by Irina Georgieva | Jan 2, 2025
One of the most important characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is a never-ending improvement. Ambitious business owners are always looking for a way to get the most out of their business. Investing time and money in B2B marketing automation is one of those investments that can change the business for good.
10 benefits from investing in B2B marketing automation
So if you are afraid to make the decision to invest in B2B marketing automation, we’ve asked experienced entrepreneurs how marketing automation changed their business, so you can be aware of the benefits.
Personalized email marketing
Personalization and customization are more crucial than ever before since they help you stand out from your competitors. Personalized email marketing can deplete your resources. This is when your email marketing campaigns’ automation comes into play. We built up an auto-reply based on the information we gathered at VPNOverview to guarantee that potential clients received a prompt and personalized answer, which resulted in a significant boost in sales.
You may more efficiently identify your audience using artificial intelligence to understand better when, how, and why they use your website. This will have an effect on future decisions. You can keep sending personalized emails and responses even as your list expands if you set up the correct automated routines. This B2B marketing automation saves you money, time, and relieves your marketing team of some stress.
Veronica Miller, Cybersecurity Expert at VPNoverview
Generate measurable ROIs for your marketing strategy
One of the biggest benefits of B2B marketing automation for small businesses is that it generates measurable ROIs for the marketing strategy. Business leaders and other key decision-makers want proof that your marketing plan is profitable for the organization. This requires the availability of measurable and objective data to back up the budget.
The prospect of spending endless hours each month gathering data is a nightmare for many marketers. Fortunately, many B2B organizations are using marketing automation to simplify this process and, as a result, increase revenue. B2B marketing automation systems gather data and assess ROI to make data analysis easier and more efficient, helping your company to maximize its marketing efforts and increase sales.
Benjamin Aronson, Founder at FinancePond
Automate your lead generation processes
The biggest benefit B2B marketing automation brings is that it automates the lead generation process. Marketing automation software consists of assigning prospects and contacts based on how ready they are to sell. It also provides improved visibility, higher-quality leads, and automated follow-ups. These are just a few ways that marketing automation can help you improve your lead generation approach.
Once your company begins to generate a steady stream of qualified leads, marketing automation software can update their sales-readiness scores on a regular basis and continue to nurture the leads by sending out content tailored to their stage in the buyer’s journey, resulting in higher conversion rates.
Tommy Gallagher, Founder of Top Mobile Banks
Increasing the marketing team’s productivity
Professional services B2B marketing automation systems always seem to have a significant impact on marketing team productivity due to their design and functionality. That’s exactly what they were created for: to take the monotony out of marketing efforts. Of course, they must be set up at first, which is a time-consuming process, but after that, the time savings add up every day.
Eric Rohrback, CMO at Hill and Ponton
Align sales and marketing through automation
The terms ‘sales automation’ and ‘marketing automation’ are not identical. However, for the two processes to work together, they must be on the same page. In the past, aligning sales and marketing automation has been difficult. However, effectively adopting both for your company is essential.
Fortunately, utilizing marketing automation using CRMs to accomplish this in 2021 has never been easier. The key to achieving alignment and ensuring that leads don’t fall through the cracks is proper segmentation. Keep in mind that aligning these two different processes can be challenging without segmentation.
Saskia Ketz, CEO of Mojomox
Reduce customer churn
Marketing automation systems do more than just nurturing new leads. Reducing client churn is one of the most significant impacts of B2B marketing automation. Reducing attrition or boosting retention by 5% is proven to increase earnings by 25-90%.
You can easily add value and build relationships with your database by segmenting it and sending out free, relevant information, helpful advice, and best practice suggestions – whether or not it equals an additional sale for you. You exhibit your caring and establish a stronger relationship by continuing to contribute.
Create a procedure for each consumer segment and use a marketing automation system to deliver it consistently and automatically. Your creativity and the correct technology will surely build a strong buyer-supplier relationship.
Stewart McGrenary, Director at Freedom Mobiles
Enhanced customer experience
The customer experience is about much more than personalization. It’s all about knowing what your customers care about. What channels they want to use to interact. And what they anticipate at each stage of the client experience.
