Marketing Automation Archives - Act-On

Six Signs It’s Time to Break Up With Your Marketing Automation Platform

Act-On — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 22:23:37 +0000

That nagging feeling that something’s not quite right. That little voice in your head saying you deserve better. That slowly rising sense of dread when you log into your user account.

You guessed it—there may be trouble in marketing automation paradise.

Seriously, though: when you choose marketing automation software, you’re choosing an important partner. Teams invest a ton of time and considerable resources into their automation solutions. They power crucial campaigns, collect important behavioral data, and act as a foundational piece of your marketing tech stack.

A better marketing automation platform (MAP) should support you, inspire you, and empower you to do your best marketing work and be your best marketer self.

But that’s not always the case. Sometimes teams get stuck with legacy solutions, products that have degraded over time, or perfectly fine software that just can’t keep up with their growth.

Sound familiar? Read on for six signs that it may be time for marketing automation platform migration.

^{Don’t let subpar marketing automation software break your heart.}

They aren’t fun to spend time with

If you groan internally when you load your marketing automation software, that’s a red flag—but you’re not alone. Many users of legacy or bloated marketing automation platforms report that clunky interfaces, finicky email editors, or restrictive landing page templates can make it downright frustrating to build out a campaign.

It’s not supposed to be this way. Your marketing automation software should help you feel more creative, strategic, and good at your job. No tool is perfect, but on the whole, you should actually enjoy the time you spend in your marketing automation platform. Drag-and-drop editors, intuitive journey builders, robust reporting, and simple navigation all go a long way toward making marketing automation fun and rewarding.

So next time you find yourself cursing your software under your breath, stop and ask yourself: Do you really want to spend your one wild and precious marketing life with software you don’t even like using? If the answer is no, marketing automation platform migration is the best and only way forward.

(And what about employee retention? If you’re forcing team members to spend hours every week in a tool they hate…how long will they stick around?)

They don’t get along with your other MarTech friends

We’ve all had a friend who started dating someone new and exciting—then slowly dropped off the face of the earth. And we’ve all worried about that friend, because we know that good, healthy relationships mean making an effort to be friends with your partner’s friends.

The same goes for your MAP—especially because marketing automation is designed to work across many channels and components of your tech stack. In order to successfully orchestrate campaigns, you need to integrate your marketing automation platform with solutions including:

Business intelligence tools
URL shorteners
Web analytics providers
Ad platforms
Webinar hosting software
ABM providers
Third-party connectors like Zapier

It’s especially important that your marketing automation platform get along well with your best friend: your CRM. That particular integration must be robust enough to enable more advanced marketing automation techniques like lead scoring and lead management, and to keep your marketing and sales teams well-aligned.

But if your current marketing automation platform won’t play nice with your other MarTech friends, then your campaigns, your attribution tracking, and your overall performance will suffer. And you may miss out on exciting opportunities when new technology or practices emerge that your stubborn MAP refuses to consider.

In other words, when your MAP insists on only integrating with their friends, something’s wrong and it’s a clear sign it’s time for a marketing automation platform migration. Because your marketing strategy—not your automation platform—should dictate your tech stack.

Marketing Automation for Management Consulting

Create, execute, and deliver personalized initiatives at scale with Act On’s marketing automation for financial advisors.

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They don’t support your growth

Like a good partner, a good marketing automation platform should help you grow and cheer on your every success. But thanks to lopsided pricing structures, it may feel like your MAP punishes you for doing well.

Maybe this rings a bell: you’ve found success in your campaigns (nicely done!). You’ve signed up more subscribers to your newsletter, generated more leads from your gated content, and added more contacts to your system. But then your next billing cycle rolls around. You discover you’ve crossed a threshold within your marketing automation contract. Suddenly your bill jumps significantly—maybe even pushing you into an enterprise subscription.

And the worst part? Some of those contacts are a bit older, and not even active in your current campaigns. Just as you were celebrating your growth, you find yourself paying more—a lot more—to essentially store some data.

This tier-based pricing is common among many marketing automation platoforms. But there’s a better way: only paying for the contacts you actually market to. That way, you have the freedom and support to grow your audience without leapfrogging into a prohibitively expensive subscription level.

Growing your audience is the reason you started a marketing automation program in the first place. It should be cause for celebration—not suddenly put you in a position of needing to re-justify a software expense or ask for more room in your budget.

Why not find a provider that makes you feel supported, not punished, for achieving the exact outcomes their software promised?

They never take your calls

If your marketing automation provider never picks up the phone when you call (or won’t even give you their direct number in the first place), you may not feel like a priority. And we hate to break it to you…but you’re probably right.

Too many marketing automation vendors, especially the ones owned by larger tech companies, treat customer support like a cost center rather than an opportunity to help you get the most value from their product. Instead of answering your call or returning your email with a personal answer, their chatbots send you a blog post, a video, or a homework assignment to sift through a community forum. Best case scenario? You get a prized spot in a lengthy ticketing queue.

Call us old-fashioned, but we think your partner in marketing automation should answer the phone when you call. With a real human on the other end of the line. Who’s knowledgeable about marketing automation. And won’t charge you extra for the help they give.

Sound like too much to ask for? It’s not. We promise you deserve it. It’s just become normalized to expect AI-assisted, cost-effective, tech-driven service instead of human-first support.

You deserve a marketing automation software team who listens thoughtfully to your questions, respects your time, and makes you feel like a priority when you reach out for help. Just like any good relationship.

They always surprise you (when the bill comes due)

In a healthy partnership, it’s normal to have honest conversations about how you handle finances and what you’ll be contributing to your shared budget. With your marketing automation partner, you should expect to pay for your subscription—but if you’re regularly caught off guard by upcharges, something’s not right.

Maybe you’re in a situation where your marketing automation platform charges extra for “added features” you might expect to be included in core functionality (reporting, event marketing, custom data objects). Or maybe you’re continually forced to retain expensive consultants, pay for additional support and training, or hire designers to build custom templates—because the platform is too complex to manage in-house.

Being cagey about money is a red flag in any relationship. When it comes to pricing, you deserve transparency and fairness from your marketing automation provider.

