Last Updated on Thursday, 18 July, 2024 at 8:56 am by Andre Camilleri
Emma Brincat graduated with a Master of Science in Strategic Management & Digital Marketing from the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta. She is now working as a Brand & Communications executive at Deloitte.
In the dynamic world of contemporary business, B2B companies are continuously looking for methods to obtain a competitive edge. In this endeavour, technology has become a crucial strategic asset. Of these, marketing automation stands out as a particularly promising instrument for improving client interaction and optimising workflows. In the course of my MSc research project at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy at the University of Malta, I investigated the factors that influence B2B organisations in the adoption process of marketing automation.
Even while B2B businesses are seeing an increase in the use of marketing automation, there is still not enough detailed information about all the different factors that affect how well it works. We still don’t know a lot, particularly regarding the challenges B2B companies have in selecting and implementing the best marketing automation solutions. To have a deeper understanding of this, I conducted one-on-one interviews with 10 marketing experts that operate in a B2B setting. I asked them a set of questions to find out how they decide to use marketing automation and what factors are important to them when they make those decisions.
According to my research, the main reason why businesses choose marketing automation is because it gives them access to real-time data, something that traditional marketing approaches cannot offer. Businesses are able to make decisions more quickly and intelligently because of this rapid access to information, which might be vital in the fast-paced business climate of today. Additionally, relieving employees of tedious tasks is a major reason why businesses are adopting
marketing automation. Employees can focus their attention on more worthwhile and engaging duties by automating time-consuming and repetitive operations, which will ultimately increase productivity and job satisfaction.
My research also highlights that even while marketing automation has many advantages, conventional marketing techniques shouldn’t be completely ignored. Businesses should carefully evaluate a number of aspects, including the nature of their product or service, the demographics of their target market, and the size of their business, before making any significant changes. These factors are crucial for figuring out the best marketing strategy, whether it uses marketing automation, conventional techniques or a mix of the two. Businesses can maximise their chances of success in the cutthroat marketplace by customising their marketing efforts to meet their unique needs and goals by adopting a refined strategy and taking into account all pertinent elements.
There are several factors a business should take into account when deciding whether or not to implement marketing automation, and the primary one that emerged from my research is return on investment (ROI). According to the majority of respondents, businesses want to see quantifiable results before implementing new tools or systems. Demonstrating that a business can increase revenue, decrease costs or be more productive using marketing automation is a very strong point. It allays the decision-makers’ fears and provides them with a compelling argument for implementing marketing automation. Therefore, swaying decision-makers to adopt marketing automation requires a strong return on investment. Businesses must take human resource considerations into account in addition to ROI. Employees must embrace the company’s culture, support marketing automation and acquire the requisite skills for it to be successful. Businesses should also consider environmental elements that impact a company’s adoption of marketing automation. Environmental factors include competitors, industry trends and laws. Businesses need to determine whether marketing automation adoption helps them compete and adhere to regulations, as well as how it fits into their sector. Technological factors also play a part; they include the marketing automation tools’ compatibility with the company’s current infrastructure, their capacity for expansion, their safety and their ease of integration with current systems.
The findings of my research highlights how important marketing automation is to strengthening B2B companies’ competitive edge. It emphasises the necessity of having a thorough grasp of all the variables that affect its adoption, such as ROI, technological compatibility, environmental considerations and human resources alignment. Businesses can strategically deploy marketing automation to improve customer interactions, expedite operations and spur sustainable growth by carefully evaluating these aspects. Furthermore, the study emphasises how crucial it is to keep improving marketing automation tactics to adjust to changing market conditions and new trends. In today’s ever evolving business world, B2B organisations may ultimately remain ahead of the competition, increase productivity and achieve long-term success by embracing marketing automation as a strategic asset.
This article is a summary of the student’s dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of a Master of Science degree in Strategic Management & Digital Marketing. The article is not officially endorsed by the University of Malta. The opinions expressed therein are solely those of the respective alumni and may not reflect those of the University of Malta.