B2B marketing automation is not only beneficial to customer experience but is also required. Your core CX command center is marketing automation. It’s where you’ll send out targeted email marketing campaigns and customized follow-up messages.
It’s where you can keep track of your online interactions and use A/B testing to see which actions and content your customers respond to the most. You may also use it to start, track, and improve webinars and event marketing registration. The complexity of the customer experience may be simplified and brought down to earth with marketing automation.
Jeroen van Gils, Managing Director at Lifi.co
Maximize efficiency with internal workflows
The ability to employ internal processes is an advantage of automation that is sometimes neglected in B2B marketing. Internal workflows are designed to make existing procedures more efficient. For example, instead of having a salesman check the email every couple of days after someone fills out a form on your website, you can set up a workflow.
When the form is finished, the process notifies the salesperson instantly, allowing for rapid answers. With CRM solutions, you can take it a step further and have activities shift people into different phases – from cold lead to warm lead.
Alex Claro, VPN Analyst at Credit Donkey
Easily onboard new clients
B2B marketing automation is a large part of our overall marketing strategy, mainly due to the way in which it pursues leads and generates conversions for our business without requiring constant attention. Although it initially required heavy time investment, our current B2B marketing automation strategy allows us to quickly and easily onboard new clients by sending them up-to-date market data, new and exciting office spaces, and other information regarding their desired office location.
Our ‘Get Prices and Info’ form allows users to input their desired location and contact details, prompting our automated system to send them all salient information regarding the area and our offerings.
Since implementing this automated system, we have seen a dramatic increase in engagements and conversions across many of our global locations. Automating these emails has allowed our marketing team to focus on additional research and market offerings, bolstering our overall service and ensuring that clients are receiving up-to-date information.
Harrison Sharrett, Digital Marketing and Content Manager at Offices.co
Helps you handle more workloads
Automating your B2B processes can help you handle more workloads, 24/7, and provide timely engagement on your website than if you did it all by yourself, one by one. Automating chatbots has worked well for us in the past. Now it’s quite common to see chatbots that pop up automatically asking your site visitors where they need help.
The next step was to use AI to analyze the sentiment in chatbot messages. We wanted to detect emotional words in messages, so we could redirect the queries to human agents to save the situation and boost customer retention. We are currently seeing a marked improvement in our attrition rate, meaning the adaptable customer assistance is working.
Jon Torres, Founder of John Torres
Segmenting users based on actions that they take
Marketing automation gives you the ability to instantly reach out to new leads through some form of automation, such as email marketing. The faster that you can reach out to new leads, the more likely they are to trust and interact with your business.
Another important aspect of B2B marketing automation is segmenting users based on actions that they take. When new leads receive a tag based on an action that they take on your sales funnel you gain valuable information that lets you build unique buyer’s journeys that nurture your lead into a lifelong customer. The more information you have about your customers the more efficient and optimized your marketing becomes.
Matthew Smith, Co-founder of Urban Vine Consulting
Customer Service
Even though it might seem to fly in the face of “not driven by human creativity”, but don’t worry – it doesn’t. The parts of customer service you’ll want to automate are those that are rote/repetitive – questions like “What are your hours of operation?” or “What is the cost of this product?”.
Chatbots are an excellent way of automating customer service. They can be programmed to answer FAQs, and they’re tireless. Someone’s up at 3 AM looking through your website? The chatbot can answer their question. Whenever a question is too detailed for the chatbot to answer, you can have an option for the customer to talk to a real person.
Kiara Fulham, Content Manager at BookedIN
More must-read stories from Enterprise League:
by Irina Georgieva | Jan 2, 2025
Cementing the backbone of our cities and shaping the skylines, the construction industry is an undeniable pillar of global development. However, like any pillar, it can only stand tall if supported by a robust, efficient, and future-facing supply chain. As we march further into the 21st century, smart material supply strategies and frameworks are emerging as pivotal forces in revolutionising the way construction businesses source, manage, and utilise the essential components of their craft.
Current challenges in material supply
This in-depth look at the evolution of material supply management will shine a light on the strides being made to enhance efficiency, save costs, and eliminate bottlenecks in the construction supply chain.
