You probably already about the oncoming robot revolution. Within a few decades, the global economy could be transformed by a swathe of new robots that take away millions of jobs and infuse the world with unimaginable efficiency.
What you don’t know about this robot revolution is that in a subtle way robots are already here and they’re changing business right now. The most obvious use of automation and artificial intelligence is in business marketing. If you’ve ever read about online marketing or watched SEO: The Movie, you already know that this is a numbers game where efficiency and consistency are highly valued. Automated marketing can multiply the returns on your marketing investment and expand the base for your products.
So, here are five simple ways you can automate parts of your business marketing:
1. Cut out inefficiencies
Cutting out inefficiency and freeing up time is the primary motive of any automation. If you can automate your email marketing with Mailchimp or collect all your data into a central dashboard in Infusionsoft, you can save time on the nitty gritty and monotonous parts of running a business. Any time saved allows you to brainstorm new ideas and come up with a better strategy for the venture.
2. Automate communications
Automation tools can help you create email lists, send out customer updates, and keep your clients informed without having to lift a finger. The prompt replies and consistent updates are more than likely to be appreciated by your customers. Automating communications properly gives your business a definite edge.
3. Automate social posts
Online marketing has gone social, and being social is a lot of work. Not only do you need to create and curate the best content, but you also need to keep updating your pages regularly. Small or medium sized businesses simply won’t have the resources to hire a social media manager full-time, so social automation tools like Hootsuite can serve as the next best thing.
4. Capture email addresses
OptinMonster or ThriveThemes for wordpress can help you capture email addresses and create an email list of prospective clients. Collecting contact data is essential for marketing and these tools can help you automate this vital process.
5. Reward loyalty
If you get deeply involved with some of the automation tools you can create unique experiences for your customers. Take this email from Gurkha for example. The email is specifically targeted at loyal customers, offering them a discount for a limited period. Automates messages like this add value to the buying experience and can help your business retain customers for much longer.
Social media, lead generation, content curation, and promotions can all be automated with the right tools. There is, of course, a fine line between automated marketing and useless spamming. Make sure you do your research and use these tools as part of a broader marketing strategy to tap into the true potential of automated online marketing.