Preparing for marketing automation. By integrating with other existing software, your marketing automation platform is able to expand its capabilities and insights. Here's some tips.

1. Preparing for MarketingAutomation
Advice for the integration process

2. Marketing automation is one tool, but its utility extends beyond its inherent
features.
Ahugely powerful key behind the platform lies in its ability to integrate with
so many other types of business software.

3. Marketingautomationsoftwaretypically integrateswith severalkey businesstools youareprobablyalready
using:
• Customerrelationshipmanagementsystem (CRM)
• E-commerceplatform
• Dataengagementsoftware
• Contentmanagementsystem (CMS)
• Webconferencing/meetingsoftware
• Socialmediaplatforms

4. By integrating with other existing software, your
marketing automation platform is able to expand
its capabilities and insights.

5. Integrations = Increased Value

6. Know Your Integration Priorities
What needs to
integrate?
How well do they integrate? Does all our software
integrate?
CRM system is
often the top
integration
priority.
Can the teams who need the
integrated software access it
quickly and easily?
If not, is it worth
switching any existing
software to make full
integration possible?

7. Not every piece of software needs to integrate, but strong integrations with key
software will impact business in valuable ways:
• Increased level of insight available
• Improved internal workflow efficiencies
• Increased cross-team collaboration

8. Collaboration is Key
Example 1: Example 2:
CRM systems and form-builder
platforms are two integrations that are
often a priority.
Social media integration isn’t usually a
high priority integration because there
are so many stand-alone solutions that
handle it well, like Hootsuite and
SproutSocial.

9. But every organisation is different.
Have you considered your integration priorities?

10. Where do People go Wrong?
4 common mistakes during the integration process and how to fix them

11. Common Integration Mistakes
1. Insufficient research pre-purchase
2. Importing existing data as-is
3. Over-estimating software’s ease of use
4. Not planning for the learning curve

12. 1. Insufficient Research Before Purchase
• Research before you buy
• Always ask to demo the software before purchasing
o This helps you gauge how user-friendly the interface is
• Demo the integration - how seamless is it?
• How will each integration affect current workflows?

13. Get educated on the software so you purchase
the platform that’s best for you.
Choose the right platform the first time.
The Bottom Line

14. 2. Importing Existing Data As-Is
• Clean your database beforehand so you have the best quality data
possible.
o Bad data can actually hurt your business.
• Who will handle the data import?
o Your IT team or the marketing automation vendor?
• Marketing automation providers frequently offer data importation for a fee.
o Know what it will cost and plan for it up front.

15. The Bottom Line
Database maintenance is the single
most important thing to do before
integrating.

16. 3. Overestimating the Software’s Ease-of-use
• Pay particular attention to how user-friendly the software is
during your demo.
• Data is only useful if it is organised efficiently.
• It’s all in the details:
o How many sign-in locations?
o Info on one dashboard or buried in many tabs?

17. The Bottom Line
Learn by doing. As you use the software
it will become more intuitive…
…but choosing a user-friendly
platform helps a lot.

18. 4. Not Planning for the Learning Curve
• It takes time to learn the software.
• Consider the following requirements:
o New software
o New training
o New processes
o New workflows

19. The Bottom Line
It just. takes. time.

20. Checklist for improving your integration process

21. ✔ Choose a marketing automation platform that has the
integrations you need.
✔ Demo the integrations before you purchase.
✔ Clean your data before importing it.
✔ Dedicate resources to training.
✔ Acknowledge the journey: efficient workflows aren’t immediate.
Checklist for improving your integration process

22. Marketing automation is a valuable, powerful tool whose
power increases exponentially with strong integrations.
Avoid the common integration mistakes and you’ll be
well on your way to success.

23. Contactustoday
1300 745767(Aust only)
+61280709230
engagedigital.com.au