5 Marketing Automation Challenges and Simple Steps to Overcome Them

One of the first barriers many businesses face when considering marketing automation is cost. High-end platforms packed with advanced features can seem out of reach for companies with smaller budgets. The perceived high price can deter businesses from taking the leap into automation.

How to Overcome It:

Start Small. Begin with a basic plan that fits your budget. Many platforms offer tiered pricing, so start with essential features that will immediately add value to your business. As you grow, you can scale up to more advanced plans.

Calculate ROI. The upfront cost of automation is often justified by the long-term savings and revenue increase it can bring. By automating repetitive tasks, improving customer engagement, and nurturing leads more effectively, you can significantly boost your ROI.

Automation offers a powerful way to improve efficiency and drive growth without sacrificing authenticity. This beginner’s guide to marketing automation will tell you what it is, why you need it and how to use it.

For those new to marketing automation, the sheer number of features can be overwhelming. The learning curve may seem steep, especially if your team is small and lacks technical expertise.

How to Overcome It:

Take Advantage of Training Resources. Many platforms offer extensive training resources, including tutorials, webinars, and customer support. Take the time to explore these resources and learn at your own pace.

Start with Basic Workflows. Instead of diving into complex automation tasks, begin with simpler workflows that allow you to get comfortable with the platform. Gradually increase the sophistication as your team becomes more confident.

Approach your automated marketing workflows with sophistication to streamline your communication process, particularly as a business in the finance industry

There’s a common misconception that marketing automation leads to cold, robotic communication. Businesses fear that automation will eliminate the human touch that’s critical to fostering relationships with customers.

How to Overcome It:

Leverage Data for Personalisation. One of the biggest benefits of automation is the ability to personalise at scale. Use the data collected from customer interactions to craft personalised messages that reflect their preferences, behaviour, and past engagements. Automation allows you to send the right message at the right time.

Use Dynamic Content. Many tools offer dynamic content options, letting you customise emails, landing pages, and other marketing assets for specific audience segments. This keeps your communication relevant and personal, even as your campaigns scale.

Blend Automation with Human Interaction. Automation shouldn’t replace the human element—it should enhance it. Use automated tools to handle routine tasks so your team can focus on high-touch activities, such as creative campaigns or customer support.

Let your email marketing shine with the effective use of personalisation. Find out how to use personalisation to boost your open and click-through rates and increase overall engagement with your content.

Ensuring that your marketing automation platform integrates seamlessly with your existing tools (like your CRM, e-commerce platform, or analytics software) can be a challenge. Poor integration can lead to fragmented data and inconsistent customer information.

How to Overcome It:

Choose a Platform with Strong Integration Capabilities. When selecting an automation tool, make sure it offers robust integration features. Look for pre-built connectors or APIs that make it easy to link your tools and create a seamless data flow.

Work with a Relationship Manager or Support Team. Set up your integrations with care. Collaborate with your Relationship Manager or reach out to your chosen platform’s Support Team to ensure everything is configured correctly. A well-integrated system can give you a unified view of your customers and streamline your marketing processes.

Simplify your marketing automations and workflows with our Zapier integration. It offers an easy way to integrate more than 5 000 apps to work together seamlessly.

Effective marketing automation runs on high-quality content. Whether it’s emails, landing pages, or social media posts, you need a steady stream of material to keep your campaigns running. For smaller teams, generating this content can feel like an overwhelming task.

How to Overcome It:

Repurpose Existing Content. Don’t reinvent the wheel every time. Repurpose what you already have. Turn blog posts into social media snippets or use webinar transcripts to create downloadable guides. This allows you to produce multiple assets from a single source, saving time while still offering value.

Plan a Content Calendar. Organise your content creation by developing a calendar. This helps you keep track of what’s needed and prevents last-minute scrambles. Having a well-planned schedule ensures you maintain a steady flow of fresh content.

Outsource Content Creation. If creating content in-house is becoming a bottleneck, consider outsourcing part of the workload. Hiring freelance writers or agencies can help ensure you have the content you need without stretching your team too thin.

Find out how to create high-quality content and compelling campaigns with these 7 email marketing strategies for the savvy digital marketer.

Implementing marketing automation can feel daunting, but with the right strategy and a bit of planning, these challenges can be managed. By starting small, leveraging available resources, and streamlining your processes, your business can unlock the full potential of marketing automation and see the results you’re after.