They’ve stopped putting in the work

^{Enough of the marketing automation heartbreak! There has to be a better way.}

If you’ve been with your marketing automation platform for a long time, you’ve probably seen some changes over the years. And ideally, those changes skew positive over time—but some automation solutions simply aren’t aging well.

That’s because many once-great platforms have been acquired by large tech companies like Salesforce, Adobe, and Oracle. And their longtime customers tend to report some common trends:

Fewer new features
Less frequent release cycles
Declining interest in customer feedback
Poorer customer support experiences
Bloated interfaces and slower load times

Marketing automation is a complex business, and doing it well takes a relentless focus on innovation, product improvements, and user feedback. When a specialized tool gets swallowed up by a larger platform and added to a laundry list of solutions, unfortunately, that innovation can become an afterthought.

If you’ve been waiting for months or even years for your longtime platform to change course and start improving, you may be stuck in a dead-end relationship that can only be resolved with a marketing automation platform migration.

Just like people, companies can always change…but we wouldn’t count on it.

Ready for marketing automation platform migration?

If these questions have you feeling down about your current marketing automation provider, just remember: it’s not you, it’s them. Book your Act-On Demo today!

Act-On Leads the Competition in Revenue Automation Capabilities

Act-On — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 08:00:00 +0000

The revenue automation has been evolving at a breakneck pace in recent years, especially in the B2B space. What worked just a few years ago may no longer pass muster as a mix of AI disruption, increased demands from boardrooms and investors, and changing buyer behaviors scramble the conventional wisdom for marketers everywhere.

Fortunately, marketers can start catching up to these moving goalposts with strategic shifts in their MarTech investments. According to top analysts, fewer than 20% of marketers are satisfied with their marketing automation platform.

What’s amiss, and which providers are offering the functionality customers want? Let’s jump in.

Why Most Marketers are Unhappy with Their Marketing Automation

Every year, the independent technology consulting firm Research in Action conducts an extensive survey of over ten-thousand business leaders to take the pulse on the various tools in their tech stack, including marketing automation software. Those findings are illuminating, and not necessarily comforting for marketers. Take this stat for instance: only 14.1% of marketers say their marketing automation platform meets their organization’s growing list of needs.* Why are so many marketers’ expectations unmet by their automation?

Peter O’Neill, Research in Action’s research director, links this disconnect to overlap in the MarTech space. “Historically, companies have been deploying separate Marketing Automation Platforms (MAP), Marketing Lead Management (MLM) or, specifically in B2B, even extra Account-Based Marketing (ABM) solutions to support their lifecycle revenue management and marketing campaigns,” according to O’Neill, “often resulting in significant functional overlap, redundancy, and user confusion.”

Today’s marketers crave a more complete solution. The answer might well be to pursue what O’Neill calls “Revenue Marketing Automation,” a concept on the rise to describe platforms that fully orchestrate customer relationships and accounts across the buying journey. In a recent report, Research in Action ranked Act-On among the solutions that meet these more sophisticated needs.

What’s Missing from Revenue Automation?

According to O’Neill and team’s research, the following features are most frequently cited by marketing professionals as lacking in their current platforms:

Omnichannel personalization
Campaign workflow management
Campaign personalization
Campaign collaboration
Predictive content
Revenue analytics
Campaign analytics/optimization
Campaign creation and design

Those shortcomings have many marketing revenue automation customers in consideration mode. In the same survey, 44.9% of marketers reported that, while their current platform is meeting their needs for now, they’ll be seeking replacement in the next two years. But that number only paints a partial picture of the crisis many marketers face with outdated MAPs. A further 27.8% plan to replace their automation platform, but are not yet actively evaluating alternatives. Finally, 11.5% are in the process of replacing their platforms at this very moment.

Marketing buyers concerned with the diminishing returns of their current platform owe it to themselves to consider platforms like Act-On, which analysts consider a more comprehensive platform. Full revenue marketing automation platforms like Act-On provide “a central hub, allowing for stronger efficiency, better integrations, and enhanced data consolidation,” O’Neill’s report explains. The result? “Marketing efficiency is increased due to having fewer tools and finding revenue-generating opportunities is made easier.”

Act-On Beats Out Leading Competitors in Revenue Marketing Category

Research In Action’s Vendor Selection Matrix ranks the top vendors in the insurgent Revenue Marketing Automation category. Notably, marketing automation platforms are included in the selections as well as various platforms traditionally associated with other disciplines, including those focused on account-based marketing (ABM) or customer relationship management (CRM).

In the 2024 rankings, Act-On beats out marketing automation stalwarts including Eloqua, Marketo, and Hubspot. What’s more, Act-On also came out ahead of solutions as varied as TechTarget and Intensify. Among all these solutions, Act-On received the highest customer satisfaction score of any vendor in Research in Action’s Survey, as well as a high score for breadth and depth of solutions.

Act-On supports buyer role segmentation, insights into customer engagement habits, opportunity management, buyer journey engagement, and lead acceleration, all motions that Research In Action describes as crucial to marketing maturity and the revenue marketing approach. Large, mature marketing organizations should consider Act-On for their revenue automation.

For more on revenue marketing automation and Act-On’s performance, read the report!

*This and all other data cited in this blog are from Research in Action’s “Vendor Selection Matrix: Revenue Marketing Automation Solutions,” March 2024. Used with permission.

Marketing Automation for Management Consulting

Create, execute, and deliver personalized initiatives at scale with Act On’s marketing automation for financial advisors.

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Budget Season Is Coming—Is Your Martech Platform Worth the Investment?

Act-On — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 20:17:47 +0000

Many marketing leaders ask themselves this question as they stare at Excel spreadsheets filled with budgetary numbers: Are my martech tools worth what I’m paying for?

Some platforms we once relied on are starting to show their age. What was once considered essential might now be a burden, costing more time, money and sanity than it’s worth. If you’re frustrated with your martech stack, you’re not alone.

The world of martech has seen explosive growth over the past few years. Tools promising to revolutionize the way we work have flooded the market, and companies eagerly jumped on board, often without fully considering the long-term costs. But as we head into budget season, the reality is becoming clear: many of these tools are not living up to their hefty price tags.

Rising Costs: The more complex the platform, the more expensive it tends to be. From licensing fees to the hidden costs of training and maintenance, the financial strain can quickly add up. And as your team struggles to keep up with the demands of these tools, the return on investment starts to dwindle.

