Digital Marketing Automation Services That Grow Your Business

Marketing a small business can sometimes feel like emptying a swimming pool with a spoon. You spend hours doing things that you know are essential — writing emails, posting to Facebook, creating Google Ads — but it seems the to-do list never ends. That’s where digital marketing automation services come in.

Automation handles the repetitive and straightforward tasks that power your digital marketing so you can focus on running your business. It’s always running in the background, engaging your audience and powering sales while freeing your time up for other tasks. 

By the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have a clear idea of what digital marketing automation services can do for your business. Get ready to finally shrink that marketing to-do list — without having to hire someone new.

What digital marketing automation services really mean for your business

Digital marketing automation services may sound complicated, but never fear: There are simple tools available that can work for any business, and you don’t need tech expertise or a marketing degree to use them.

Beyond the buzzwords: marketing automation in plain English

Think of marketing automation like a tiny assistant that lives in your computer — one that never sleeps or takes a sick day. 

Automation programs work within marketing platforms such as Constant Contact. You focus on the the fun stuff — learning about your audience, creating content for them, and deciding when they should see that content. You tell the platform when to send or post each piece and it follows orders. No coding class or marketing degree necessary.

You can even automate messages based on customer actions or milestones. Picture sending every customer a personalized happy birthday message, or texting hundreds of them about a sale on their favorite product — without having to be hunched over your computer or glued to your phone for hours.

While that’s happening, your weekly YouTube video goes live, along with a Facebook post sharing said video. After all, it’s Tuesday at noon, and that’s when you told the automation tool to post.

What’s the ROI on digital marketing automation?

Automation helps you send more relevant and timely messages, which can pay back directly in new business. Just ask Constant Contact customer Wellington Brewery, which has recouped 50 times its investment in digital marketing automation services. Today, the craft brewery generates $36,000 per year from its automated messages alone.

“We’ve seen some great results in Constant Contact, especially since our email campaigns have become a focus for ecommerce,” reported Brad McInerney, Wellington Brewery’s marketing director. “Now we spend a lot less time for a lot more impact.”

The data backs up McInerney’s experience. Overall, there’s a clear difference between Constant Contact users who feel they’ve maximized their time efficiency and those who don’t: Those time-maximizers use automation 43% more often. 

How marketing automation services work behind the scenes

Digital marketing automation services help small businesses scale up their operations. They let you wow your customers with the perfect promotions and personalized emails, without the need for Amazon-level marketing departments. It seems too good to be true — until you see how it works.

The core components every business owner should know

The simplest and most important types of marketing automation for small businesses are:

• Automated email workflows: Trigger welcome messages when someone joins your email list, follow up with inactive subscribers, send abandoned cart emails, and more.
• Customer segmentation: Automatically sort new subscribers into groups based on who they are and what they like — no more agonizing over who gets what email.
• Lead scoring and nurturing: Prioritize potential buyers based on their interest level, and send a tailored sequence of emails to build the relationship.
• Social media scheduling and posting: Schedule campaigns to run whenever you want, instead of just whenever you’re at your desk. Create automated responses to messages (such as when someone sends a DM with a customer service inquiry) and track how users engage with your social media posts.
• Analytics and reporting: Get data on how people are responding to your marketing campaigns so you know what’s working and what’s not.

It all happens behind the scenes. A user-friendly interface connects you to pre-written computer programs, so all you have to do is give instructions.

What makes automation “smart”

Everything about automation comes down to one basic instruction for the computer: “If A, then B.” For example:

• If someone subscribes to your list, the automation system sends an email series.
• If a shopper leaves a cart behind, it sends a specific message.
• If someone messages your Facebook account, they get a response saying “We’ll get back to you soon!”

These are called “behavioral triggers.” These actions trigger the sending of a pre-created message, sometimes with a personalized shoutout. Here’s one example from barbershop chain Rudy’s:

See how the brand “knows” what the shopper had in their cart? That’s another thing that makes digital automation smart — it can pull customer data into a message to make it feel one-to-one. Automation continues to scale with your audience, with no extra effort on your part.

Plus, digital marketing automation services integrate with the tools you already use. That’s pretty smart, and it’s part of what saves you so much time. 

The same goes for data collection and analysis. Automation platforms pull information from your campaigns and find needles in your marketing haystack — like how your click-through rate went up 25% with your last campaign. (Looks like experimenting with video email marketing is working!)

Choosing the right digital marketing automation services

Marketing automation is more accessible than ever, and that means you have plenty of options for tools. Here’s how to choose the right one for your needs.

Questions to ask before you buy

Marketing automation services are less expensive than hiring a new marketing manager, plus they never sleep or go on vacation.

But like employees, digital marketing automation services have different price tags depending on their capabilities. It’s easy to get lost in the bells and whistles, so come up with a budget before you shop. Set a general price target, then look around to see what’s available in that range.

Identify the most essential automation features, given your business goals and resources. Shortlist the services and pricing tiers that match your objectives, and make sure the automation platform integrates seamlessly with your existing systems.

B2B vs. general marketing automation: what’s the difference?

Companies need different digital marketing automation services, depending on whether they’re business-to-consumer (B2C) or business-to-business (B2B). B2C marketing tends to work on a shorter timeframe, engaging the buyer and convincing them to make a purchase as quickly as possible.

