It’s no secret that we live in the era of devices, robots and artificial intelligence. This shift toward digitalism has created the need for automated solutions in the field of marketing too, making small businesses sweat. If you’d like to keep your clothes dry, check out our take on the issue.
In one of our previous articles, we defined digital transformation as “the integration of digital technology into every area of a business which will result in elemental changes to how companies operate and deliver value to customers.” (link to How Digital Experience Platforms Fulfill Digital Transformation Needs) Clearly, digital transformation is all around us: in how we communicate, how we shop, how we look for information, and so on. According Cyber-Duck, 96% of businesses realize why digital transformation is important, however, “62% of professionals believe their business is in denial about how best to move forward with digital transformation”. (Cyber-Duck) While every business is different and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, at the age of computers, internet and smartphones, automated marketing solutions are on the rise. What and why to automate though? Let’s dive in!
U.S. adults spend nearly 4 hours a day on computers, tablets and smartphones, 62% of which time is attributed to app/web browsing on smartphones. (MarketWatch) This basically means that potential customers are always online, using multiple devices, searching for information, making decisions and expecting real-time response, forcing brands to bend over backwards in order to keep their customers happy. However, this doesn’t mean your customers service needs to be available 24/7/365 – rather that you need to automate online marketing solutions. If you just scoffed thinking that automatization is only for big brands, bear with us for a moment and we’ll prove you the opposite.
Let’s start with the basics: your social media accounts and pages. You can choose from countless software options to create content, schedule your posts in advance, set up an automated response to inquiries, use an online chatbot to answer messages, even retarget people who have engaged with your page’s content. It’s no magic: just smart solutions to make your life easier. Inevitable solutions though if you’d like tap into the power of being able to differentiate your business.
Automated email marketing is also a no-brainer considering that email is still the most profitable marketing solution generating $38 revenue on every dollar spent in the U.S. (7blog.hu) If your business does have a solid, loyal customer base, it’s definitely a great idea to keep in touch with them through promotional emails, however, we’re not talking about blasting your subscribers with bland and boring newsletters. Promotional emails should illustrate the value of your product in a thoughtful and organic way, as well as include personalized offers, based on and backed by data. Not too often though - according marketingsherpa’s research, 86% of the respondents would like to receive promotional emails at least monthly and 61% at least weekly. So, what can you send? Emails about interesting blog posts, customer stories, testimonials, updates and birthday emails, just to name a few.
The last topic we’ll cover in this article is ads and online stores. We need to tie them together because if you’re selling anything online, chances are you need ads too. Online ads include numerous ways to advertise your business, for example, Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, making online advertising a very broad marketing solution. It’s probably safe to say that every company needs advertising in general and, since we’re living in the world of digital natives (they are expected to make up 75% of the U.S. workforce by 2025), all businesses need to have a strong online presence. Online advertising can target many aspects of a business: brand awareness, conversion, traffic, engagement, app installs, lead generation, sales, abandoned cart recovery, special offers, and so on. All these objectives require different approaches along with tailored content and personalized delivery methods. If you’d like to see to the success of your advertising efforts, automated solutions can make a world of difference.
Now, before you call it quits because all this sounds a bit overwhelming and you think that automated marketing solutions are only for big brands, you might want to request a Liferay demo and see what they can do for you.
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