Five ways marketing automation tools are helping digital agencies

'Performance marketing' is on the up and up. This process entails the scrupulous tracking of every single digital interaction - from the filling in of a form all the way through to the point of conversion. Merely saying that your agency is doing everything it can to up your sales is no longer enough; brands are now demanding that their marketing campaigns be strategically formed and monitored.

The digital agencies that are implementing this with the most success all have one thing in common: the use of marketing automation tools. We'll explore five of the ways that marketing automation tools are aiding digital agencies with their marketing campaigns.

1. All landing pages can be created from within the marketing automation software

This means that agencies are therefore able to track exactly how their landing pages are performing compared to those of their past campaigns.

The current, 'non-performance' method entails the creation of landing pages within the website's CMS, but you aren't able to track how it performs - a crucial task that means the difference between a campaign that's successful, and one that's a dud.

2. Micro-sites or sites specific to a campaign can be created rapidly

For example, if you need to create a site for your winter campaign, marketing automation tools will provide you with templates that allow you to build a customised site within mere hours. This in turn aids agencies as it massively reduces the costs and time involved, as all of the basic functioning is already built into the templates.

3. All data is stored within the marketing automation tool

If your digital agency is making use of a marketing automation tool, you'll no longer have to store the data from each campaign in a separate place. Instead, every single bit of information will be saved in one easily-accessible, central database. This will enable you to identify repeat customers, as well as build rich data profiles about your customers.

For example, if Anne responded to the summer campaign that her favourite wine is Durbanville Hills Chardonnay, and then responds to your winter campaign that her drink of choice is Alto Rouge, all of this info is recorded. Having this data on hand will allow you to create a rich data profile and run intelligent campaigns in the future.

4. Once agencies have captured the attention of a lead, they'll able to nurture them via the most suitable channel

Depending on the interaction, you'll be able to add a lead to an email or SMS campaign. Remember that 'performance marketing' isn't just about obtaining leads, it's about having the necessary tools available to nurture them until they're ready to be converted into customers.

5. Marketing automation software is equipped with integrated reporting functions

Because automated marketing software is an integrated, multi-channel solution, agencies are able to obtain a holistic view of their email and SMS campaigns, micro-sites and social media in order to understand what's working and what's not. You'll then be able to tweak your campaigns accordingly, instead of merely guessing as to the behaviour of your leads.

If your digital agency wants to increase its brand equity by improving their service offering, the best way to go about providing effective marketing campaigns is by making use of marketing automation software. Not only will you be able to offer a full marketing service, you'll streamline the process and in turn, reap the reward of customer loyalty and ROI.