5 Must-Have Features in your Marketing Automation Tool

Ok, so you have collected a tonne of data. You’ve further segmented it according to certain parameters and now perhaps you have started targeting the right customers on all mediums. But wait, what are the steps involved in this process?
1. Are you manually adding these contacts to your database?
2. Are you using separate services to target them on multiple channels?
3. Are you using multiple JavaScript to analyze and engage the user on your website?
4. Is your timing to reach out to these users pre-planned? Does it depend on the recency or frequency of the contact connecting with you?
5. Do you want to base your communications on the users’ actions, but it takes days to analyze and understand users’ actions by then, the user has already moved to a competitor?
If the answer to the above questions is “Yes”, then you do not have a clear picture of how each of your users performs on different channels like email, SMS, voice, push notifications, website, and app.
You need to start looking for a Marketing Automation tool now!
So what are the features in a Marketing Automation tool that you CANNOT DO WITHOUT?

1. Unified View of Dashboard & Contact Management:

A basic contact management feature lets you add or remove contacts from the database, it might also help you create separate lists for separate audiences. But try to look for a tool that also offers features like:

a) A unified view of a single contact: Where in you can check how the contact reacts to or performs on multiple channels, you can target them on the right channels and improve your ROI.

b) Anonymous user support with late binding: Several top-notch companies have started using this which feature helps you keep track of your anonymous users, who perform activities on your website without logging in or signing up. It patches the historical data with the current data once the user has performed a transaction or registered with you, so all the user’s past activities are identified and logged. Today, when most users are dubious to sign up with a new website or product, this feature can be a boon.

c) Advanced segmentation on contacts: Brands need to be able to segment contacts based on attributes, devices used, activity (opens/clicks), date the user was added in the list, etc. Advanced segmentation also allow multiple conditions to create a segment. For eg. “If the user was added in January 2016” AND “The user is from Mumbai (Attribute)”.

2. A/B Split Test:

This is a must have in any marketing automation tool as it optimizes the campaign and helps select the right creative content or ‘Call to Action’ or ‘Subject Line’.

3. Web Engagement:

It is very important to understand what your audience is actually looking for on your website. 75% of this understanding can be gained using an automation tool. Web engagement features such as notification bars, splash screens with discount offers based on an action on a relevant product page, a discount offer appearing just before the user tries to exit the browser etc. make a lot of difference and can change the decision process of your target user just before they go offline.

4. Easy & Real-Time Workflow Creation with Nodal Reporting:

An automation tool should allow you to create simple as well as complex workflows. This feature can deepen your understanding of your performance at every function or campaign sent out. This can help you effectively identify loopholes.

5. Easy Integration APIs & Plugins:

And last but certainly not least, what good is a marketing automation system if you are not able to integrate it with your CRM or your lead generating website? A hassle-free integration and good support have its own rewards.

Along with the above points, it is critical to have a good consulting team which not a lot of marketing automation companies provide these day. One such product which provides you with 360-degree marketing automation support is Netcore Smartech. Check it out, run your first automation, and experience the difference.