Welcome to the Small Business Guide to Marketing Automation.

Marketing automation used to be embraced only by huge companies with many thousands (or even millions) of customers. But in recent years, small and mid-sized business owners have come to see that the technology has immense benefits for them as well.

The proper implementation and use of a marketing automation tool can empower you to shorten your sales cycle, generate better leads and more conversions, and keep existing customers happy so that they repeat and refer. Whether you're a solopreneur with a client roster in the hundreds or an executive managing a team and communicating with thousands of customers, there is a way that marketing automation can work for you.

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Full table of contents

1 Preparing for marketing automation

There are a wide range of options available for marketing automation tools. From simple tools that handle only one marketing channel to comprehensive ones that also include a CRM component, it's up to you to assess your business's needs and settle on the tool that best aligns with them.

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2 Behavior scoring

Let's face it: There are some leads that will never convert. Why would you waste time chasing after those people, when you could instead focus your time, money, and energy on more promising prospects? This is where behavior scoring (also known as lead scoring) comes in. When you have your ideal prospect in mind from the get-go, you can set your sights on wowing them, rather than getting caught up with those who aren't that interested to begin with.

3 Creative uses for marketing automation

Marketing automation comes in handy when you're trying to juggle all the balls that go along with lead generation and nurturing. But there are other ways to utilize the technology, too. Look beyond just prospects to see how you can harness the tool to move existing customers up your product ladder and even cater to your employees' needs.

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4 Follow up campaigns

How often have you let a lead go cold because you didn't have a solid approach in place? Unfortunately, it's something that can easily happen. Lucky for you, though, marketing automation allows you to stay ahead of follow up campaigns, so you never let another lead slip through the cracks again.

5 Marketing automation and customer journey

Every marketing action you take should be focused on guiding customers through the journey you want them to have. Marketing automation can help you create a clear path for prospects to convert and existing customers to do business with you again and refer their friends.