Inbound marketing automation
Encyclopedia
Inbound marketing automation is the name given to the process of automating Inbound Marketing
.
.
Inbound Marketing
attracts prospects to a company’s website through a combination of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
, Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
, and Social Media Marketing (SMM)
, then engages them with thought-leadership content, converts them to identified sales leads through the completion of forms, and then nurtures them through a program of drip marketing until prospects are determined to be “sales ready”.
Marketing Automation
, in the context of Inbound Marketing, includes the automation of marketing analytics, reputation management
or social media monitoring, email marketing, sales lead generation and sales lead management, and other regular marketing activities.
Inbound Marketing Automation is most applicable in Business-to-Business (B2B)
markets where prospects spend considerable time researching solutions and suppliers online, and where long sales cycles require prospect education and prospect nurturing over time, resulting in substantial data accumulation over the customer acquisition life-cycle.
From the buyer’s perspective, automation is preferred because of the speed of response, and the ability to program the automation to respond to a prospect’s individual needs based on their profile, their demographics, and their digital footprint as they interact with the website.
and Genoo are two companies trying to develop an end-to-end capability by providing an integrated set of tools for Inbound Marketing Automation
. There are other players like LeadFormix
who provide both inbound and outbound marketing on their Marketing Automation platform.
Because of the technical and marketing process complexities in implementing Inbound Marketing, a new breed of marketing consultants has been created with both the technical skills (development of automation rules, software customization, integration, web development skills), and the marketing skills (inbound marketing, search marketing, social media marketing, content marketing) to assist companies in implementing inbound marketing automation. Gossamar Inc., a Canadian-based inbound marketing automation consultancy, was an early entrant into this growing market, and has heavily promoted the Inbound Marketing Automation concept.
Inbound marketing
Note: The sole purpose of this article is to disambiguate two pairs of meanings of inbound and outbound marketing. Please see the linked articles for in-depth information on the respective meanings....
.
The concept
Inbound Marketing Automation combines two major trends in marketing: the move to web-based Inbound Marketing and the growing utilization of Marketing AutomationMarketing Automation
The name given to software platforms designed for marketing departments and organizations to automate repetitive tasks is Marketing Automation. Marketing departments, consultants and part-time marketing employees benefit by specifying criteria and outcomes for tasks and processes which are then...
.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing
Note: The sole purpose of this article is to disambiguate two pairs of meanings of inbound and outbound marketing. Please see the linked articles for in-depth information on the respective meanings....
attracts prospects to a company’s website through a combination of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization
Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the "natural" or un-paid search results...
, Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
Pay per click
Pay per click is an Internet advertising model used to direct traffic to websites, where advertisers pay the publisher when the ad is clicked. With search engines, advertisers typically bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market...
, and Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing
Social media marketing is an addition to personal, small business, corporate, and non-profit organizations’ integrated marketing communications plans...
, then engages them with thought-leadership content, converts them to identified sales leads through the completion of forms, and then nurtures them through a program of drip marketing until prospects are determined to be “sales ready”.
Marketing Automation
Marketing Automation
The name given to software platforms designed for marketing departments and organizations to automate repetitive tasks is Marketing Automation. Marketing departments, consultants and part-time marketing employees benefit by specifying criteria and outcomes for tasks and processes which are then...
, in the context of Inbound Marketing, includes the automation of marketing analytics, reputation management
Reputation management
Reputation management , also known as directory management, is the process of tracking an entity's actions and other entities' opinions about those actions; reporting on those actions and opinions; and reacting to that report creating a feedback loop. All entities involved are generally people, but...
or social media monitoring, email marketing, sales lead generation and sales lead management, and other regular marketing activities.
Data volume
Because Inbound Marketing is web-based and therefore digital, it can generate large amounts of data on website visitor activity, prospect profiles, prospect preferences and their “digital footprint”. Automation is needed to collect, analyze, correlate, and create actionable insight from this massive amount of data. Automation is also needed to store, access, and share electronically between various stakeholders in the company, including marketing and sales, both at corporate and in the field.Inbound Marketing Automation is most applicable in Business-to-Business (B2B)
Business-to-business
Business-to-business describes commerce transactions between businesses, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer...
markets where prospects spend considerable time researching solutions and suppliers online, and where long sales cycles require prospect education and prospect nurturing over time, resulting in substantial data accumulation over the customer acquisition life-cycle.
Other driving factors
From the seller’s perspective, marketing personnel are freed from mundane, repeatable tasks, making them available for higher value strategic and creative tasks. In addition, the automation can be programmed to consistently deliver best practices in sales lead generation and management around the clock, outside normal business operating hours.From the buyer’s perspective, automation is preferred because of the speed of response, and the ability to program the automation to respond to a prospect’s individual needs based on their profile, their demographics, and their digital footprint as they interact with the website.
Key players
Key players in the Inbound Marketing Automation market include the automation tool suppliers. Most of these software suppliers, however, only automate a slice of the Inbound Marketing process. Typical automation components include Search Marketing automation tools, Social Media Marketing tools, Demand Generation tools, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. HubSpotHubSpot
HubSpot is a venture-funded marketing software company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its customer base grew from over 1,400 in July 2009 to over 3,600 in November 2010, mainly in the USA.-History:...
and Genoo are two companies trying to develop an end-to-end capability by providing an integrated set of tools for Inbound Marketing Automation
Marketing Automation
The name given to software platforms designed for marketing departments and organizations to automate repetitive tasks is Marketing Automation. Marketing departments, consultants and part-time marketing employees benefit by specifying criteria and outcomes for tasks and processes which are then...
. There are other players like LeadFormix
LeadFormix
LeadFormix is a marketing automation company that offers cloud based, lead generation and sales enablement software to enterprise customers. LeadFormix pioneered the concept of Marketing Automation 2.0, which is considered the next level of marketing automation....
who provide both inbound and outbound marketing on their Marketing Automation platform.
Because of the technical and marketing process complexities in implementing Inbound Marketing, a new breed of marketing consultants has been created with both the technical skills (development of automation rules, software customization, integration, web development skills), and the marketing skills (inbound marketing, search marketing, social media marketing, content marketing) to assist companies in implementing inbound marketing automation. Gossamar Inc., a Canadian-based inbound marketing automation consultancy, was an early entrant into this growing market, and has heavily promoted the Inbound Marketing Automation concept.
External links
- Inbound marketing automation blog: latest thinking and analysis on topics such as Inbound Marketing and Marketing Automation targeted at Business-to-Business marketers.
- Inbound marketing automation glossary: a comprehensive glossary of Inbound Marketing and Marketing Automation terms.
- Inbound marketing university and community: training in inbound marketing by leading experts, with a community of over 10,000 marketing professionals.
- Inbound marketing automation strategy & how-to resources: Information for inbound marketing tactics, interviews with marketing thought-leaders and experts, including case studies and how you can implement effective strategies.