1. Objectives
This is probably the most important question you should ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish by using marketing automation? You should know the destination before you start the trip.
Furthermore, the goals you set should be SMART (specific, measurable, accepted, realistic, terminable). Once your objectives have been achieved after a period of time, you can adjust them or develop new ones.
2. Target group
This is another important question that will determine the success of your work: who is the audience of your marketing activities? Be as detailed as possible in defining the persona you want to address: location, age, position, company size, interest etc.
Please consider: If you do not get enough feedback on high-quality content, you might communicate to the wrong audience. In this case you should reconsider the definition of your target group and optimize it with the help of external consultants.
3. Content
You do not need marketing automation if you do not have any content. The content you offer should be of interest to your audience and motivate them to share it with other users.
4. Media
There are many ways to publish content: blogs, videos, infographics and white papers. Determining the type of content suited to reach your goals depends on your target group as well as other aspects (such as budget).
Many companies already have content that can be used for marketing - a good basis for future activities.
5. Planning
Quality over quantity! However, you should try to publish content regularly. There is nothing worse than losing prospects simply because you did not plan ahead and do not publish anything for an extended period of time. You should also pay attention that your activities are in accordance with those of other departments.
6. Distribution
There are many possibilities to share your content with your target group, such as newsletters, social media, SEO or online advertising. Ideally you distribute your content via various channels. An infographic can be part of a blog post and be shared on Facebook and Pinterest. Another example would be to take a striking argument from a blog post and share it on Twitter, Facebook or use it as claim in an advertisement.
7. Monitoring
The internet is in a constant state of change. It is important to keep track of all relevant developments. You can only optimize your marketing strategy if you monitor all your activities.
Last but not least: keep it rolling. Success does not come over night. However, if you properly define your target group and create suitable content for which you have a thought-out distribution plan, you will get to the next level eventually.
