Recently, I read some marketing automation survey results that reflect the issues I'm seeing with clients and hearing prospects articulate.
The survey was done by Ascend2 and published on their site. A small percentage (24%) of respondents currently use marketing automation extensively, but the two largest groups either make limited use (35%) or don't use marketing automation now, (34%) but plan to do so in the future.
Not using any marketing automation tool or system makes it extremely difficult to measure any of your marketing goals. Data from systems like HubSpot, Marketo and Pardot track the efforts you put in place and give you feedback on how effective your campaigns are.
And yet, 65% of those surveyed say marketing automation is very important to gauge overall success of any marketing program!
Further, the survey asked what the most important marketing objective are, and not surprisingly, increasing sales leads the way. What I found interesting about this question was the last response listed - improve marketing-sales alignment. In Measured Results Marketing's client experiences, this is a huge factor that can boost the sales revenue numbers to meet those goals. It's done by holistically evaluating how marketing and sales are operating for a business, identifying gaps that can be closed and leveraging their marketing automation tool to achieve this.
The majority of the companies surveyed say that marketing automation is somewhat successful in achieving their objectives. Again, really knowing how to get the most out of your marketing automation system, clearly defining program objectives and integrating both efforts will produce better results.
The biggest challenge the respondents cite as barring them from achieving marketing and sales goals?
The lack of an effective strategy.
If you have the tools, if you have some sort of program, and if your executives have set goals and objectives, unless all of them are working together because the people responsible know how to get the most out of them, then this is exactly the conclusion you'll come to - there's no strategy.
Visit Ascend2's site to download the report to read the rest. What you'll read is what Measured Results Marketing can help you with. See what we can do for you.
What's your biggest challenge or obstacle? Let us know in the comments below.
Image courtesy of info.venderepartners.com
