Automation in content marketing can be a great asset. After all, marketing can be time-consuming and even confusing, so automating some elements is advantageous for an over scheduled entrepreneur like yourself. Keep in mind, though, that there are some aspects of the marketing process that lends themselves well to automation, while others should always be completed by humans. Take a look at the following information about facets you might want to try automating and those you should never automate as it relates to content marketing:
Never Automate
The following are aspects of the content marketing process you should avoid automating for various reasons:
Customer Engagement
According to data reported by Business 2 Community, most consumers can quickly tell if something is not 100% genuine. In fact, they can see through automated engagement 70% of the time. In most cases, they will unfollow brands that are using automation when it comes to engaging their users. The following was a statement made about automated the all-important process of customer engagement, explaining why it’s so imperative that you do not make this marketing mistake:
“While software and other applications exist to help you, nothing can replace a genuine human interaction. Replying to users on social media, sending them a personalized thank you email, taking the time to give them individual responses on chatbots are a must.”
Content Creation
When it comes to your business, most of your customers will like your business based upon your genuineness as a brand. However, if you choose to automate content production, this trust can be broken. In general, any and all your content should be created by professionals, either on your staff or a trusted freelance writer whom you have hired to ensure the content matches your brand’s identity. Although there are programs that can generate blog or social media posts for you, don’t allow this type of automation to dilute your current reputation as a brand. Automation is most certainly to be avoided at all costs when it comes to content creation. If your team is unable to write well, or you just don’t have the time to create the content you need, consider adding a professional freelance writer, as mentioned above, to your team of professionals for this purpose.
Ideal Elements To Automate
Although the information above exemplifies how automation can be a negative aspect, it can also be beneficial within certain parts of the marketing process. For example, check out the following ways you can use automation to your advantage and save yourself time and money:
Content Promotion
There are many methods you can use to automate your content once it has been created and properly edited. For example, you can use a promotion tool to publish your blog and then link your social media platforms. You can link company and personal accounts, as well as send daily, instant, monthly or weekly notifications to your subscribers.
Email Marketing
Email has been and remains of the most effective mode of communication for business. However, an email campaign can take a great deal of time to complete. In fact, some 68% of businesses spend up to a week creating an email, such as creating personalizing, writing, email lists, etc. Thankfully, there are many automation options when it comes to email campaigns that can send out emails automatically. Although you will still need to create the email itself, you can automate the email process by streamlining your records and setting emails to send out after criteria is met by customers.
Social Media
You can use automation to simplify the time you spend on social media. For example, you could set up a certain image to post on various accounts on a certain day each month. You can also streamline your social media accounts, allowing you to easily post content or messages on various platforms simultaneously.
Marketing Report
Of course, you want to make sure your content marketing strategy is working. After all, that is the point of making the effort. However, without studying the metrics, it’s impossible to properly analyze the effectiveness of your content marketing efforts. Through tools like Databox by HubSpot, which gives you an easy-to-understand overview of your entire marketing campaign in one location.
Bottom Line
Automation is great. It serves a purpose and can be a life and sanity saver. If you avoid automating the specific content marketing areas mentioned, it is a great way to up your marketing strategy and improve your rate of return, page views and profits. Thankfully, we offer various tools for you to get the most out of your content marketing here at WriterAccess and would love to help you find a highly skilled writer who can become a valuable asset and wonderful addition to your team.
Brandie P‘s career as a freelance writer spans several years and encompasses an abundance of niche specialties. Before beginning her writing career, she was an office manager and worked in the medical field. Her experience in these two fields have come in handy when writing topics pertaining to these fields.
