This week, Reportlinker.com made a new report available from Frost & Sullivan on marketing automation software. Weighing in at 129 pages, the marketing report is the sort of thing that will require a strong cup of coffee to properly absorb. Still, as marketing analysis reports go, this one is an eye opener.
2013 could arguably be the year of marketing automation. In short, marketing automation is staying in contact with your customers, keeping them interested in your brand and collecting their data in order to sell better products. That’s a bit like trying to explain the cloud or an internal combustion engine in a sentence, but this blog isn’t about definitions. This is about why you should care about marketing automation in 2014.
Growth. Marketing automation is growing by as much as 50% annually. It’s already a billion dollar business, and it’s only continuing to expand into new markets. And adoption of marketing automation has only just begun to explode outside of the niche technology market.
Change. Marketing automation is already a big deal for larger B2B situations. But if 2013 was the year of marketing automation, 2014 will be the year of small and medium business (SMB). The top tier of marketing automation software (MAS) providers are diverse and ever-changing. The barrier for entry is low—meaning there are many choices when it comes to providers. In other words, the diversified field and new technology makes marketing automation ripe for businesses wishing to get started.
Opportunity. Small businesses have only just begun to use MAS, but they have the best chance for growth and profitability. Collecting customer data means understanding what products to sell without wasting time and money on hit-and-miss marketing. Storing and updating customer information means keeping those same patrons happy with new products tailored for them. Finally, moving expenses to the cloud means large potential savings in terms of data storage and server use. The ROI is self-explanatory.
Innovation. Moving to the cloud and selecting the right MAS isn’t something your company should do—it’s something your company will do. The innovators are already moving to the cloud to save money, time and data. Within a few short years, most SMBs will adopt these techniques in order to stay competitive. The late adopters may find themselves rushing to find service while losing money and customers. Marketing automation isn’t a question of if, but when.
Interested in discussing MAS and cloud migration further? Contact us and we can help you get started.