Lack of visibility and transparency
The complex web of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors is notorious for its opacity. For construction projects, this can mean a lack of clarity on the origin, delivery status, and compliance of materials. In a worst-case scenario, this lack of visibility could lead to the use of substandard or unsafe materials, risking the quality and safety of the final product.
Inefficient inventory management
Large-scale construction projects often involve multiple, concurrent workstreams that require a diverse array of materials. Keeping track of these materials across different sites and stages is a daunting task. Many organizations continue to rely on manual methods, which are not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and inaccuracies.
Delays and disruptions
The supply of materials traditionally hinges on outdated push systems, where orders are based on forecasts rather than real-time demand. Unexpected events, such as weather conditions impacting deliveries or a spike in demand from another customer, can cause significant delays and disruptions to the construction schedule.
Benefits of smart material supply strategies
Improved supply chain visibility
Implementing smart material supply strategies equips project managers with a digital lens into the supply chain. Real-time tracking of materials from the factory to the construction site enhances transparency, ensuring that materials meet their timeline and standards.
Real-time inventory tracking
By leveraging technology, construction companies can track the movement and location of materials at any time. This not only provides a live overview of what’s on hand but also enables strategic rescheduling or redistributing stock in a crunch.
Predictive analytics for demand forecasting
With the advent of big data, predictive analytics is transforming the construction supply chain. Companies can now forecast material needs with unprecedented accuracy, reducing the likelihood of overstocking or under-provisioning.
Automated reordering and replenishment
Artificially intelligent systems that learn from consumption patterns can automatically trigger reorders when stock levels drop below preset thresholds. This automation streamlines the procurement process and minimizes the chances of stockouts.
Implementation of smart material supply strategies
Smart material supply strategies are not gestures of a distant future; they can be implemented today. Here’s how companies in the vanguard are adopting these innovative methods:
Integration of IoT and RFID technologies
By equipping materials with sensors and RFID tags, companies can take advantage of the Internet of Things to automate tracking and monitoring. These technologies also enable the application of smart contracts, which can autonomously execute actions, such as releasing payments upon delivery confirmation.
Cloud-based inventory management systems
Gone are the days of the cumbersome Excel spreadsheet. Cloud-based inventory management systems offer unparalleled flexibility and accessibility. Whether at the office or on the ground, stakeholders can view and update inventory data in real-time.
Collaboration with suppliers and contractors
A synchronised supply chain requires collaboration not only within a company but also across the ecosystem. By sharing digital platforms with suppliers and contractors, construction companies can achieve a higher level of coordination and mutual visibility, further mitigating risks and delays.
Training and upskilling of workforce
As companies adopt new technologies, it is crucial to ensure their workforce is equipped to harness their full potential. Training initiatives can range from basic digital literacy to more advanced data analysis and technology maintenance skills.
Future trends and innovations
Robotics and automation in material handling
Robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. In warehouses and on construction sites, robotic arms, and drones are lending their assistance to material handling tasks. These technologies promise to reduce labour costs, improve safety, and increase the speed of operations.
Blockchain for enhanced supply chain transparency
Blockchain technology, with its inherent transparency and traceability, is a natural fit for the construction supply chain. Each change of hands for a material can be recorded on an immutable ledger, providing stakeholders with a clear, auditable history of its journey.
AI-powered predictive maintenance
Predictive maintenance is not solely for machinery; it can also be applied to ensure the availability and quality of construction materials. By analysing data, AI systems can anticipate when materials might become scarce or degrade, enabling proactive measures to be taken.
Conclusion
The construction industry is on the cusp of a material supply revolution. Embracing smart material supply strategies promises a cascade of benefits, from streamlined operations to cost savings and, most importantly, the elevation of safety and quality standards. By shedding the archaic methods of the past and opening up to the technologically driven future, construction companies stand to not only build better but also build smarter.
As we look at the path ahead, it’s clear that smart material supply strategies are not mere suggestions but transformative imperatives. The companies that can marry the traditional craft of construction with the ingenuity of modern supply chain management will be the ones to thrive in this new era.