Justifying Spend: With every department competing for a piece of the budget pie, marketing teams are under increasing pressure to prove that their martech investments are worth it. But when the tools you’re using are causing more headaches than results, making that case becomes a challenge.

The Cost of Complexity: Platforms like Eloqua offer a wealth of features, but that complexity often comes at a price. Teams may find themselves paying for capabilities they don’t use while the features they rely on are buried under layers of complexity.

Why Now Is the Time to Reevaluate Your Martech Stack

As you prepare your budget proposals, evaluating whether your current martech stack delivers the value you need is crucial. Here are some key signs that it might be time to rethink your approach:

Struggling to Prove ROI: If you’re finding it difficult to demonstrate the return on investment from your martech tools, it’s a clear sign that something isn’t working. Complex systems can make it hard to track and report on performance, leaving you without the data you need to justify your spend.

Rising Costs, Declining Value: Are you seeing diminishing returns on your martech investments? If costs increase while the value you’re getting in return decreases, it’s time to consider whether a simpler, more cost-effective platform could better meet your needs.

Operational Inefficiencies: Does your martech stack slow down your workflow? If your team is spending more time managing the platform than executing campaigns, that’s a sign that your tools are more of a hindrance than a help.

Integration Challenges: With all the systems businesses rely on, seamless integration is key. If your platform struggles to connect with other tools in your tech stack, it could be creating silos that limit your ability to deliver cohesive, data-driven campaigns.

Team Burnout: The emotional and mental toll of wrestling with a complex martech platform can’t be overlooked. If your team feels overwhelmed and frustrated, it may be time to explore alternatives that empower rather than drain your team’s energy and production.

Learn More

Simplify Your Martech Stack: A Strategic Move for Budget Season

Heading into budget season, there’s a strong case for simplifying your martech stack. Not only can this help you reduce costs, but it can also make it easier to demonstrate value and improve your team’s efficiency.

Focus on What Matters: Simplifying your martech stack allows you to focus on the tools that truly add value. By eliminating unnecessary complexity, you can ensure that every dollar spent contributes directly to your marketing goals.

Improve Efficiency: A streamlined martech stack can help your team work more efficiently, reducing the time spent on platform management and freeing up resources for more strategic activities. This can lead to better campaign performance and, ultimately, better ROI.

Easier Budget Justification: A simpler, more effective martech stack will help you prove the value of your investments to stakeholders. Clearer data, faster reporting, and more transparent costs will make it easier to justify your budget.

Boost Team Morale: Simplifying your martech tools can empower your team by reducing inefficiencies and eliminating unnecessary steps. With easy-to-use platforms that require less effort to accomplish tasks, your team can focus on creating and executing high-impact campaigns, boosting both productivity and morale.

Simplifying your stack could be the game-changer you need for your budget. But knowing where to start isn’t always easy. Learn practical ways to get the best ROI on your martech setup with the guide below:

Learn More

Ready to Reevaluate?

As budget season looms, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your martech investments are delivering real value. Take the time to step back and assess—are your current tools helping you achieve your goals, or are they standing in the way?

If you’re starting to question whether your martech stack is still worth the investment, you’re not alone. Many marketers find that what once worked well now feels outdated or overly complex. The good news? There’s a way forward.

Our helpful guide, Platform Predicament: Solving the MarTech Maze in a Resource-Strapped Era provides detailed insights and practical advice to help you evaluate your current martech tools and explore more efficient, cost-effective alternatives. Remember, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Download the guide to take the first step toward a simpler, more effective martech strategy.

Is Your Martech Platform Holding You Back? How to Recognize the Signs

Act-On — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 20:17:40 +0000

Are your martech tools helping you, or are they just making your job harder? No one enjoys the thought of asking this question. And even fewer marketers can bear the idea of making changes to their key martech platforms, especially when it comes to something as integral as a marketing automation platform.

But kicking the can down the road only leads to more problems. The longer you wait, the deeper you find yourself entangled in an aging system that’s increasingly difficult to manage. As specialists familiar with the platform become harder to find and your team grows more frustrated, the inefficiencies pile up, leaving everyone burned out and your marketing efforts stalling. If this sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone.

The truth is, not all martech platforms are created equal. Some are built for flexibility and growth, while others are overly complex, expensive, and difficult to manage. If your marketing efforts are feeling sluggish, or you’re struggling to get the results you need, your martech platform could be part of the problem. Here’s how to tell if your current tools are hindering your success—and what you can do about it.

The Problem With Overly Complex Platforms

Many marketers have experienced the initial excitement of adopting a new, feature-rich martech platform. But once the honeymoon phase is over, the reality of managing a complex system can set in. Instead of empowering your team, a complicated platform can create bottlenecks, slow down operations and cause frustration across your organization.

High Learning Curve: One of the most common issues with complex platforms is the steep learning curve they require. Training new team members can be time-consuming and costly, and even seasoned marketers might struggle to use all of the platform’s features effectively. When too much time is spent learning how to use a tool, it takes away from time that could be spent on strategic planning and driving results.

Operational Inefficiencies: Overly complex platforms can create significant inefficiencies in your marketing operations. Suppose your team is bogged down by slow processes, frequent troubleshooting and dependency on a few key individuals who understand the system. In that case, it’s a clear sign that you may need to consider a different marketing automation platform.

Underutilized Features: Many marketers find that they only use a fraction of the features available in their martech platform. Whether due to a lack of training or the sheer complexity of the system, this underutilization means you’re not getting the full value of your investment.

Learn More

The Hidden Costs of the Wrong Platform

Beyond the day-to-day operational challenges, the wrong martech platform can also have significant financial implications. The initial cost of purchasing a platform is just the beginning—hidden costs can quickly add up, straining your budget and reducing your overall return on investment.

Licensing and Maintenance Fees: Complex platforms often come with hefty licensing fees that increase over time. Additionally, the cost of ongoing maintenance, updates, and technical support can add up, eating into your marketing budget.

Training and Support Costs: While initial training is often necessary for any platform, overly complex systems can require ongoing external support, which adds to the long-term costs. Extensive training to master a complicated platform is time-consuming, but it’s the continued reliance on external consultants or specialized support to manage day-to-day operations that can significantly inflate costs over time. Simpler platforms reduce the need for both, saving valuable resources.

