Q&A: Laying the Process Groundwork for Successful Marketing Automation Implementation

In this Q&A excerpt from the recent Webinar "Six Truths About Marketing Automation," Manticore Technology VP of Marketing Christopher Doran and Bulldog Solutions Director of Field Marketing Amy Bills answer some audience questions about how to put marketing processes in place to ensure success in marketing automation implementation.

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View the entire Webinar.

Question: When looking at the Demand Acceleration Framework, do most companies you work with look at customers as a whole or individuals within an organization?

Answer (Amy Bills): Most companies who are building demand-generation programs begin their process by developing buyer personas. This exercise, which is spelled out in detail in our white paper "A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Buyer Personas," helps marketers create communications that take into account the buyer's specific role within the organization: Are they a decision maker, an influencer, a technical buyer? So the short answer is, to be impactful, organziations absolutely need to look at the properties of individuals, rather than lumping all customers into a "one-size-fits-all" bucket.

Question: We can document the process, but setting it up in the marketing automation technology is a challenge. Are there contractors or service providers for this piece?

Answer (Christopher Doran): Yes, there are definitely service providers that will help you implement your process around the technology or can manage the technology piece for you completely. You can reach out to Christopher or Amy for more information.

Question: Why start small when the situation for revenue generation is more difficult than ever? Do not conditions call for an agressive attack?

Answer (Amy Bills): The situation IS dire, there are few who would disagree. But the reality is that many marketing organizations hunker down and become very risk-averse during difficult times. Even those who do want to implement well-thought-out programs have a natural, and understandable, urge to prove them out before taking a plunge. For those who are feeling ambitious--and I applaud you!--I'd recommend the Frost & Sullivan Webinar "Marketing Excellence and the Art of Winning Customers."