B2B companies often deal with longer sales cycles and ongoing decision-maker relationships. If this sounds like your day-to-day marketing, you’ll want an automation platform with advanced lead nurturing capabilities. Specifically, look for the ability to create intricate workflows with intense personalization.

Finally, be sure your B2B automation platform integrates seamlessly with your customer relationship management (CRM) software. You want each message to contain the most up-to-date information about a lead, no matter who last spoke to them.

Red flags to avoid when shopping for marketing automation

Small businesses deserve digital marketing automation services that cater to their needs. You’ll want to avoid the following:

• Overly complex platforms: Some digital marketing automation services are so multi-layered that they require dedicated staff.
• Limited integration: You wouldn’t hire an intern who can’t use Gmail, and you don’t want an automation program that makes you upload data manually.
• Poor customer support: Read company reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, focusing on the quality of service. As a small business owner, you deserve services that are there for you.
• Hidden costs and setup fees: If a platform’s pricing is anything less than transparent, cut it from your list. You don’t need those headaches.

Real-world automation that works for small businesses

Now that you know how digital marketing automation services work, you’re ready to explore potential use cases. There are many types of marketing automation, so here are the top three must-haves for small businesses.

Welcome series that convert 

A welcome email series builds a strong connection to your brand for new subscribers. It’s highly effective and only requires you to write a few short emails. Here’s the basic sequence:

1. Immediately welcome them aboard: This goes out as soon as the customer subscribes. It thanks them for joining and follows through on any welcome offers, such as discount codes.
2. Invite them to your socials: Two days later, send an email introducing your social channels. Preview the benefits of following and include direct links.
3. Ask for their preferences: Four days after the subscriber receives your social invite, email them to ask what they’d like to hear about. Their response will help you segment more effectively. You can also use this email to ask for helpful personal information, such as their birthday. Just be sure to tell them how you’ll use their data.

Wellington Brewery has a great welcome series: It sends a warm hello, previews what subscribers can expect, and personalizes the welcome with a special promotion. For example, when someone expresses interest in their nonalcoholic hops sparkling water, they get a coupon code for that product.

Automation platforms make it easy to send segmented emails based on the customer’s behavior. Personalizing emails with their first name is another friendly touch, and you can quickly set this up when creating the message.

Customer retention on autopilot

Automation enables you to stay in touch with customers on a personal level, even as your business expands. Examples include:

• Birthday and anniversary messages:  Celebrate the customer and thank them for their loyalty with milestone emails.
• Upselling and cross-selling: Send post-purchase emails promoting products that complement or upgrade what the person just bought.
• Customer re-engagement: Recapture inactive customers by sending personalized messages, possibly including a special offer.
• Review and feedback collection: Encourage customers to share their opinions with engaging messages.

These messages are inherently personalized, since they relate to the individual customer’s activity and preferences. And since they’re automatic, you don’t have to remember every customer’s birthday.

Lead nurturing without the overwhelm

If you have a complex sales cycle, automation can save you time and resources. Start by choosing an automation platform with a lead scoring feature. Lead scoring assigns point values to touchpoints and gives each lead a numerical score, so it’s easy to see who’s sales-ready. 

You can also use scoring to create effective follow-up systems. Identify behavioral triggers, such as inbound calls or website form submissions. Create follow-up emails inviting the lead to connect, and then create sequences based on whether they respond. Voila — no more wondering who you’ve responded to, whether you should follow up, and if that prospect responded.

Getting started: Your first 30 days with marketing automation

Learning how to put digital marketing automation services to work for your business might seem like an uphill climb — just take it one step at a time.

Week 1: Set up the foundation

Before you get started with marketing automation, you need an account on your chosen platform. Take time to set up your account and configure it to your preferences, including integrations with your current toolkit. 

Next, organize your contact list and import it to your automation platform. While you’re there, create your basic automation rules. Start by selecting one or two triggers. Your next step will be to create content.

Week 2-3: Build your first campaigns

A welcome series is an excellent way for beginners to explore digital marketing automation services. The first task is to choose a basic email template and customize it. Update the colors and logo to match your brand, then add engaging text and images.

Inspire yourself with top-notch marketing automation examples like this one:

Once you’ve set up your general welcome campaign, you can start segmenting your list. Bonus points if you can create a targeted welcome email for one of them. Then, get your social media going by scheduling a few weeks of posts.

Week 4: Optimize and scale

Congratulations, you’re up and running! Remember to review your analytics and adjust based on campaign performance. Look for additional ways to automate — such as a cart abandonment series or a post-purchase thank-you email.

As you get into a groove, consider how you can expand your automation efforts. If you have any additional team members, show how to use your new tool so they can start setting up automations, too.

Transform your marketing while you sleep

Digital marketing automation services can transform your small business. From personalized email marketing series to scheduled social media, you can do more with less time and start forging stronger relationships with your customers.

The possibilities are endless, but don’t be intimidated — it doesn’t have to be rocket science. All you need is the right platform, and you don’t have to master marketing automation all at once. You just need to take that first step, such as creating an automated welcome email.

Constant Contact offers everything you need to get started with marketing automations, plus helpful guides on:

• Creating your first welcome email
• Building automated email pathways
• Using behavioral triggers in automation
• Segmenting your contact list
• Automating social media interactions

See for yourself how digital marketing automation services can save you time and help you grow your business. Start your free trial of Constant Contact today.