Opportunity Cost: Sticking with a platform that isn’t aligned with your needs means missing out on more agile, cost-effective alternatives that could better support your marketing strategy. Over time, the opportunity cost of not making a change can significantly impact your bottom line.

Feeling the financial strain of your martech tools? You’re not the only one. The Budget Season Is Coming blog breaks down how to recognize hidden costs and find more budget-friendly solutions.

How to Recognize When It’s Time for a Change

So, how do you know if your martech platform is holding you back? Here are some key signs that it might be time to reevaluate your tools:

Slow Response Times: Does your team spend more time troubleshooting issues with your platform than executing campaigns? Slow response times, frequent errors and a lack of user-friendly support all indicate that your platform might be more trouble than it’s worth.

Rising Costs: If your martech platform is consistently driving up costs—whether through an outdated contract, additional fees added to your bill, licensing increases, support costs, or the need for external consultants—it’s time to ask whether the investment is truly delivering the value you need.

Frustrated Team Members: The emotional toll of working with a complex platform shouldn’t be underestimated. If your team is constantly frustrated by the tools they’re using, struggling to meet deadlines, or feeling overwhelmed by the complexity, it’s time to consider whether the platform is worth the strain.

Difficulty Integrating With Other Tools: In today’s digital marketing landscape, seamless integration between tools is essential. If your platform struggles to connect with your CRM, analytics tools, or other vital systems, it could limit your ability to execute effective, data-driven campaigns.

Inability to Prove ROI: If you’re finding it difficult to measure and demonstrate the return on investment from your martech platform, that’s a major red flag. A good platform should make it easy to track and report on performance, helping you justify your marketing spend and make informed decisions.

Check out the guide for even more red flags and consider how to take the next steps toward a better solution:

Learn More

Finding the Right Fit: What Matters in a Martech Platform

The good news is that plenty of martech platforms are designed to be both powerful and easy to use. The key is finding a tool that aligns with your team’s needs and empowers them to work efficiently and effectively.

Ease of Use: Look for a platform with an intuitive interface and a shallow learning curve. The easier it is for your team to get up and running, the quicker you’ll start seeing results.

Flexibility and Scalability: Your martech platform should grow with your business. Look for a tool that can adapt to your evolving needs, whether you’re expanding your team, integrating new tools, or scaling your campaigns.

Cost Transparency: Choose a platform with clear, transparent pricing. Avoid tools with hidden fees or costly add-ons that can strain your budget.

Strong Support: A good martech platform should have robust support options, including training resources, customer service, and a community of users who can help you get the most out of the tool.

Proven ROI: Finally, choose a platform that makes measuring and demonstrating ROI easy. The right tool will provide you with the data and insights you need to prove the value of your marketing efforts.

Moving Forward With Confidence

If you’re starting to recognize some of the signs that your current martech platform might be holding you back, it’s worth exploring other options. The right platform can make a world of difference—streamlining your operations, reducing costs, and empowering your team to do their best work.

As you look ahead, remember that the goal is to find a platform that truly supports your marketing strategy, not one that adds unnecessary complexity. Simplifying your martech stack could be the key to unlocking better results and a happier, more productive team.

Ready to take the next step? Our guide was created to help you make informed decisions and ensure you’re getting the most out of your marketing investments. Download the guide to get started.

Automate Customer Segmentation with Marketing Automation

Act-On — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 16:32:06 +0000

You’ve heard it before, right? The age-old advice, “If you’re appealing to everyone, you’re appealing to no one…” The need for automated customer segmentation is more evident than ever. Fortunately, Act-On’s automated segmentation tools make the process easy and intuitive.

Even if you’ve carefully designed your ideal customer profiles on your own, you can still go deeper in your targeting, helping your prospects feel known, understood, and aligned with your products and services. How? The answer again is: customer segmentation.

It’s a complicated process, but understanding the concept, what it is, why you do it, and having a great example (we’re sharing our favorite!) can set you on the right path.

What is Customer Segmentation?

Customer segmentation is the process of dividing a large group of prospects or existing customers into smaller segments to provide more relevant messaging and communication to each segment. When you segment strategically, you can better persuade prospective buyers using the topics that are most relevant to them.
For example, let’s say your company sells project management tools. Your prospects may have many interests, such as task organization, team collaboration, or budget management. As a result, you could use audience segmentation to group people based on their specific interests.

Why is Automating Customer Segmentation Important?

Automated customer segmentation is important because it helps improve marketing results.

Research shows that organizations using segmentation report earning 10% to 20% more in revenue and increasing their conversions by up to 50%. That’s not bad, right? Automating the process removes inefficiencies and delivers better lead capture.

And logically, it makes sense. If you’re interested in cooking, you might open an email about cooking. But if you’re interested in the subtopic of barbecue recipes, you’re probably much more likely to hit open. Why? It’s more personalized to what you need. And because of this personalization, you’ll capture the advantage of more effectively persuading buyers.

As a result, when your competitors push out generalized messages, you’re getting cozy with prospects under their noses by zeroing in on their specific needs and interests. And who do you think they’ll consider more seriously when shopping for a new solution? That’s right, you!

^{Audience segmentation takes your segmentation strategy to another level of sophistication.}

Types of Segmentation

As you consider automated customer segmentation, you can approach it in many different ways. You might decide to segment based on demographics, such as job title. Or you might decide to target based on interest or stage in the buyer’s journey (a couple of our favorites, by the way). Here are a few potential options:

Demographics. With demographics, you group by common customer attributes, such as age, job title, geography, education level, and more.

Industry. You can also segment based on detailed information about a company, such as annual revenue, organization size, growth rate, and more, aligning with your ideal customer profile (ICP) or target market.

Behavioral elements. As your audience engages with your content, you track their behaviors. A marketing automation segmentation tool is great for this task. Examples include website activity and purchase behavior, allowing you to determine your audience’s needs.

Interests. A prospect might read a blog post on lead generation, attend a webinar, and read an eBook on the same topic. These touchpoints signal a strong audience interest in lead generation, so you can use that data to segment the audience.

Buyer’s journey. Every prospect interacting with your brand is at a specific stage in their buyer’s journey, which typically includes awareness, consideration, and decision. We can segment them based on their place in the journey to provide personalized communication and content.

