1marketingautoAdvertising is no longer well received by recipients if not delivered exactly when appreciated the most and perceived as relevant. Therefore, marketing automation is believed to be the perfect solution to play out content in a targeted and personalized way. Thanks to innovative data analysis, it is possible to spread the right content at the right time to the right customers. But why do so many companies then still advertise like crowd gatherers with bizarre and annoying messages? Don’t they know that customers expect a personalized approach and real added value?

Just considering that the average consumer is confronted with about 3,000 advertising contacts per day, should be an eye-opener, since we all can relate to that. In fact, from today’s communicative firework, the subconscious mind can barely filter 50 messages, of which the average consumer can remember at most four. Therefore, measured on all advertising media in the potential marketing mix of all advertisers, exorbitant spreading losses are apparent and only the already well-known brands stick.

Only if digital advertising is not understood as a broadcast campaign, the attention span of the users increases. Customers simply expect more from brands today than just a cross-channel sprinkling of pure advertising content. They want to be addressed honestly and directly. Nothing should be off the shelf, but tailored to their individual needs. Personalization is trump and content is still king, since consumers nowadays make decisions more critically and test offers more thoroughly.

In particular, the mobile networked customers are informing themselves directly in the process of their purchase decision via smartphones. The location-independent source of information helps with the question whether a product is offered cheaper somewhere else or whether the product basically fits into the personal everyday life and perception of values. Companies must take such high product expectations into account, as well as the desire of a growing number of customers who want to cover their consumption with individualized products to stand out from the mainstream trends. In the future, the personalized approach will become indispensable in marketing and companies need to strengthen the trust in their brand without disturbing their customers with ads. At least in email marketing, the online advertising industry has recognized that marketing automation can in principle be personalized and lead to success.

Fact is that personalized content is a plus for transactions and can increase revenues six times, Experian revealed e.g. in one of its studies. By simply placing the recipient's name in the subject line, the click-through rates can be increased enormously. Anyone who consistently personalizes and automates his lead management will be able to see sales growth of 10% in the first six to nine months after starting a campaign. Forrester Research is even more confident by stating that companies with marketing automation can generate up to 50% more leads at 33% lower costs.

Anyway, marketing automation and the personalization of advertising have high potential to make content really appealing to consumers, therefore we can expect newsletters to serve as the main tool for lead generation. However, in the marketing mix, display, video, and search are used as central building blocks for marketing automation that aim to optimize digital campaigns as efficiently as possible. This requires identifying and juggling the most effective channels for advertising and content distribution coherently.

Of course, different target groups can be reached via the sum of digital channels, but automated, personalized communication should be based on the actual usage and interests of potential customers. Necessary insights must be gained through efficient tracking mechanisms across all digital touchpoints, as the data-driven information is important. Marketing automation is doing the rest, as it can store any information and evaluate any data to generate new insights from which customers and businesses can benefit.

By Daniela La Marca