Marketing is a complex process that relies on many systems, people, and resources to function smoothly.  If one part of the system breaks down, it creates a bottleneck that slows down the whole process.

Add in the layers of complexity that come with a multi-channel distributed marketing environment, and the results can be a maze that is hard to navigate and costly to manage. Often, marketing automation is the cure.  But how do you know if your marketing processes need a marketing automation fix?

Marketing automation may be the cure for what ails your marketing operation if more than two of these key signs of a broken marketing process look familiar.  Does your company show any of these signs?

1. You’re overwhelmed with manual tasks.  Want to send an email campaign?  First build the template.  Then build the landing page.  Then build or find the right list.  Then schedule it.  You know the drill.  Every new campaign shouldn’t mean starting from scratch.  If you spend too much time on tactical, repetitive tasks, where will you find the time for planning, strategy, and creative thought?  Marketing automation can help centralize the storage, management, creation, and use of all kinds of marketing assets, saving time, money, and (most importantly) your sanity.
2. Sales spends hours every week building their own marketing materials.  Maybe they can’t find what they want, or they can’t customize or personalize messages.  And maybe they just don’t know what marketing materials already exist.  But when sales people aren’t using the materials that marketing creates, two things are certain.  Brand and regulatory compliance are in jeopardy when approvals and corporate review – and sales people aren’t spending all the time they need doing their core job:  selling.  Marketing automation streamlines the process of delivering marketing materials to the right person, in a format they can use, and manages compliance while it encourages re-use and tracks every message.
3. <Management wants marketing to prove its value before approving a new budget.  We’re all under pressure to deliver the reports and metrics that top management wants.  The trouble is, management and marketing don’t really speak the same language when it comes to measurement and analytics. The truth is that marketing automation is one of the few ways to track the performance of all campaigns and marketing programs in terms that matter to management.  (For more on common marketing metrics mistakes and what to do about them, read Four Avoidable Marketing Metrics Mistakes.)
4. Your competitors are gaining market share, and you’re not.  What percent of your marketing budget is spend with the goal of acquiring new leads and converting them to sales?  If you’re like most marketers, it’s the bulk of your budget.  A marketing automation system is a great way to nurture leads, and remain in front of prospects who might not yet be ready to buy.