buy. You can direct them to resourceful blogs and articles to learn more about your products and services. You can also invite them to webinars to understand more about the topic. Don’t forget to automate your email campaign too. An email drip campaign that spreads emails over time can help move buyers from awareness to consideration to decision.

3.      Align sales with other internal processes to streamline operations

Sometimes when people hear the term “marketing automation,” they think it begins and ends in the marketing department. This isn’t true. Although marketing automation starts in the marketing department, it typically extends and becomes embedded in all other organization departments. Manufacturers can automate lead scoring, assigning lifecycle stages, and lead statuses on the marketing front. You can also automate how you hand off qualified leads to sales and when to close the feedback loop. However, ultimately the data from these processes must be passed to sales to close the deal and the accounting department to track revenue and ROI.

4.      Automate follow-up and reminders (for warranty, maintenance, etc.)

Finally, manufacturers can also use leverage automation to simplify repetitive tasks such as sending reminders and following up on bids and quotes. Take an example of a customer who calls one of the sales reps to get a quote on a part they intend to buy a week or two later. There’s a real possibility that the customer might forget about the quote if something comes up. Automated follow-ups text can help keep the quote top of mind. You can also automate reminders about things such as warranties and maintenance. As the scheduled maintenance date approaches, program your system to automatically remind the customer about the dates and the importance of maintenance.

Summary

Automation is the way to go for manufacturers, especially now when the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still haunting the industry. The good news is that you can begin your marketing automation in manufacturing campaign today.