In the end, it’s not just about redefining the supply of materials—it’s about redefining the very fabric of the construction industry, one block at a time. With the technology readily available and the need pressing, there’s no better time to begin the evolution towards a smarter, more efficient construction ecosystem.
More must-read stories from Enterprise League:
by Irina Georgieva | Jan 2, 2025
The recruitment industry has seen a dramatic change in the last few years. In these years, we live through the greatest workplace disruption and the level of volatility will not slow down in 2022! The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic demanded the recruitment industry to adapt at a quick pace to:
Higher unemployment rates – the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the country’s unemployment rate reached an all-time high of 14.7% in April 2020, which is higher than the rate of unemployment during the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Likewise, 81% of the talent acquisition specialists believe that virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID and 70% think it will become the new standard.
What are recruitment trends?
Recruitment trends are generic developments that revolve around the talent recruiting industry.
As the business world evolves and expands, recruitment conditions also change. However, the recruitment process is still the same despite all technological advancements. Businesses source candidates, evaluate their roles and put them through multiple selection processes.
What has changed is the recruitment trend – how HR leaders evaluate candidates is changed over the last few years. The trends such as analytics, and workplace assessment are more effective for assessing candidates than traditional ways such as CV checks.
Recruitment trends have evolved and will continue to grow in the next wave of technology, such as metaverse. The pandemic’s disruption and the technology enhancement have accelerated the existing hiring trends and informed talent acquisition professionals of new ways to attract and recruit the right talent.
Importance of implementing recruiting trends in 2022
In 2022, the recruiting process will innovate new trends that will reshape the ways recruiters’ approach, attract and hire potential candidates. Currently, the candidates are being considered customers, so recruiters need new ways to attract talent.
Let’s look at the top five recruitment trends to help you expand the efficient workforce.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With the enhancement in technology, the HR industry has experienced an engulfing AI wave. Most companies will focus on implementing systems that will work on the principle of AI, making it one of the most significant recruiting trends of 2022.
According to the HR Research Institute, 96% of HR managers believe AI has the potential to aid in the right talent acquisition, and 55% think that AI will become the recruiting process in the next five years.
AI-based tools help talent managers find the right talent faster and more efficiently. Some tools aid in the seamless scanning of online job applications to identify candidates that meet the job requirements, which takes recruiters 14 hours per week.
AI automates the process that helps match the right person for the right position by tracking numerous keywords, and data points.
E-presenteeism
After the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed the remote work-related phenomenon among workers. This made me think that working from a home setting encourages E-presenteeism, causing workers to feel they should be available for the company as much as possible.
The research states that almost 86% of staff think they need to prove to their managers that they are worthy and hard working. Sadly, this ultimately results in depression and burnout.
This triggers another recruiting trend that tackles the over-connectedness and availability issue. It is the process that ensures employees are not overworked and overwhelmed. Employers’ core duty is to introduce such a system that encourages workers’ work-life balance while ensuring productivity.
Data-driven recruiting
Data-driven recruiting is an approach to recruiting new talent. It involves using tangible facts and statistics to make hiring decisions – from selecting new decisions to developing hiring plans.
With this emerging trend, planning and decision-making depend upon the data obtained through HR technology such as different recruitment marketing platforms. This can help to reveal which part of the hiring strategy works well, and which needs improvement.
Many top companies including Uber, Facebook, and Robinhood have adopted the data-driven recruiting approach to go beyond resumes in the hiring processes to identify the right talent based on skills rather than education or past employers.
The data-driven recruiting approach helps reduce biases in the talent selection process, increases diversity and quality of hire.
Diversity, equality and inclusion
This trend might not be new, but it will continue to be a hot topic in 2022. According to the World Bank, workplace gender equality can help the global economy with up to £120 trillion. Moreover, gender and ethnic workplace diversity can improve profitability by up to 33%.
But, there is a chance that companies will go beyond the statistics. The new recruitment trend will focus on systemic inequalities and ways to enhance discriminatory systems.
Employees’ well-being
The focus on health and well-being is one of COVID-19’s legacies. This makes 2021 the year of implementing and evaluating mental health policies. In 2022, we will see a rise in employees’ well-being surveys, apps and mental health training, making it one of the top recruiting trends.
