Automation is making waves in the business world, and as a core business function, marketing has seen plenty of benefits from it. The advent of a range of software and technologies has allowed marketing departments to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and measure the success of marketing campaigns with pinpoint accuracy.
Marketing automation is so commonplace that the global marketing automation market is projected to reach $13.71 billion by 2030 according to Polaris Market Research. An impressive 76% of companies are already using different marketing automation tools, and 9 out of 10 marketers say that it allows them to achieve their objectives.
While the benefits of marketing automation are quite extensive, some of the most valuable of them are overall efficiency improvements, increased collaboration between marketing and sales teams, improved conversion rates, more accurate reporting processes, better scalability, personalised marketing strategy facilitation, and improvements in lead nurturing. All of this ultimately creates a highly results-driven marketing process.
Of course, we cannot discount CRM tools when we’re on the topic of marketing automation. They play a huge role in helping today’s businesses stay connected to their customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. When integrated properly, marketing automation in CRM systems can drive massive enhancements. This is evident with 45% of CRM users stating that automation is the single most important tool they want in their CRM tools.
As marketers, you are always on the lookout for tools and technologies that can improve your operations and deliver results. Let’s explore how marketing automation can contribute to this endeavour by helping you identify your most promising leads in CRM.
Identifying promising leads by leveraging marketing automation in CRM tools
Integrating marketing automation in CRM tools is a recipe for success in your marketing efforts. In fact, 84% of businesses that consider themselves “successful” or “somewhat successful” already use CRM or sales automation software.
The combination of automation and CRM allows businesses to easily identify leads such as MQLs and SQLs. This is facilitated by easing the process of capturing important lead information, automating the lead capture process itself, and setting up nurturing processes.
Let’s take a software solutions company for example. Their CRM tool could be set up to assign higher lead scores to visitors who download a free trial of their software, spend a significant amount of time on the pricing page, or view a product demo. These behaviours indicate a higher level of interest and intent, making these leads more promising. This means you can take steps to lead them down the funnel and potentially convert them into loyal customers.
Momentive is one company that saw real gains in reducing the number of website forms and lead qualifying processes and increasing speed-to-lead time with HubSpot Marketing Hub and marketing automation. They saw a 90% reduction in the lead qualifying process and a 96% increase in speed-to-lead, significantly improving their marketing and sales efforts.
Leveraging marketing automation for lead identification
Here’s how the integration of marketing automation within CRM systems can significantly enhance lead identification processes.
Lead scoring and qualification
One of the key benefits of this integration is the ability to automate the lead scoring and qualification process, which is key to identifying leads with high conversion potential. You can define lead scoring criteria based on behaviour and demographics, such as website visits, email click-throughs, and form submissions—allowing you to prioritise the leads that are most likely to convert so that your marketing efforts are consistently optimised.
This also results in efficiency improvements, since the CRM system itself takes on the task of lead scoring without you having to manually check the leads. All you need to do is make sure that they are led through the sales funnel based on their actions and engagement levels.
Behavioural tracking and segmentation
CRM tools augmented with automation tools allow you to track customer interactions across various channels, including email, social media, and your website. This is especially valuable in this day and age where customers interact with businesses across many channels. In fact, 73% of customers prefer shopping through multiple channels, according to Harvard Business Reviews. This means you can get a much better understanding of your customers by tracking their behaviour within these different channels.
It also allows you to segment the leads you procure based on their engagement levels with each platform. This means you can conduct targeted marketing and address the needs of your customers more effectively.
Automated workflows and triggers
You can optimise crucial marketing processes like lead nurturing by setting up automated workflows in your CRM system. This can include a series of emails, social media posts, or other interactions designed to engage leads and move them through the sales funnel.
The ability to set up triggers and responses is also a highly beneficial aspect of marketing automation in CRM systems. This means, for example, if a lead downloads a whitepaper from your website, the system can automatically send a follow-up email with related content. Engaging leads within 60 seconds of inquiry can boost conversion rates by almost 400%, so this is not something you should overlook.
Best practices for using marketing automation tools in your CRM
While automation can drive bountiful dividends in your marketing process, integration with your CRM tool is a key part of the process. Here are the best practices you should be aware of when using marketing automation tools in your CRM:
- Choose a user-friendly CRM
CRM that will encourage adoption within your team is vital when optimising its usage. Look for CRM with an intuitive interface, clear navigation, and robust support resources.
- Set up automated lead capture and nurturing processes
As discussed before, automating the lead capture and nurturing processes is a key benefit of this integration. Sending automated emails, scheduling follow-up tasks, or triggering other actions based on lead behaviour all lead to better conversion potential. Marketing automation tools can significantly ease this process.
- Analyse lead generation and CRM data regularly
Analysing the results of your lead generation efforts and the data derived from your CRM system enables you to understand which strategies are working and which ones need improvement. Identifying patterns that lead to increased lead generation and conversions and recreating them is key here.
- Train your internal teams
None of this would have any transformative potential without the active involvement of your marketing team. Make sure to train them on the new integrations and impart knowledge on how to get the most out of them. You also have the option to hire automation consultants to guide this effort.
Take your marketing efforts to the next level with automation
Marketing is all about delivering value to your potential customers to convert them. Identifying the most promising leads allows you to optimise your marketing efforts substantially, and that is exactly what marketing automation in CRM tools offers.
But remember, implementing these measures effectively requires expertise and experience. Schedule a consultation with an automation consultant and explore how incorporating automation in your CRM system can drive results.
FAQs
Are CRM and marketing automation the same thing?
No, CRM tools help you learn and understand your customers better while marketing automation integrations free you up from time-consuming, day-to-day tasks. While there can be some overlap between them, integrating automation tools into your CRM tool allows you to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
How does marketing automation help in identifying promising leads?
Marketing automation allows businesses to score leads based on their interactions and engagement levels, helping them identify the most promising ones.
How does behavioural tracking aid in lead identification?
Behavioural tracking monitors customer interactions across various channels. This data can be used to segment leads based on their engagement levels, allowing for more targeted and effective marketing strategies.
How can automation consultants help in implementing automation in CRM systems?
They can guide businesses through the process of implementing marketing automation into the CRM. They can help choose the right tools, set up automated processes, and train internal teams on new integrations.