For example, a prospect in the awareness stage might enjoy helpful tips for solving their problem. A person later in their journey, such as consideration, might enjoy a guide about evaluating solutions. During the decision stage, that prospect might enjoy a webinar or demo about how to use your specific product.

Here at Act-On, we experiment quite a bit with marketing automation segmentation. In the past, we’ve used ICPs, but more recently, we decided to switch things up and segment based on interests and the buyer’s journey stage. The difference in results was significant.

Tip: Do you already have Act-On and want to see how to build a segment? Here’s a complete walk-through.

A Real World Example

Ready for a real example? Last year, we experimented with our lead nurturing programs. With these programs, our audience might consume content (like you’re doing now), download a helpful resource, and enter a lead nurturing series where we continue to provide value.

Our internal expert, Kesley Yen, decided to take a fresh look at these programs and see whether we could get even more personalized. While in the past we segmented the audience based on ICPs, she decided to segment based on interest and stage in the buyer’s journey.

After only six months, the results were excellent.

With the previous program, we averaged a 25% open rate in our programs. The click-through rate was 1.3%, and we had a 1.4% opt-out rate. With the new program, the open rate jumped to 48%, the click-through rate increased to 17.9%, and the opt-out rate was roughly 1.2%.

So, yes, aligning with your ICPs is a great start. But the more personalized you can get, the better. That’s why it’s helpful to use audience segmentation based on factors like interest and stage of the journey to get even more specific in the needs you’re serving and build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

Automate Segmentation with Act-On

Leverage Act-On’s powerful automated customer segmentation to reach your goals. Until we teach AI to buy products, your audience will continue to be human, with human interests and human behaviors. They will do what serves them best. And when you make your interactions more valuable through audience segmentation and personalization, you align with those ‘best interests.’

Your audience will be more likely to want to hear from you, read your content, and eventually become customers. And because of the synergy you’ve created with audience segmentation, you’ll have far less friction along the way.

So, remember:

Decide how you’ll segment your audience (demographics, industry, behavior, interests, buyer’s journey, etc.).
Segment them into appropriate groups.
Create content, experiences, and interactions that meet their needs in order to nurture stronger relationships.

And if you need help learning how to gather data to segment and nurture more effectively, we’ve got you covered with an on-demand webinar that covers all the important details.

Marketing Automation for Management Consulting

Create, execute, and deliver personalized initiatives at scale with Act On’s marketing automation for financial advisors.

Learn More

Marketing Automation Migration: Key Steps & Mistakes to Avoid

Act-On — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:35:48 +0000

Migrating to a new marketing automation platform can be intimidating. But it doesn’t need to be. Consider first whether you even need to perform a full marketing automation migration. Changing providers offers a unique opportunity to take a look at your current programs and lists and determine what’s working, and what’s not. You might not need a full migration.

Once you are 100% confident in the need for a change, it’s crucial to make sure the process goes well. Use this article as your guide for a smooth marketing automation migration.

Gather critical assets

A successful marketing automation migration starts with gathering your critical assets. Inventory what assets need to migrate to the new marketing automation platform and which assets you’ll discontinue using. As you create your list, consider the following:

Take inventory of templates. What templates do you currently use in your marketing automation program? Do you use email templates? Landing page templates? Make a list of all templates that need to migrate to the new platform, and include screenshots and design elements whenever possible.
Evaluate your existing nurture programs. What automated programs do you have in place, and which programs will you migrate to the new system? Gather all relevant assets that need to migrate in order to continue your existing nurture programs.
Gather media assets and images. One of the biggest sources of migration pain is making sure your marketing content comes over too. From ebook PDFs to logos, icons, and even stock images, one of the best ways to ensure a smooth migration to your new marketing automation platform is to make sure you inventory and organize all of it.
- Pro Tip: Create a complete inventory of media and visual assets with a Google Sheet, and save the assets into an organized system of folders using Google Drive, with appropriate file names. At that point, whoever is helping you migrate will have an excellent source of truth on what to move and where it is.
Reference existing branding requirements. Most established marketing departments have strict branding guidelines, and it’s important to keep those guidelines front and center as you migrate and re-create assets in the new marketing automation system.
Create a list of integrations. What integrations are needed in the new system? First, make a list of the existing technology stack. One of the most important integrations is with your CRM tool.

Identify contacts and lists to migrate

^{Remind you of something? Don’t let your martech stack look like this. Migrate to a new system you can trust.}

You have an inventory of assets that need to migrate to the new system. Now you need to consider how your contacts and lists will migrate. Unfortunately, many organizations make the mistake of trying to pull lists from their already-segmented CRM. Although this process works, there is a more effective method to save time and improve data integrity.

Try creating a list of all contacts that is not segmented in your CRM. You can then pull this single list into the new marketing automation tool and segment people using the new tool. This keeps things simple and gives you the valuable opportunity to cleanse the data. Existing databases may have duplicate contacts, creating inefficiencies in your marketing programs. Migration is the perfect time to clean up this duplicate data.

A final tip for identifying contacts to migrate is gathering a list of opt-outs. You can download this data from your existing platform so that you don’t inadvertently contact people who previously requested to opt out. Not only will this keep you compliant with important regulations, but it also will help contact only recipients who are interested in receiving your messages.

Additionally, identify who has permission internally to complete website-related tasks, such as implementing beacon tracking. For example, a marketing department may have a team member internally trained to complete this task, but the responsibility often resides in IT. At times, marketers need to navigate several IT layers to complete beacon tracking. Identifying the right person and processes early helps build the appropriate lead time to complete tasks and keep your projects on schedule.

Locate stakeholders early to prevent future challenges

One of the most important steps for a seamless marketing automation migration is identifying stakeholders early in the migration process. Locate “champions” in critical departments (usually including sales and IT, in addition to marketing) to help keep your project moving.

Setting up technical requirements can be frustrating without the support of IT. Schedule a kickoff meeting with relevant departments, and find the appropriate point people in each area to help with migration. For example, you need contact with the Salesforce administrator and the CRM administrator in your company to ensure the integration with your new marketing automation platform runs smoothly.

Preview the migration process and support

As you shop for a marketing automation partner, ask about the process of re-creating assets in the new system. This process should be simple so that your team can quickly re-create the relevant assets. Ask your new marketing automation provider for a demo of the re-creation process to understand the ease of use and how you can get your assets into the new marketing automation platform.

