Share what you know with millions of people
Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content
0
Is "easy to use" a real selling point or misleading for marketing automation?
Many vendors in the automation space are going to market with an "easy to use" message as a selling point. With issues of getting full value of solutions, the ever changing buyer and large skill gaps in B2B marketing, is it really that easy or is this message misleading?
Events
- Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
- Lead Nurturing 202: The Next Generation May 31 @ 11 am PT
- The Tricks to Paid Media June 6 @ 11 am PT
- Display Advertising for Brand Awareness June 20 @ 11 am PT
Related Activity
5 Answers
I think it is a selling point and one that has been used successfully for quite some time. It can be misleading without the proper context though. Taking David's example, he stated "Easily navigating through MA software is one thing... constructing an efficient/effective sales & marketing funnel using automation is an entirely different beast". Though this is true, they are still related. Defining your programs, processes, models, developing content is all of the heavy lifting, but once you know what programs, scoring models, etc, that you want and you have them mapped out, being able to quickly implement them in the MA platform is important. Furthermore, as new people come on board having a system that is easy to train to use is important, and also the easier it is to build things in the app the less room for error. I personally think all SaaS apps should be what I call "I-Phone-like". This way you can focus your time on leveraging the system rather than learning it.
Carlos -- that is a GREAT question. I believe the term "easy to use" is misleading when it comes to MA.
Easily navigating through MA software is one thing... constructing an efficient/effective sales & marketing funnel using automation is an entirely different beast. Businesses often make the mistake of putting an "easy to use" marketing automation system in place thinking it will solve all their conversion & revenue problems. When their lack of process/content marketing strategy/or understanding of what marketing automation can do for them, frustration builds and blame is almost always placed on the MA platform... even if it is "easy to use".
Marketing automation is not easy... especially for newbies. It often requires taking a different look at their funnel, process, what a sales qualified lead is, how to score leads, building a strategy around content marketing, creating content, etc.
Are certain marketing automation platforms easy to use? Yes. But companies adopting MA need to go in with eyes wide open and fully understand their investment, the possibilities, and the magic that MA can bring to an organization.
PS - Having an "easy to navigate" MA platform absolutely helps in the day-to-day execution of marketing automation tasks.
Claiming a product is "easy to use" is not the same thing as claiming magical powers to align your sales & marketing efforts automatically.
I don't see any MA vendors claiming the latter. Has anyone else seen such a thing?
If a product is easy to use then claiming so is not misleading.
Easy-to-use and user friendly both assume a certain skill set possessed by the end user of the product, whether it is software or a state of the art kitchen appliance. What may be considered technologically simple to a member of the under 30 set could come with a host of issues that need to be addressed when training someone who was out of school prior to the advent of the computer age.
Answer This Question