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A freelance Marketing Automation specialist can
By Carsten Bjerregaard, Marketingcapacity.dk (Link to the article. Copying/publishing without agreement is not allowed)
The internet never sleeps. And around the clock, somewhere there are people awake and ready to buy something - or research what they might want to buy. Marketing Automation specialists work to create a marketing system that runs by itself. The more of what has been handled by humans to date will be done by systems in the future. The better it is set up, the easier and more intuitive it will be for customers. Marketing Automation is the discipline that can scale independently of the human resource.
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What is the role of the Marketing Automation Specialist?
As the name suggests, it's all about making marketing happen automatically. Ideally, from the first time a customer topic makes itself known until the topic has become a regular customer who buys again and again. It's about, among other things:
- Automatically send out emails
- Automatic replies to emails and other queries
- Automatic generation of relevant offers
- Trigger-based response to customer interactions throughout the customer journey
- Automated customer service
- Automatically suggest new products, subscriptions, services etc. That the customer might want to look at
...keep going. Because it's not going to end anytime soon. Automation will evolve and become more relevant, intuitive and efficient than any other type of business. Because it will:
- Machines don't take time off
- Once you've set up a system that works, it works flawlessly every time
- Over time, customer journeys become so complex that humans can no longer make sense of them. But machines can. Especially as AI will take over the planning and execution
What are the key areas of the Marketing Automation Specialist's work?
In reality, it's a never-ending journey that we've taken the first steps on 10-15 years ago. It will continue, as I said, on a more and more refined level.
The Marketing Automation specialist will work on some key areas along the way, which include
- Permission gathering. In order to get leads into the sales funnel and nurture them, you need their permission.
- Lead qualification. Some companies work to screen or score their leads. Especially in B2B. To decide what to do next. Whether the lead should be rejected, go into a flow or perhaps be sent directly to salespeople who can follow up. To optimize sales in relation to the resources invested.
- B2C companies often work with so-called personas, a kind of description of each segment, in order to develop automation processes that fit their decision-making process and buying patterns. So that offers and communication can feel as relevant as possible to the customer.
- Data capture, data categorization and data enrichment. Data is the lifeblood of Marketing Automation. Valid, up-to-date and structured data. The higher the quality, the better you can use it to personalize the dialogue.
- The customer journey needs to be mapped out so that you know which path the customer can take through your company's touchpoints. If you include callbacks in the process, there are an infinite number of paths. An important part of the Marketing Automation specialist's job is to map the journey to the level where you can insert triggers and create a relevant dialog.
- You need to set up flows that take into account customer reaction - or lack of reaction. So, for example, people don't have to remind a customer to sign up for a subscription 7 times. You set up a system that does it automatically. Thinking through the relevant processes and setting up flows is the core of the Marketing Automation specialist's job.
What is the value of a Marketing Automation Specialist?
Overall, the Marketing Automation specialist creates value:
- By making marketing run 24/7. Always on
- Saving money by doing more marketing with fewer people
- By scaling the business beyond what human resources would actually allow
- By creating greater customer satisfaction and loyalty through better service
- By increasing order size
In terms of effort, it's all about:
- Systematically collect, improve and use data
- Creative concept development and good communication
- Constantly testing what works
- Tracking impact
- Implementing improvements
It would probably not be wrong to say that a large part of Amazon's global and enormous success is due to Marketing Automation. Or, conversely, that without well-functioning Marketing Automation, a company will not be able to compete in the digital competition.
What should a Marketing Automation specialist know?
First and foremost, the person must be a marketing person. A specialist who understands the core of marketing. The customers, the action parameters, the objectives. The buying processes. The whole package.
In addition, a Marketing Automation specialist must have a personal skill-set that probably includes these characteristics, among others:
- Systematic thinking
- Creative with the ability to see new areas to test
- Detail fix
- Ambitious
- Curious
- Empathetic
In addition, the Marketing Automation specialist must have insight into a wide range of tools and technologies that:
- Marketing Automation systems such as HubSpot or Agilic
- CRM systems like Salesforce
- CMS systems such as WordPress and Umbraco
- So-Me management systems like Hootsuite
- Email systems like Mailchimp
- API for integration with back-end systems
Overall, the Marketing Automation specialist must have the curiosity, skills and interest in merging marketing and technology. That's the core of his work.
Examples of good Marketing Automation work
The easier you feel it is to make a digital purchase on a site you've visited multiple times, the better Marketing Automation works. Because MA is what ties the different phases, functions and departments together 'seamlessly' or imperceptibly, if you will.
Why a freelance Marketing Automation specialist?
In the past, most people might have thought of freelancers for one-off projects. However, many companies have now realized the benefits of working with freelancers on a long-term basis:
- You can cover needs that don't justify a permanent position
- In periods when you don't need it, you don't pay for the skill
- In a long-term relationship, the freelancer gets to know the company almost as well as a permanent employee
- Compared to buying the desired skill set from an agency - such as an advertising agency - working with freelancers is usually much cheaper
- You have the flexibility to rethink the overall competency profile of the person responsible for an area
- More and more really talented people prefer to work freelance
- A freelancer can still look at your business 'from the outside' - which is a valuable thing when thinking about creative
- Freelancers can bring fresh, outside inspiration to your business
How do you find a good freelance Marketing Automation specialist?
Finding the right freelancer can be difficult. And above all, it can take a long time. Because there are many freelancers within the same field, and even if they boast the same skills, there can be a big difference when it comes to the way they work and the work they deliver. When you ask Marketingcapacity.dk to help you find a freelancer to work with, the process is simple:
- You describe your needs to us (either in writing or verbally - we'll confirm in an email)
- We screen the thousands of profiles on Marketingcapacity.dk and, if necessary, the market through our channels
- We nominate a list of candidates and talk to them according to your needs
- You will be presented with 3 candidates that seem to meet your needs
- During the 3 meetings (at your location or digitally) you can ask questions and see examples of their work
- You choose the freelancer you would like to start working with
- We set it up in our systems with time tracking etc. so you have an overview and full control
In other words: After describing your needs, simply set aside 2 hours to meet with 3 hand-picked and screened candidates. That's your guarantee of a good result with reasonable effort.
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