Also, think through how you’ll organize the assets. Create folders for each asset type, and then download all relevant files to a specific folder using a zip file. This process makes it faster and easier to group relevant assets. Finally, consider file naming during the migration. As time progresses, marketing staff may come and go, and it’s important that new team members be able to find the files they need through proper naming and organization.

Assemble the right team

Not all marketing automation paths are created equal. Support is a huge variable in ensuring an easy migration process. A critical question to ask when shopping for a new solution is “What happens after I purchase the solution?” The answer should focus on connecting you with strong migration, onboarding and training resources to ensure your success.

Training should include several one-on-one sessions that focus on your immediate goals and how to get value from the new tool quickly. Additionally, you need resources, such as webinars and on-demand training, that will continue to guide you along your journey. This will ensure that you transition to the new tool easily and begin experiencing results faster.

Avoid common migration mistakes

^{Marketing automation migration doesn’t need to be a nightmare. Don’t go it alone: find the right partner.}

Marketers often delay migration due to worries about the process, but the good news is that migration can be smooth and easy with a good partner. A critical component is an experienced onboarding team that understands common migration pitfalls and how to avoid them. Common problems include:

Bringing your CRM point person late to the party. CRM integration is a common trouble spot for marketers during migration, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge. Instead, bring your CRM information technology contact into the loop early, so if you encounter any challenges, you can move through them quickly.
Doing too much too fast. A tried-and-true approach that marketing automation experts take is moving in phases. Your onboarding team should talk about your most important goals and guide you to achieving those goals using a strategic and phased approach.
Not having the proper support. During the early weeks of migration, you need a dedicated training team. This team should spend time getting to know your goals and helping chart a clear path to meeting those goals quickly.

Measure your results along the way so you can iterate as necessary and get the most from your new solution. For example, most marketers (61%) identify lead generation as a top goal. So if your goal is lead generation and you’ve generated 1,000 new leads after the marketing automation migration, you’re likely on target. If not, you can often make small changes to improve results, and a good partner can support you along the way.

Finally, remember to test, test, test. The risk for error exists with any tool, which is why the testing process is so important. Every team uses marketing automation differently based on goals. Test tracking codes, and pay specific attention to email formatting. For example, if you’re sending emails, make sure the format is consistent across different email clients. Testing will ensure that you avoid the potential stress and wasted time associated with fixing mistakes and dealing with the potential fallout.

Increase performance throughout the sales funnel

Migrating to a new marketing automation tool can help you capture more leads and give you back a valuable resource – time.

During the migration, you have an opportunity to evaluate your existing programs and determine what’s working and what isn’t. In a sense, it’s a time to “clean house.” You can strategically select the best programs to bring to the new solution, cleanse your existing data, and ensure that data integrity is achieved.

Additionally, migrating to a new solution provides the opportunity to increase performance at every step in the sales funnel. Increase conversion rates and customer engagement, and nurture customers throughout every stage in their journey. The result is that customers will experience more relevant interactions and build stronger and more meaningful relationships with your business.

Marketing Automation: What it Takes to Make the Switch

Act-On — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:32:01 +0000

Email Marketing Migration: Switching Platforms Made Easy

Act-On — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:19:39 +0000

Migrating to a new email marketing platform (aka marketing automation) can be intimidating. But it doesn’t need to be. Consider first whether you even need to perform a full migration. Changing providers offers a unique opportunity to take a look at your current programs and lists and determine what’s working, and what’s not. You might not need a full migration.

Once you are 100% confident in the need for a change, it’s crucial to make sure the migration process goes well. Use this article as your guide for a smooth transition for email marketing migration.

Gather critical assets for email marketing migration

A successful migration starts with gathering your critical assets. Inventory what assets need to migrate to the new platform and which assets you’ll discontinue using. As you create your list, consider the following:

Take inventory of templates. What templates do you currently use in your email marketing program? Do you use email templates? Landing page templates? Make a list of all templates that need to migrate to the new platform, and include screenshots and design elements whenever possible.
Evaluate your existing nurture programs. What automated programs do you have in place, and which programs will you migrate to the new system? Gather all relevant assets that need to migrate in order to continue your existing nurture programs.
Gather media assets and images. One of the biggest sources of migration pain is making sure your marketing content comes over too. From ebook PDFs to logos, icons, and even stock images, one of the best ways to ensure a smooth migration to your new email marketing platform is to make sure you inventory and organize all of it.
- Pro Tip: Create a complete inventory of media and visual assets with a Google Sheet, and save the assets into an organized system of folders using Google Drive, with appropriate file names. At that point, whoever is helping you migrate will have an excellent source of truth on what to move and where it is.
Reference existing branding requirements. Most established marketing departments have strict branding guidelines, and it’s important to keep those guidelines front and center as you migrate and re-create assets in the new email marketing system.
Create a list of integrations. What integrations are needed in the new system? First, make a list of the existing technology stack. One of the most important integrations is with your CRM tool.

Email marketing migration process and support

As you shop for an email marketing automation partner, ask about the process of re-creating assets in the new system. This process should be simple so that your team can quickly re-create the relevant assets. Ask your new email marketing provider for a demo of the re-creation process to understand the ease of use and how you can get your assets into the new email marketing platform.

Identify contacts and lists to migrate email marketing

^{Remind you of something? Don’t let your martech stack look like this. Migrate to a new system you can trust.}

Try creating a list of all contacts that is not segmented in your CRM. You can then pull this single list into the new email marketing automation tool and segment people using the new tool. This keeps things simple and gives you the valuable opportunity to cleanse the data. Existing databases may have duplicate contacts, creating inefficiencies in your marketing programs. Migration is the perfect time to clean up this duplicate data.

Prevent future challenges by locating stakeholders early

One of the most important steps for a seamless migration is identifying stakeholders early in the migration process. Locate “champions” in critical departments (usually including sales and IT, in addition to marketing) to help keep your project moving.

