Marketing automation is a powerful tool that can help you deliver a better customer experience. But marketing automation isn't exactly new—it's been around for decades.
So why is it suddenly so important?
Because marketing has changed. The way we interact with customers online has become more personal and more immediate than ever before, thanks to smartphones and other technology trends. As a result, marketers need tools that allow them to react quickly and easily when they're engaging with customers in real-time or replying to emails automatically based on what the prospect said in their initial message.
Before we dive into the more practical side of customer experience and how you can use marketing automation to deliver it, it will be helpful for you to understand what customer experience is.
What is customer experience?
Customer experience refers to the sum of all interactions a customer has with your company. It’s important for businesses, large and small, to understand what customers want so that they can create a better experience for them.
Customer experience can be delivered through many channels—websites, social media pages like Facebook or Twitter, live chat interfaces on websites or messaging apps like Slack—and there are many ways that companies can improve their customer experiences by using marketing automation tools such as HubSpot’s Marketing Automation Platform (MAP).
Why should you use marketing automation?
1. You can deliver a better experience.
Marketing automation software helps you deliver targeted messages to customers who are most likely to benefit from them, resulting in more engaged and satisfied customers.
2. They increase sales productivity.
Marketing automation software allows you to track your leads and convert them into sales more efficiently, which means less time spent on manual tasks and more time for sales representatives to focus on closing deals with new clients.
3. You can increase sales.
Marketing automation software like Customer Relationship Management software (CRMs) can help companies generate more leads by providing a streamlined workflow for capturing prospects' information and tracking their interactions with your company's brand. As a result, they're able to close more deals than they would be able to without it.
4. You will improve customer retention.
Marketing automation software allows you to send the right message to each individual customer at just the right time—which means less churn and fewer frustrated customers who have been ignored by sales reps or forgotten by marketing teams that don't have enough time on their hands (or in their minds).
5. You can build customer relationships and improve customer loyalty.
Marketing automation allows companies with limited resources to put more energy into nurturing relationships with existing clients than trying out new ones; consequently, those companies become known as dependable brands that make loyal repeat purchasers out of their satisfied clientele rather than simply being another vendor on someone's list of options for future purchases.
6. It saves you time!
Marketing automation is an important tool in the modern marketer's toolbox.
Marketing automation is an important tool in the modern marketer's toolbox. Let's take a look at how marketing automation is helping businesses create better experiences for their customers:
1. Create a customised shopping experience
Personalising your marketing efforts will make your customers feel as though they're receiving a personalised shopping experience. It can be used to create a better marketing experience, customer service experience, or even help you make sales faster.
It's easy to create an automated system that ensures every new potential customer receives an email that welcomes them to your store and offers free shipping on their first purchase. But what if you take it one step further? What if you use this same automation tool to send each person who signs up a different email welcoming them personally? It might seem like too much work, but think about how many emails you're sending out in total—and how much more likely people are going to respond when they get something tailored specifically for them versus something generic like "thank you!"
2. Personalise offers and promotions
Personalising the offers and promotions you send to your customers is one of the best ways to increase conversions. Your marketing automation tool can help with this by pulling data from customer records and using it to personalize messages in emails and other communications.
For example, if a customer has purchased a particular product or service in the past, they might get an offer for additional products similar to what they bought before. Or if they've interacted with certain web pages on your site, you could offer them an opportunity to sign up for online training so that they can learn more about topics related to those web pages. You might even be able to target specific groups of people based on demographics like age or gender.
The key point here is that personalized offers make customers feel valued because they're being treated like individuals rather than just another transaction at your company. This helps build trust between buyers and sellers — which leads directly to a better experience overall!
3. Create better landing pages
Landing pages are the online equivalent of a store window, and they're a great way to capture people's attention. If you want to use marketing automation for lead generation, it’s important that your landing pages work hard for you. Here are a few ways to get more out of them:
They should be designed to optimize conversions by using strong calls-to-action CTAs that make clear what action visitors need to take next.
They should be mobile optimized, so they look good on both desktop and mobile devices.
They should be responsive/respond well on all devices (including tablets), with no loss in functionality or user experience when viewed on different devices.
Landing pages should have clear calls-to-action (CTAs) so customers know exactly what they're supposed to do when they reach the page—for example, “Sign up now!” versus “Learn more about our product here."
Landing pages should also be written in a conversational tone that doesn't come across as overly corporate or stilted; this will make them feel more personal and trustworthy since humans tend not to want information delivered at them like robots would do but rather communicated with them like humans would do it themselves—with sincerity and empathy as well
4. Send automatic follow-up emails
Now that you’ve implemented the first three steps, it’s time to start sending out automatic emails. These emails should be sent automatically when your customer meets certain conditions, such as buying a product or signing up for a free trial.
Here are some examples of the types of follow-up emails you could send:
An automated welcome email that offers information about how to get started and what the next steps are in order to achieve their goal (e.g., “Welcome! Here's our guide on how to best use . You can also check out our pricing page here. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.")
An automated confirmation email thanking them for choosing your company (e.g., “Thanks for being part of our community! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.")
An automated reminder email reminding them about pricing changes or other important information (e.g., "We recently updated our product line due to popular demand—check out some of these new features!")
5. Use customer data to make better decisions
Collecting customer data can help you make better decisions. This is true in every facet of your business, from marketing to sales to product development to general strategy. And the way you collect and use your customers' data will be different depending on what you're trying to achieve.
For example, if you're trying to reach new customers who have similar tastes as existing ones, then it makes sense that the best way would be with a targeted marketing campaign based on their preferences and interests.
If you want feedback from existing customers about how they're using your products or services (and what could improve them), then asking for feedback should be high-priority for any company looking for ways to improve its customer experience through digital channels such as mobile apps or websites/apps for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
6. Use chatbots to capture all leads and conversations
Once you're capturing leads, you can use chatbots to drive them through your sales funnel and move them further along in their journey toward becoming customers.
Chatbots are incredibly popular at the moment. They offer a way to provide instant answers and feedback without requiring a human touch (and therefore cost). They can be used for everything from greeting visitors on social media platforms, to answering basic questions about products and services, to providing support for existing customers. When it comes time for these people who have interacted with your chatbot to buy something from you, they will already know who you are and what you do—so there's no need for the salesperson at the end of the line! It's a win-win: The customer gets immediate service while saving time (and maybe even money), while businesses get more qualified leads who are ready to buy right away—or whenever they're ready!
Marketing automation is a great tool for any marketer, but it can be especially powerful when you use it to deliver better experiences for your customers. By creating personalised offers and promotions or sending automatic follow-up emails, you can help your customers find exactly what they need. You can also use automation to create customised shopping experiences and better landing pages that will help them convert more of those leads into paying customers.
If you're looking for new ways to improve your customer experience with marketing automation services like HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Software, reach out today!
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