Marketing automation tools, as their name implies, simplify and streamline content marketing processes. However, because tools like HubSpot handle their assigned tasks so reliably and so well, enabling you to turn your attention to other things, it’s easy to fall into some bad marketing habits. As a content marketing agency, we try to ensure our clients are aware of, and avoid, these pitfalls.
Are You Making these Marketing Automation Mistakes?
Bad news: If you’re making these marketing automation mistakes, your content marketing program is not as effective as it could be. Good news: Once you’re aware of them, they’re easy to fix. (And, you’re certainly not alone in making them!)
- Focusing on the technology rather than the experience it produces. It’s hard to be “in the weeds” tweaking features, adjusting workflows, etc. (all of which you have to do) and still be able to see the big picture at the same time. However, it’s important to remember that the reason you implemented a system like HubSpot is that you want to optimize your interactions with customers and prospects.
- Thinking about target markets rather than individuals. Yes, you are marketing to groups of people. But, the most effective way to do that is to keep in mind the individuals (represented by your personas) that make up that market. It bears emphasizing: your market will never make a purchase from you.
- Developing a “swim lane” mentality. Marketing automation tools can give you extremely accurate, up-to-the-minute information on how your different marketing channels are performing. But what’s more important is how your content marketing program as a whole is performing.
- Selling products and services rather than addressing pain points. No question about it: marketing automation systems help you sell stuff. But, the purpose of that “stuff” is to meet prospect needs. If automating means you start to lose sight of what those needs are and how to address them most effectively, you’ll struggle to meet your sales goals.
- Allowing streamlining to lead to stagnation. You put out blog posts on Tuesdays and Fridays, case studies once a month, and white papers quarterly. And your system makes it easy to get these materials into the hands of your audience. But, even though your content generation engine is hitting on all cylinders, your content marketing program may still be stagnating. While it's good to get into a rhythm, you also need to shake things up on a somewhat regular basis, whether that means varying what you produce, when you produce it, or how you promote it.
Benefitting from an Outside Perspective
If you are making errors in the way you automate your marketing processes, you surely aren’t doing it on purpose. Unfortunately, the truth is that while it’s easy to slip into bad habits, it’s hard to see them once they’ve developed. That’s why it can be very helpful to get input from a leading content marketing agency like 30dps. Our teams in Colorado Springs, CO, Olympia, WA, and Springfield, MO, we share insights that help our clients nationwide use their marketing automation systems to maximum effect. Contact us today and let’s talk about your needs.