Avoiding common email marketing migration mistakes

^{Email marketing migration doesn’t need to be a nightmare. Don’t go it alone: find the right partner.}

Bringing your CRM point person late to the party. CRM integration is a common trouble spot for marketers during migration, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge. Instead, bring your CRM information technology contact into the loop early, so if you encounter any challenges, you can move through them quickly.
Doing too much too fast. A tried-and-true approach that email marketing experts take is moving in phases. Your onboarding team should talk about your most important goals and guide you to achieving those goals using a strategic and phased approach.
Not having the proper support. During the early weeks of migration, you need a dedicated training team. This team should spend time getting to know your goals and helping chart a clear path to meeting those goals quickly.

Measure your results along the way so you can iterate as necessary and get the most from your new solution. For example, most marketers (61%) identify lead generation as a top goal. So if your goal is lead generation and you’ve generated 1,000 new leads after the email marketing migration, you’re likely on target. If not, you can often make small changes to improve results, and a good partner can support you along the way.

Finally, remember to test, test, test. The risk for error exists with any tool, which is why the testing process is so important. Every team uses email marketing differently based on goals. Test tracking codes, and pay specific attention to email formatting. For example, if you’re sending emails, make sure the format is consistent across different email clients. Testing will ensure that you avoid the potential stress and wasted time associated with fixing mistakes and dealing with the potential fallout.

Assembling the team for foolproof email marketing migration

^{It will take a lot of teamwork to complete your marketing automation migration.}

Not all email marketing paths are created equal. Support is a huge variable in ensuring an easy migration process. A critical question to ask when shopping for a new solution is “What happens after I purchase the solution?” The answer should focus on connecting you with strong migration, onboarding and training resources to ensure your success.

Increasing performance throughout the sales funnel

Migrating to a new email marketing platform can help you capture more leads and give you back a valuable resource – time.

We Rethought our Email Marketing Flow Chart and Tripled Email Open Rates

Kelsey Yen — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 18:42:44 +0000

When you set up email marketing sequences, it’s far too easy for them to get lost and forgotten, with staff turnover and programs continuing to run on autopilot. Revisiting your email marketing flow chart and marketing automation should happen regularly.

We’ve been running automated programs for many years here at Act-On, and eventually ended up with 37 different sequences running! Now, that might seem like a lot (and it is!). But really, what caught our attention was the results. They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t fantastic either. Average at best. And we wanted better than average, and I bet you do, too.

So, we did a complete overhaul of our email marketing flow chart and automated programs, which resulted in a near tripling of our email open rates, with a 2,900% increase in click-throughs.

And I will tell you exactly how we did it, the lessons learned, and my best tips to replicate our success, but first things first.

What is an Email Marketing Flow Chart?

An email marketing flow chart is a visual representation of the steps and decision points involved in an email campaign, helping marketers design and automate customer interactions. It outlines the sequence of emails based on triggers, customer behavior, and engagement, ensuring a structured and strategic communication approach.

Typically, a flow chart starts with an initial action, such as a user subscribing to a newsletter or abandoning a shopping cart, followed by decision branches based on responses—such as opening an email, clicking a link, or making a purchase. Each decision point leads to a specific outcome, whether it’s sending a follow-up email, segmenting the audience, or stopping the communication. By mapping out the email journey, marketers can optimize engagement, improve conversions, and create a personalized experience for recipients.

Our Big Overhaul: Step-by-Step Process

The first step was inventorying what we had. We looked at our existing programs and discovered that audiences were flowing in and out of our nurture sequences, but that flow didn’t necessarily make sense based on the buyer’s journey.

People entered our programs based on their ideal customer profiles (ICPs), and while this was good, it wasn’t as personalized as it could be.

For example, financial services marketers aren’t all at the same point in their buyer’s journey and aren’t all interested in the same things.

So it’s no wonder our open rates weren’t great! A financial services marketer interested in email marketing isn’t likely to open an email on social media marketing. We had to get more personalized.

This need for greater personalization required us to focus more effectively on two areas: the stage in the buyer’s journey and specific interest. Here’s how we tackled the process and how you can build and improve your email marketing flow chart:

Inventory What You Have

Before you start building your email marketing flow chart, look at current program metrics to determine what messaging is working and what isn’t. One thing that stood out for us, is that some of the programs had instances of duplicate content. An insurance marketer, for example, might receive the same eBook twice (oops!).

Additionally, some program assets were outdated and needed refreshing to stay valuable to the target audience.

^{This is not Kelsey Yen hard at work updating our email marketing flow chart and programs, but hey it could be!}

Align with Intent and the Buyer’s Journey

Our goal was to create programs that closely aligned with a person’s intent and his or her journey. So, we evaluated our audiences to determine what messages resonated best with the ICPs but also aligned with a person’s specific interest and stage in their journey, whether that was top of the funnel, middle of the funnel, or bottom of the funnel.

We kept messages that performed well, but reframed them to fit better with the buyer’s needs.

Create Streams Based on How People Enter the Database

A person might be a financial services marketer but be interested in email marketing. In this scenario, we wanted to speak to their specific interest in our automated programs, but this required understanding how they entered our database.

Did they download an eBook? Attend a webinar? Or interact with us in some other way? We needed to capture this data and make sure they were tagged appropriately so we could account for this in our email marketing flow chart and get them into the correct sequence.

Now, here’s the fun part: This meant we had to go back and find how a person had entered the stream and ensure they had been tagged appropriately at their lead source. Doing this ensured we had the correct data points moving forward.

Our Results Six Months Later

After about six months since we overhauled our email marketing flow chart and automation programs, the results were amazing. With the previous programs, we averaged a 25% open rate among all our programs, with a 1% click-through rate and roughly 1.4% opt-out rate. Decent results, but not fantastic.

With the new program, the average open rate spiked to 59%, click-through rates jumped to 31%, and we have a 2% opt-out rate (which is still within normal range, and hey, we’d rather have you opt out than struggle with deliverability issues, right?).

^{The results speak for themselves…but we’ll unpack them for you anyway.}

We also downsized from 37 programs to just six – a testament to the fact that more can be less!

It’s also evidence that if you deliver what people need, based on their intent, where they’re at in their journey, and who they are, success is much easier to achieve.

Getting Started with Email Marketing Flow Charts

The best starting point for your email marketing and marketing automation flow charts is always to follow the data. What’s working and what isn’t?

