Marketing
Automation:
Originally presented April 21, 2021, at the
AMA Ignite Conference

A Short Introduction
Co-founder of Clever Lucy, a Cincinnati-based women-owned
agency comprised of a team of seasoned experts that bring big
agency talent and experience with the efficiency and focus of a
boutique agency.
Previously, Keri was President of Cleriti, a HubSpot Partner Agency
and ran the local chapter of the HubSpot User Group (HUG).
Keri Witman
C O - F O U N D E R | C E O

au·to·ma·tion | ˌȯ-tə-ˈmā-shən
noun
Automatically controlled operation of an apparatus,
process, or system by mechanical or electronic
devices that take the place of human labor.
What is automation?

75% of companies currently use marketing automation.
58% of B2B companies plan to use it in the future.
Who is using marketing automation?
75% 58%
Sources: Social Media Today’s’ State of Social Media Automation Survey (2019) & emailmonday.com

No Shortage of Options

The most important benefits of marketing
automation are improved customer experience
(45.9%), improved quality of leads (37.7%), and
an increased number of leads (34.9%), according
to those surveyed.
Top Benefits of Marketing
Automation Platforms
Source: Liana Technologies
10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Increased # of Leads
Increased Quality of Leads
Improved Customer Experience

Another Glance at Key Benefits for B2B
Source: SmartInsights and Communigator Managing B2B Marketing Automation (2019)

Direct Real-world Results from MA
Source: automate online

According to recent research studies, companies
that effectively use marketing automation to
nurture prospects see a 451% increase in
qualified leads.
Essential for Nurturing Leads
Source: Annuitas Group
100% 200% 300% 400% 500%
Effective Use of MA

Know specifically what you want to accomplish before you
subscribe to any platform.
Before You Pull the Trigger

Less than 3 in 10 (28%) companies who
subscribe to a marketing automation tool
take advantage of the available features.
Companies Underutilize
Marketing Automation
Source: SmartInsights and Getresponse “Email Marketing and marketing Automation Excellence” (2018)

• Analyze your staff work effort and identify tasks that could
benefit from automation
• Identify gaps in your analytics tracking
• Review your path to purchase and identify any breaks
Weigh Your Options &
Know Your Needs

• Social Media Posting (80%)
• Email Marketing (75%)
• Social Media Advertising (55%)
Get the Most Out of Your
Automation Platform
• Chatbots
• Voice Keyword Call Tracking
• Scoring and Grading Leads
• Personalization
• CRM Integration

• IT Manager
• Sales Lead
• Marketing Director
Key Stakeholders

Custom
Templates
>
Standard
Templates
>

• Content Strategist
• Automation Admin/CRM Admin
• Writer/Content Developer
Roles Necessary to Run
Your Automation
Marketing Automation
Admin
CRM Admin
(IT)
Content Manager
Lead Nurture
Manager
Analytics
Email Landing Page/Forms
Email Design
Email Copy
Landing Page Design
Landing Page Copy
Agency Partner
Or Internal Team

Content marketing is most effective when it is very closely tied to
your ideal customer path to purchase and is published on a
regular cadence.
Content Strategist

Having someone on your team who is an expert at using your
platform of choice will have a dramatic impact on the success of
your marketing programs and efficiency.
Automation Admin/CRM Admin

• Existing GTM
• Internal Content Team
• Outsourced (Agency)
Content Sources

• Look for quality over quantity when it comes to content
• Ideally, choose an agency partner before selecting and setting
up an automation tool
Agency Insider Tips

• Marketing automation tools can be great for connecting your
marketing and sales efforts
• Involve your sales counterparts in the decision early as it will
impact their team directly
CRM

• Sales teams dismiss leads delivered by marketing
• The flow of leads from the platform to
reps never gets set up
Why the great divide?
Social distancing before it was cool.

• Involve sales from the get-go
• Consider current CRM in-use
• Collaborate with sales team on path-to-purchase
• Define marketing to sales handoff point
Marketing/Sales Alignment

Thank You!
If you aren’t equipped with the right team to make the most
of marketing automation, Clever Lucy can help.
Keri Witman
keri@cleverlucy.com
Learn more about our full capabilities at cleverlucy.com