It’s no surprise that this is a top concern for HR directors, as the corporate well-being market in the United States is estimated to be $20.4 billion and is expected to increase to $87.4 billion by 2026.
Conclusion
In an employee-driven market, it is essential to keep yourself updated on recent technology, understand current recruiting trends, develop efficient hiring strategies and market your organization that potential candidates want to work for.
More must-read stories from Enterprise League:
by Irina Georgieva | Jan 2, 2025
Employees are the people who keep a business going. However, a company can’t grow without positive collaboration and sustainable workplace relationships. One person can only get so far on their own, but a team can reach so much further.
Why is it important to improve peer relationships at work? When actively nurturing staff members and teams, an organization can reap countless benefits. For instance, healthy workplace relationships help improve communication, sense of belonging, employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and more. Also, well-rounded teams can help decrease staff absenteeism and turnover.
Tips for strengthening peer relationships at work
Here are some creative ways that will help you to strengthen peer relationships at the workplace:
Recognition awards
One way to build camaraderie between teammates is the creation of a custom award to honor employee achievements. Recognition programs can boost individual confidence and company morale. There are many different types of awards that can bolster teamwork. First, peer-to-peer recognition allows employees to vote for who they think most deserves appreciation and celebration. Also, team awards honor whole groups and departments, not just one person. Consider the following award categories for your own organization.
- Customer service award
- Employee work anniversaries
- Business anniversaries
- Company value award
- Leadership award
Team building
Team building is important for making staff bonds stronger. Employees can improve their self-awareness and collaborative skills by getting to know how to best work with others. Also, these exercises can often be fun and encourage teammates to create special memories together. Consider organizing brainstorming sessions, completing personality quizzes together, and going on team-oriented excursions like escape rooms and scavenger hunts.
Fun events
Joyful occasions are essential for employees to connect and enjoy their time together. Also, breaks like these help employees stay productive by avoiding burnout. Different kinds of events include award galas, birthday parties, and trivia games. Also, these occasions can be hosted virtually to include remote teams. With the help of modern technology, global teams can connect and feel closer in an instant.
Professional development for groups
Professional development opportunities can be tailored for teams to share experiences with coworkers. Staff members can connect with each other while refining their skills. By involving more staff members in development options, the whole team can grow without leaving anyone behind. For instance, deserving employees can attend a conference together. Other opportunities include shadowing executives and continuing education.
Corporate wellness programs
Corporate wellness programs help an organization’s people stay healthy and happy. By supporting physical and mental health, these initiatives help employees feel happier, healthier, and more productive. Also, focusing on well-being can help create a stress-free workspace for employees. Examples of offerings include gym membership stipends, nutritional classes, and subsidized counseling. By making each employee stronger, a team becomes more engaged and communicative. Collaboration and teamwork can drastically improve when everyone feels their best.
Team incentives
Personalized rewards can help individuals grow, while team incentives motivate a whole group. By creating interesting competitions and enticing perks, organizations can encourage greater accomplishments. Also, staff can learn how to work together and inspire each other. It’s important to choose incentives that appeal to your team. For example, rewards may include tickets to special events, gift cards, added paid time off, and other company benefits.
Thank-you notes
Whether hand-written or crafted online, thank-you notes to coworkers show sincere appreciation between peers. These messages can be given to new hires, veteran employees, executives, managers, and more. Also, letters and cards can make great additions to corporate gifts for any occasion. When writing thank-you notes, it’s important to write for the individual recipient. Personal messages show that people care about their relationships and go the extra mile to make someone feel valued.
Communication and listening
Clear communication and active listening are crucial for any workplace. When people are heard and respected for their ideas, they feel like they can trust others more. This trust is the basis for flourishing workplace relationships. Consider conducting an employee survey or creating time each day to hear staff ideas and concerns.
By giving people the opportunity to share, leaders are given the chance to listen and to find possible breakthroughs for their organization.