And these insights don’t need to be limited to your automated programs. Speak with your sales teams to learn about what they’re hearing from your ICPs. Also consider:

Who are we trying to target?
How are they finding us?
What do they need from us?
What are our current wins, and how can we replicate them?

Once you understand all that, you can ask: How can I simplify the process of finding what’s needed for my audience? Because it’s all about being helpful, right?

In other words, if a person is trying to find information about email marketing, how can you simplify that journey so they don’t have to find material on their own?

And remember, less is more sometimes. You don’t necessarily need programs for every persona type and industry. Think more about what a person is interested in, where they’re at in their journey, and how you can best serve them (that’s how we got from 37 programs down to six!).

Go back to that core problem you’re trying to solve for an audience, come up with something, and then iterate on it. Then, test, measure, and pivot as needed.

Plus, here’s another thing to consider: A big part of success is having the right marketing automation platform behind you. If you’re feeling limited by your current platform, or just frustrated, we’ve got you covered! Check out our guide for successfully switching platforms, so you can hit your marketing goals easier:

Pro Tips: 5 Considerations To Implement Marketing Automation Platforms

Act-On — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:07:36 +0000

The cracks in your marketing automation platform may have been showing for some time. It’s difficult to use. Your team uses tricky workarounds to bypass processes that aren’t working. Or the solution includes so many features that getting the most basic tasks done is more complicated than it should be.

Sound familiar?

Yep, it’s time to switch.

But switching can seem like a daunting task.

And staying the course with your existing platform is tempting, isn’t it?

But you also know that the problems you’re struggling with won’t go away without action.

The good news is that switching marketing automation platforms doesn’t need to be overwhelming, especially when you have tips on what features to look for and what to avoid. We’ve compiled our favorites to support you during the process of making a switch.

Implement marketing automation that plays nice with your tech stack

No one likes a playground bully, do they? Nope. That’s why a new marketing automation tool should play nicely with your other MarTech friends.

^{Feel stuck in the 90s? It might be time to implement marketing automation with a new provider!}

We found when evaluating new marketing technology, approximately 80% of survey respondents said the ability to integrate with existing and new technology is their most important deciding factor.

When marketing automation integrates easily (we’re looking at you, CRM!), it eliminates the need for crafty workarounds, productivity slowdowns, and the frustrating roadblocks that made you want to switch in the first place.

Make a list of your most important MarTech tools, and let that serve as a checklist when considering new tools. A few to consider include your CRM, of course, but also things like analytics and data platforms, your CMS, webinar platforms, and any other functional tools such as survey apps, chatbots, and sales tools.

And if integration isn’t possible with your favorites? Consider negotiating and requesting integrations as part of your deal terms.

Implement marketing automation that doesn’t require “experts”

Hidden costs. They’re everywhere, right? You sign up for a new internet service, not realizing you need to pay extra for a router. You subscribe to a “free service” only to later realize the features you really want cost extra. In the context of marketing automation, watch out for tools that require fancy, expensive consultants to run them.

These experts will kill your total cost of ownership.

^{Uh oh. When you need a team of expensive consultants to implement marketing automation, your TCO is in trouble.}

Sure, they can do some pretty amazing things, but so can other tools that are way more intuitive and allow your existing team to run them. A straightforward interface, for example, might include things like:

Drag-and-drop editors that allow marketers to create customized content without the need for extensive tech skills.
Pre-built templates for emails and landing pages to create a consistent brand look.
Automated workflows that simplify the setup of lead nurturing and engagement campaigns without adding onerous extra steps to the process.
User-friendly analytics and reporting that put data in a clear and understandable format that can be used to track campaign success.

Also, consider getting your team involved in demos to ensure an “intuitive tool” is what it promises to be.

Avoid add-ons that gobble up your budget

Paying for extra avocado on your BLT? Okay, we’ll let that one slide. But shelling out extra money each month for add-ons your team doesn’t use? Or even worse, functionality that your team does use but shouldn’t cost extra?

No, thank you.

Make a list that details the functionality your team needs from a marketing automation tool. Then use that functionality list as a guide to investigate potential solutions. Are those capabilities included or do you need to pay extra? And if so, how much?

And here’s a pro tip: Don’t get misled into believing that fancy features that aren’t on your “must have” list have an added benefit. If your team doesn’t use them, they can make it more challenging to get the more basic work done.

Implement marketing automation that supports your team

The fear of switching is often rooted in adoption and migration worries. How will you get started? How quickly can your team get up and running? And will you regret your decision to switch?

On that last point, the real question you’ll be asking with the right solution is: Why didn’t we switch sooner?

To achieve success, talk with potential solution providers about their migration process. Do they have a dedicated contact to guide you through that process?

Then ask questions about training. What support is available? If your team gets stuck, can they access real-time help? What onboarding resources exist? Having solid resources and real-time support ensures your team doesn’t hit walls, stumble around in the dark, and become frustrated.

Implement an automation platform that supports future growth

You have big marketing plans, don’t you? Of course you do! But as you execute those plans, you’ll want to ensure your new automation tool scales with you. Heck, it might even be the reason you’re making a switch in the first place.

^{Winning time! When you implement marketing automation that supports your growth, the future is bright.}

As you consider what is needed to support scalability and meet your marketing goals, consider tools that allow:

A clean and clear database. A unified view of data to support business growth.
Lead-generation tools. Make it easy to track leads, no matter how many you have in your system.
Behavioral tracking and reporting. Tracking and reporting that allow your team to understand details about who your audience is, the stage of the buyer journey, and more to build personalization and automated messaging.
Lead scoring and segmentation. Automatically scores and has segments that lead to help with personalized marketing programs.
A/B testing. Allows you to test elements like email subject lines, button text, and other elements, to optimize conversions.
Customer journey building. Builds a positive brand experience at every touchpoint for leads and customers.
Data and reporting. Collects data and constructs reports that help guide your decision-making and optimize marketing automation success

Ready? Time to reaping the rewards

Periodically, marketing leaders decide it’s time for change.

That’s where you are today, right?

Considering the tips above is a great starting point, and if you need a little extra guidance, we’ve got you covered!

Check out our comprehensive guide designed to help you every step of the way, so that when your migration is complete, you can take a deep breath and be happy that you made the switch. Following the tips in this guide will enable you to hit your “today goals” and have the confidence that meeting your “tomorrow goals” will be much easier.