Automation in Digital Marketing

Introduction

Technology and innovation breakthroughs are the two most important pillars on which any industry can rely to thrive in today's highly competitive environment. Simple marketing efforts are insufficient for success in today's market. In today's globalised marketplace, marketing is crucial for the success of any business. Keeping up with the latest trends is likely the most critical responsibility of a marketing professional. The term “digital marketing” describes any marketing that employs digital tools and methodologies instead of conventional methods (Digital Marketing Overview: Types, Challenges, and Required Skills, 2022). Banner advertisements on websites are a common practice in digital marketing. Online communication platforms play a crucial role in this type of marketing. In a global poll of marketing decision-makers conducted in February 2023, 63 percent stated they used automation in their email marketing activities. Half of those polled indicated they used it for social media management, and 40% said they used it to automate their paid advertising efforts (Most Often Automated Marketing Channels, 2023). Figure 1 illustrates marketing channels using automation worldwide as of February 2023.

Figure 1.

Marketing channels using automation in 2023

adopted from Statista.com

The rise of digital marketing has made inbound marketing a far more efficient strategy. Businesses can narrow their audience and entice prospective buyers through email marketing, social media marketing, monitoring activity, personalised content via Optimisation for Search Engines (SEO), and Content Marketing. These distinct strategies included the term “digital marketing.” They provide a comprehensive marketing strategy and a larger audience for a relatively small investment. Following digital marketing, tools, and processes support marketing automation, among the most recent developments in digital marketing (Scully, 2022). Recently, it has become one of the essential tools a business can possess. Numerous thriving companies attribute their market success to the utilisation of such tools. In general, this chapter will discuss the insights, advantages as well as challenges of using automation in digital marketing.