In this age of technology, efficiency is an evolving concept. What was efficient a year ago may not be as efficient today; heck, the best way to accomplish a task last month is probably no longer the optimal way to do it. Technology and innovation have a huge impact on both our professional and everyday lives.

Think about the things you do daily, even the simple ones right after you wake up in the morning. Your alarm, now set on your smartphone or other digital device, rouses you from your slumber. Then you brush your teeth with an electric toothbrush and mosey on downstairs to make an extremely convenient coffee with your Keurig machine. The last task before leaving the house is to automatically start your car and begin defrosting those windows – while you’re still inside sipping coffee.

In 2016, that’s what we like to call an efficient morning.

In our latest digital marketing video, we brought the efficiency conversation to the marketing table. The digital world is a tough realm in which to operate at maximum efficiency, but with marketing automation technology, Turning Visitors into Leads, and Leads into New Customers has never been easier:

1. Identify Your Audience

Before you can set up a workflow of highly personalized marketing messages, landing pages and emails designed to convert website visitors into leads, you need to understand who is interested in your products and services.

In other words, you need to identify your audience.

The only way marketing automation works is if you have in-depth customers personas that define the various groups of people that make up your target audience. It seems a little counterintuitive because creating customer personas isn’t an automated process, but trust us – it’s the key cog that starts the entire system on the right track.

2. Sales and Marketing Alignment

One of the biggest and most common inefficiencies companies experience is a disconnect between marketing and sales teams. If these departments aren’t aligned on the awareness, interest, evaluation, purchase, advocacy and retention of their leads and customers, marketing automation can’t and won’t work the way it was designed to.

3. Create Valuable, Helpful Content

We talk about content all the time, but in 2017 and beyond, content needs to be valuable and specifically targeted toward various points of the marketing automation funnel. If there aren’t enough leads coming in, brainstorm ideas for content that helps people enter your funnel and get to know the company. If you have enough leads but not a satisfying conversion rate, create content that helps your target audience make the decision to purchase.

For marketing automation to achieve maximum efficiency, your content needs to integrate with the overall process in a logical way.

4. Multi-Channel Lead Nurturing

Part of achieving efficiency, at least in a marketing sense, is using all of the channels available to you, with each one making an optimal contribution. For marketing automation to work, each channel has its own function and only together, as one cohesive unit, can the process remain efficient. Don’t focus on one area with marketing automation – let each channel do one small thing really, really well.

5. Test, Tweak, Repeat

Automation isn’t about sending only email communications or focusing solely on your blog to generate and convert leads, it’s about understanding the perfect mix of tactics that will really drive your marketing campaign. You don’t nail the perfect setup on the first try but the good news us a little tweaking and testing will help you find the most efficient process in no time at all.

If you would like more information on marketing automation or need help setting up your workflow, get in touch with your local WSI Digital Marketing Consultant today.