Published on LinkedIn June 11, 2016

In his recent MarketingProfs article, Andrew Davies describes the paradox of marketing automation.  On one hand, these systems allow Marketers to nurture prospects and clients through longer lifecycles and larger revenue streams.  On the other hand, he points out, marketing automation isn’t cheaper. It “means having to bring on more—not less—staff. As well as a marketing manager, a database manager, a demand-gen exec, and a content strategist, you will most likely need a marketing technologist who is able to help you get the most out of your new system.”

Plus, as I like to point out, “you need to have something to say” – good content ready to address key buyer personas and resonate with your ideal customers. And a corporate “point of view” that makes your interpretation that much more valuable. In other words, it all has to come together. The data must clearly define key segments, the content must speak to them, and the technology must be configured to orchestrate the relationship. Not as easy as “plug-and-play,” but worth it once the it does all start working together. Then the marketing-to-sales funnel will fill with qualified leads and continuous opportunities for satisfying customers. No paradox there.