Mentorship program
Designed to connect staff members, a mentorship program is great for bringing team members closer together. Also, a mentoring initiative can help new hires establish connections at work. It can be tough being new, but a program like this can help encourage belonging. Lastly, employees can be paired up based on common interests, passions, experience, and more depending on the goals of the program.
Conclusion
To help figure out which relationship-building tools to use, consider the goals and capabilities of your business. From there, you can experiment and see what helps bring about the best results for your peers. With consistency and adaptability, any company can strengthen relationships and reach new heights.
More must-read stories from Enterprise League:
by Irina Georgieva | Jan 2, 2025
Commuting for work is slowly becoming harder and harder, nearing close to impossible during this time of crisis. With many people panicking about the spread, and governments taking drastic preventive measures, businesses are starting to see rapid decline in traffic. No business owner wants to shut down their business if they don’t have to, and as things are progressing most of them have to.
For certain industries, types of companies and businesses, work can continue in one form or another, whilst taking extra safety precautions. With the pandemic crisis worsening, you as a business owner have to pause for a second and ask yourself “What’s my Plan B? Do I have a plan how I will manage by business in a crisis”.
Make a crisis management contingency plan
In order to protect your business and keep it running in the midst of a crisis, you need to do a lot of risk planning. Having a contingency plan will outline the steps your company should take in the event of a crisis. Your plan should clearly state the measures you are going to take in regards to your employees and business operations.
During a pandemic crisis make sure you include: steps you are taking to protect your employees, what you plan to do if an outbreak happens in your business, ways employees can contact you in cases of emergency and what may happen to your business operations if the business is infected.
Move your business online
Most brick and mortar businesses can become great online businesses with a few tweaks. If you have an in-person trade, this might actually be an opportunity to expand your reach or adapt your service. You can move your scheduled classes online, set up an online store and so on, the only limit is your imagination.
For B2B operating businesses, EL B2B platform is a fantastic way to keep up your business operations running, generate new business deals and identify opportunities completely remotely. A crisis is the final moment when you should utilize all resources in your hands to keep your business afloat.
Adapting to how things are during a crisis, and moving your business online can increase your chances of surviving and even thriving when the crisis is over.
Adopt a Work from Home Policy
Finding alternative work arrangements can really keep your business running during a crisis. Moreover, having a work from home policy offers a variety of benefits to both the remote employee and their employers. If you can introduce a work from home system and create specific guidelines to ensure all employees understand what exactly is required from them when they work remotely. Some of the key elements include: proper technology, secure connection, implementing active communication, setting clear expectations and most importantly – trusting your employees.
Depending on your industry and business, working from home may not be possible to implement. However, if at all possible, consider implementing it and make your company operations swift to be fully remote. Not only will it keep your business running during a pandemic crisis, it will also protect everyone’s health, lower some of your costs and increase the efficiency of your employees.
Step Up Your Cleaning Game
If implementing a temporary work from home arrangement, or moving your business online is impossible for you, it is necessary to sanitize your business on the daily. Regardless of how often your business was being cleaned till now, whether it be once a week or once every day, you need to step it up and do it more frequently.
Implement a mandatory rule for employees to disinfect their work stations daily (or maybe even multiple times per day), request sick employees not to come to the office, be flexible with sick leave, and most importantly stack up on soap, disinfectants and hand sanitizer. Because nothing keeps a business running in crisis, like happy and healthy employees.
Take Advantage of Government Help Programs
The current crisis is hitting the business world and economy hard, but there is no need for panic because Government help and Small Business Reliefs are on the way!If your business is struggling to gather funds to cover your business expenses due to the crisis, you are not out of luck just yet.
As part of its budget announcement, the governments around the world announced a number of welcome measures to help small businesses cope with coronavirus, including support for those that need to pay statutory sick pay and changes to the benefits system to help employees on zero-hour contracts. The help available varies from Government Grants, to Business Loans, help with tax and VAT, help with salaries and so on… just to help business’ keep running during crisis.
The worldwide pandemic will affect everyone in some way. You may be hit hard, or survive with nothing but a scratch. Either way, it is important to remember that this situation does not have to break your business. There are ways to stay operational and keep your business running in crisis, and we’ve offered you some tips that will help..
More must-read stories from Enterprise League:
