Imagine if you could automate lots of repetitive tasks in your business to free up your time and focus your energy in places that need your attention? Marketing automation (MA) makes this a reality as it allows you to automatically complete tasks that you or your staff members would otherwise have to do manually. And the best part is, it’s available to all businesses regardless of size. So if you have a small business, startup or freelance, MA can work for you and help you reach your goals.
Our trusted marketing agency
At The Business Centre (Cardiff), we rely on an expert marketing agency, ONCREE, for all our marketing needs. The agency has guided us through marketing automation and helped us remove a big portion of manual work within the business. Over the years, we have built a close relationship with their Digital Marketing Director, Sarah Mason, who knows how to make automation work for small businesses. In this article, Sarah shares her top tips on how to use this technology within your business to increase efficiency, boost growth and increase productivity! Plus, she offers insider information about the most popular automation tools used daily at ONCREE.
What is marketing automation?
First, let’s cover the basics. Marketing automation is a powerful tool that can do certain tasks in your business. This is typically day-to-day tasks that are repetitive and can run in the background. The best way to identify MA is through action, specifically when a client or prospect interacts with your business. For example, if you enjoy online shopping, you may have come across the abandoned cart email.
This form of MA is triggered when a prospect adds products to their online cart but doesn’t proceed to checkout. A personalised email will be sent to them automatically to nudge them into completing the checkout and making the purchase.
Does my small business really need marketing automation?
The easier question would be, why doesn’t your small business need MA? Quite simply, to make managing it harder in every possible way. You can view MA as that one staff member who learns fast and can do almost any task, from emails to social media, as well as content management, lead nurturing and customer service. It can also help you manage and understand all the data from your marketing campaigns through tracking and reporting systems.
From its incredible ability to multitask, MA is a powerhouse that can boost your business’s productivity and efficiency, and scale your business in ways you never thought possible.
Automation and the future of work
Automation is one of the most significant changes we’ve seen in our working lives, and it’s predicted to continue being a significant force for change. It could be used to make processes faster, cheaper, or more environmentally friendly.
It will also have an impact on how work gets done and who does what. Automation stands to eliminate many jobs that are currently routine, repetitive or require less skill. However, it will also create many new jobs as automation changes what’s possible and creates demand for different skill sets.
Examples of automated tasks in a small business setting
- Sending monthly reminders to your customers who are due for contract renewals, rather than relying on them remembering.
- An automatic email that’s sent when a new customer signs up with you, welcoming them and giving them an overview of what they can expect from you as the business owner.
- Using apps like Trello, Slack or G-Suite to automatically update your team on what they need to do next.
Let’s get a little technical
Besides managing small tasks, MA can significantly scale your business by attracting prospects and growing your client list. It’s important to remember that every prospect that receives some form of an automated message from you has already shown interest in your business in one way or another. Automation will help you take it a step further by creating a meaningful and personalised relationship with each prospect while managing the process on a mass scale. In this way, you can reach more potential clients who find value in your business, while also saving time and money. If done right, the end result will be new clients walking through your door and the possibility of growth.
Case study: How automation saved Ladders UK Direct
Lockdown leads to surge in demand
The owners of Ladders UK Direct, one of the biggest retailers of ladders and access equipment, recently detailed how marketing automation saved their business at the start of the lockdown restrictions. Unlike most businesses affected by the pandemic, Ladders UK Direct surprisingly experienced a surge in demand in the first quarter of 2020. This is because most people were turning to DIY projects around the house and needed ladders and accessories to get the job done.
A user-friendly website helps boost sales
Thankfully, the company recently launched a new e-commerce website – this made online shopping a breeze, especially during lockdown when everyone was stuck at home. The user-friendly website coupled with the DIY craze resulted in incredible business growth.
The cracks begin to show
However, as more orders rushed in, new challenges emerged, and weaknesses began showing. The owners soon realised the key areas that still used manual systems were collapsing under the flood of orders, which at this time, doubled in size. They weren’t meeting delivery deadlines, and times went from 3-5 days to 10-12 days.
Let the automation begin
Pushing back the delivery times was the turning point for Ladders UK Direct, and they decided to automate certain processes. They quickly realised the enormous benefits and gradually began automating more parts of their business. Eventually, they freed up so much time and resources that they could focus their energy on areas that needed their attention. Since then, Ladders UK Direct hasn’t stopped growing, and even the team has become bigger with two new staff members joining.
Automation tools used at ONCREE
As promised, Sarah gives us the low-down on some of the marketing automation tools ONCREE uses. These options are perfect for small businesses, startups or freelancers. You can check out explanations of each platform here.
CRM systems that are great all-rounders
Project management tools for better organisation
Make call and appointment bookings easy
Effortless email nurturing
Convenient payment
Here at The Business Centre (Cardiff), we are home to many small businesses, startups and freelancers. We are centrally located, based just 10 minutes from Cardiff Bay, Dinas Powys and Penarth. Our modern facility comes fully equipped with a range of amenities, including super speedy broadband, breakout areas, a friendly reception team and free access to our modern gym. Plus, the best cafe in Barry, Mel’s Cafe, is onsite!
Whether you’re a freelancer looking for co-working spaces in Barry or a business looking for serviced offices with everything included, our packages can be perfectly tailored to suit your needs. Get in touch with our team today to find out how our business packages can support you.