“No” seems like the obvious answer. A construction dealership isn’t looking to reach a mass market or to educate the public in general. Selling a piece of construction equipment requires a good relationship with clients and prospects and a good knowledge of your market and industry.
All of that is true, but what you might not realize is that marketing automation isn’t just for marketers looking to spam massive contact lists. Marketing automation is all about connecting to your prospects and customers on a more personal level. But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.
What is Marketing Automation?
A marketing automation platform does many things for a marketer:
First, it provides data and analytics for visitors to that brand’s website.
You will be able to see an immense amount of behavioral data about your visitors, and even tag them with cookies so that when they become a lead, you will be able to know what that prospect is interested in even before you get in touch with them.
Second, it makes your day to day marketing activities a little easier.
Getting a marketing automation platform will also help you automate emails, create calls-to-action, manage contact lists and publish to social media. Various marketing automation platforms will emphasize some of these features over others. The task of choosing the right system to use can be intimidating, but all of the information you need is out there, you just have to know where to look.
There are so many choices! Which one is right for me?
Only you can answer that question. The best advice I can give you is to do your homework and have a few conversations with sales reps at each of the major marketing automation companies. Look at Hubspot, Marketo, and Eloqua, and then broaden your search to see if there is something else that works better for you than any of those three choices. Compare prices, features, and especially look at how you are charged.
Most marketing automation platforms have tiered pricing based on the number of contacts you have.
But some will charge you more the month after you increase your contact list past a certain point, while others will keep you locked in at your initial price until your contract is over. Make sure you don’t end up in a place where you are being penalized for being successful.
Another important factor to consider is customer service.
Pay close attention to how you are treated as a prospect. This will often give you clues about what kind of experience you can expect as a client. Are your contacts at that company responsive to emails and phone calls? Do they seem to be trying to upsell you at every turn or are they trying to find a solution that works best for you?
What Can’t a Marketing Automation System Do for Me?
A marketing automation system is no replacement for great customer service, salespeople who know their customers, or relationships with prospects in your area. A marketing automation system also won’t do your marketing for you. It will track your efforts and help you spend your time and money wisely, but it won’t write compelling content that will draw prospects in, nor will it create a user-friendly website that explains what your dealership offers and why you are the best place for them to buy their next piece of construction equipment.
Is marketing automation a good idea for your construction dealership?
Well, do you have customers and prospects that you want to market to? If so, then yes, it probably is a good idea to look into marketing automation. Just don’t expect it to be a substitute for elbow grease.
