Digital marketing automation is constantly evolving, and marketers are automating more aspects of their jobs than ever before. Is there a limit to how far automation can go? Is it possible to fully automate digital marketing in the future?
Many are concerned about losing their jobs to automation as technology advances faster than ever.
Across industries, experts predict this shift will take place entirely within five to ten years. In the next 15 years, Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures, predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will replace about 50% of jobs.
The Forbes Technology Council, made up of senior-level tech executives, predicts that 13 jobs will be automated by 2030. A few of these jobs include insurance underwriting, warehouse and manufacturing jobs, and customer service.
With multiple studies and theories on this foreseen change continuously emerging, a PwC survey reports that 37% of people in the workforce worry about getting laid off in their careers. And marketers are no exception to this.
In this article, we’ll examine the state of online marketing automation, the technology pushing the boundaries, and where it might go in the future.
How Does Digital Marketing Automation Work?
The purpose of automation in marketing is the same as automation in other parts of your business: automating your processes to analyze data, run campaigns, and more.
In essence, automation involves using software robots to perform tasks that humans could do, but don’t have to.
Usually, these are simple, repeatable tasks that involve data entry or similar work.
By automating these tasks, marketers can focus on projects that require a more critical eye, saving them time and effort. Automated marketing also improves your overall success, some marketers saw an 80% increase in leads generated after implementing automation software.
Digital Marketing Automation Components
Automation can be used in marketing in many ways, from workflows to data analysis. Companies today are using online marketing automation in the following ways:
Segmentation
A key component of digital marketing is the collection, organization, and analysis of customer data. The majority of this work can be automated. Using MarTech solutions, marketers can analyze data and segment customers and prospects into their appropriate groups using automation technology. Marketers can then create data-driven, targeted campaigns using this information.
Campaign Delivery
Digital marketing automation can also help with campaigns. In order to nurture leads effectively, you need to tailor your marketing messages to contain useful, relevant information at the right time.
Using automation, you can choose the right recipients, build the right email, and analyze how those emails are performing. It is possible to adjust your emails in a positive way based on statistics such as open rates, click-through rates, and deliverability.
Workflow Automation
Workflows are another crucial part of automated marketing. Your digital marketing workflow can help with many different aspects, from lead nurturing to customer retention. Minute tasks like scheduling, follow-ups, and data entry can be automated with well-written workflows. Using this method saves a lot of time and reduces human error.
Social Media Management
Scheduling social media posts in advance is one of the most obvious benefits of digital marketing automation. By pulling data from social media platforms, social media automation software also analyzes your posts’ performance, giving you more data than ever before. Marketers can use this insight to better understand their audience and improve future posts and campaigns.
What’s the Latest in Marketing Automation?
As new technology becomes available, the cutting edge of online marketing automation changes constantly.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence are just now being used by marketers for developing campaigns and strategies.
We are still far from fully automating marketing, but the latest technologies are automating more and more.
It has always been a challenge for marketers to keep up with public demands and trends on the field, eventually integrating technologies into their operations to make everything run smoothly.
Various types of marketing campaigns can now be accessed via a wide range of innovative applications on the market. With these advancements, almost every digital channel is accessible and easy to launch.
By utilizing the latest automation technologies, marketers can make better business decisions, identify and understand their audiences, personalize communication with customers, conduct more in-depth research, and streamline content creation.
A good example of this is in the data collection space, where automated systems are providing marketers with a wealth of data about every aspect of how a visitor navigates their website.
Previously unseen or undocumented patterns, such as how users close pop-ups or interact with graphics, are now collected and organized, helping marketers discern and act upon them.
A recent marketing AI report found that 52% of organizations and marketers view AI as essential for the success of their marketing efforts, with 41% even experiencing revenue acceleration as a result. These numbers may seem high, but there are good reasons for them.
Sales and marketing teams use AI to target customers more precisely, saving them a lot of time. Automated technologies that collect and interpret data can also be used to measure and assess various aspects of the sales process.
Can Marketing Jobs be Automated?
Up to one-fifth of the global workforce will be displaced by robot automation by 2030, according to a McKinsey Global Institute study. In contrast, wealthy nations such as Germany and the US may have to retain one-third of their working class.
The marketing field is sure to get a taste of this shift as well, although experts believe that positions in service, warehouse, and retail are most at risk.
In response to the rapid advancements and availability of technologies specifically designed for the industry, many brands have integrated these add-ons into their workflows. Therefore, marketing automation can help with the following tasks:
Content generation
Even though there is not yet an algorithm to replace writers and strategists completely, several marketing solutions already available in the market can handle many content creation and curation duties traditionally performed by humans.
There are several on-demand automation programs available today, including Articoolo, Word AI, and Wordsmith. For most practitioners, SEMRush and its list of marketing tools are a go-to for optimizing content for search engines.
Email marketing
The average digital marketer has probably tried at least one automated email program by now. The use of AI for large-scale email campaigns is more common now than ever before.
With tools designed specifically for this marketing job, each message can be personalized based on the recipient’s progress in the buyer’s journey. You can use this customized effort to point potential customers or recurring customers in the right direction. These tasks are commonly performed using software such as HubSpot, Riptide, and Mailchimp.
Automated advertisement
Check out your Facebook or LinkedIn feeds. There’s a good chance that you’ll see an ad or two that makes you want to click on it. Marketing automation creates such a curated browsing experience.
AI powers data collection, analytics, and targeted marketing, but marketing teams still formulate and execute the perfect campaign for a company. Using audience management software, such as Adext, can help determine the best channel and optimize Facebook and LinkedIn ads based on the user.
SEM and PPC
Pay-per-click (PPC) and search engine marketing (SEM) automation tools have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Even though these systems have not yet become fully automated, marketers can take advantage of their range of features to track online marketing performance and optimize campaigns in real-time.
Automation Destroys Jobs but Also Creates Them
Even though AI can replace redundant jobs, it still has a long way to go before it can replace all marketing tasks. Moreover, the rise of marketing automation has created new roles to fit the ever-evolving digital landscape.
“The more technology encompasses and the more we demand from it, the more people are involved in it,” said Sean Chou, CEO of Chicago-based AI startup Catalytic. As more companies adopt these advancements, the need to develop digital marketing strategies, track metrics, and create content will also increase like never before.
According to Chou, AI requires continuous training, data, maintenance, and handling of exceptions. AI, contrary to popular belief, is actually opening more positions.
What Automation Can’t Do
In marketing, the things that cannot be automated are usually the things you wouldn’t want automated. It is best to leave creative writing, art, designing, and marketing strategy to humans as they require creativity and critical thinking. Usually, these tasks are pushed back because smaller, more repetitive tasks take precedence. This problem can be solved through automation.
Marketers don’t necessarily lose their jobs when machines are used in marketing. Brainbroker’s Larry Kotch put it this way: “These things don’t destroy jobs, they just change what jobs are needed.”
Currently, AI is more likely to supplement than replace how people work in the field. A marketing automation system, for example, doesn’t “automate” marketing, as marketers still create the sequences of emails that will be automatically sent to specific audiences.
Furthermore, code cannot yet replicate certain marketing essentials. A few of these are:
Creativity
Marketers exercise both sides of their brains. All the analytical work that needs to be done can definitely be handled by AI. In contrast, when a project requires creativity, such as emotional appeal, even the most advanced program will struggle to develop an engaging piece that impacts consumer and business behavior.
Interpretation
Even though PaveAI can analyze 16 million possible correlations and then produce a report highlighting its most valuable data, a human still needs to interpret the results. While words like bomb, mad, and sick are generally negative by definition, slang can also use them positively. It may be clear to people, but not to machines.
Originality
It is true that automation can optimize multiple marketing channels, but it can’t pitch and hone ideas for a brand. Consider email campaigns. Although AIs can personalize and deliver a message seamlessly, they haven’t yet developed a well-written marketing piece on their own. A creative mind is also needed for social media work, where online profiles and posts need to appeal to a specific audience.
Perspective
A campaign’s impact on audiences can still vary depending on their assumptions, beliefs, and experiences, regardless of how data-backed it is. Perspectives are responsible for all of this. Human thought leaders add a unique perspective to an AI’s clear-cut solution to your marketing needs.
Conclusion
In digital marketing, automation has become an essential part of streamlining processes and using data better to make informed decisions about strategies and campaigns.
You’re missing out on a significant boon to lead generation if you don’t use automation in your marketing.
Keeping up with constantly changing technology can be challenging for marketers. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand how technology can help you become more effective and simplify your work.
If you want to get started with digital marketing automation, SwaysEast can help.
SwaysEast offers a suite of smart digital marketing tools to help brands create innovative solutions and experience their very own AI digital marketing success stories. Book for a FREE APPOINTMENT today.
