How Can Marketing Automation Software Improve Your Social Media Strategy?

We’re all well aware of the power that social media can have upon business operations. It allows us to proactively target a customer base, keep up with the latest trends and understand how a certain campaign may be performing.

When we consider that approximately seventy per cent of the buying cycle is completed before a prospect even speaks to a sales representative, the importance of regular social media updates and contacts is obviously important.

Still, it is unlikely that we have time to simply sit in front of a computer and post constant updates while interpreting vast amounts of data. This is one of the primary reasons why software such as Ontraport, Infusionsoft and Pardot are ideal at helping to automate the engagement and analytic processes. So, let us quickly examine why these platforms are so powerful and look at some of the primary features that they share which can help to propel any social media campaign to the next level.

Lead Targeting

It is critical that the right products be presented to the right prospects at the right time. While all entrepreneurs are aware of this immutable fact, very few know how to efficiently reach their prospective audiences. This is one of the first benefits of marketing automation software.

By employing numerous analyses and tracking potential leads through centralised platforms, it is easier to appreciate who should be actively pursued, who should be nurtured and who should be disqualified. Although this would take a great deal of time under normal circumstances, automation software has allowed such a technique to provide insight and clarity quickly.

Earlier this year, Capterra released a case study explaining how they increased their revenue by 400%, by simply automating their lead qualification process and freeing up time for their sales team.

The Power of Social Media and SEO

Google loves relevant and trending information. While many owners may associate SEO more with textual references on a static webpage, the truth of the matter is that the latest Penguin updates have placed a great deal of emphasis on one’s social media presence. In simpler terms, a greater number of updated posts will result in a higher SERP ranking. Regular updates are made much easier with automation software and these can be posted across multiple platforms with ease. The final results will be greater exposure, a more robust visitor interaction and ultimately, a stronger conversion rate.

All About the Budget

One of the reasons that some may be wary about becoming too actively involved with any CRM campaign is due to what may very well prove to be a tight budget. After all, marketing automation software isn’t cheap.

This is a valid concern, for spending exorbitant amounts on the incorrect strategy can actually undermine the effectiveness of any campaign. Marketing automation packages such as those listed earlier will provide a clear indicator of the revenue devoted to this task, the number of targeted leads and the price per lead. So, it is much easier to forecast monthly expenditures and if necessary, increase or decrease a budget as may be necessary. So, this software has taken much of the guesswork out of developing a profitable strategy.

Monitoring the Pipeline

As many businessmen (and women) are already aware, there are countless other metrics that need to be tracked within any social media marketing campaign. Some of these can include (but are not nearly limited to):

• Response to opt-in forms.


• Results from random surveys.


• The number of purchases made.


• Attendance at any webinars.


• Visits to a particular site.


• Buying patterns over a period of time.

When these are compared with any social media strategy, it will be much easier to appreciate the effectiveness of a certain approach. In other words, it is always much easier to ask “How are we going?” in contrast to “How did we do?”.

Understanding “Social Lift”

Every month, it seems that a trendy new marketing term has entered into the mainstream vocabulary. “Social lift” is another example of this. The best way to envision this phrase is to think of it as the percentage of initial visitors that will take an active interest and convert. This will help to provide a “top-down” view that is essential in interpreting how effective an approach within social media circles has become.

The Buyer Persona

Perhaps one of the most powerful benefits that social media marketing software will offer is the ability to appreciate the persona of the buyer. In a broad sense, this can also be thought of as the type of demographic that should be addressed. Some variables within this persona are:

• Age


• Income level


• Geographic location


• Buying habits


• Gender (if relevant)


• Frequency of purchases

Determining these factors will naturally provide more insight and clarity when attempting to target this very same audience for a new product or service. However, modern software will not only analyse current clients. It will also profile those who should be “kept warm” for a later date while disqualifying those who take little or no interest. Thus, any marketing strategy can be more effectively polished to address only those who are considered worthwhile. This is another means to help compensate for a limited time and budget.

Just the Facts…

Above all, any CRM software related to marketing automation is designed to provide the user with everything he or she needs and nothing that is unnecessary. To recap, some of the most critical metrics that will be displayed are:

• Lead tracking.


• SEO implementation and analyses.


• The ability to control a budget.


• Pipeline monitoring.


• Appreciating a buyer persona.

These (and other) benefits are ultimately designed to provide a business with the most critical data to make the right decisions at the right times. If there is one word that should define any social media strategy, it would undoubtedly be “proactive”. Such automated platforms excellent means at combining all of the most powerful tools “under one roof”.

The end results will be a better understanding of the customer and a higher number of conversions. So, marketing automation software is very much the “one-stop-shop” for all social media campaigns.

How Can Marketing Automation Software Improve Your Social Media Strategy?