Most businesses are looking for ways to be more productive and efficient with less effort and resources. Wouldn’t it be great if your website answered email inquiries on its own? Or what if it had a chatbot to directly engage visitors in real time? In this #USAMfgHour chat, the topic was “B2B Marketing Automation: Making Meaningful Scaling Simple”. We discussed these questions and many other options for using automation to improve multiple facets of your company’s public engagement.
The chat began with Introductions:
@KeystoneClick: Happy Thursday, #USAMfgHour community! This is Whitney from Keystone Click. I’m excited to be hosting today’s chat and leading the discussion on B2B marketing automation tools. Please introduce yourselves in the comments, and let’s get started!
Nigel T Packer – Digital Customer Experience, @NigelTPacker: Hi Whitney, thank you for hosting #USAMfgHour today. I’m Nigel from across the pond dropping in for another great session today. @KeystoneClick: Thank you for joining us all the way from Wales! Always love your international insights, Nigel.
Integrated Logistics Services, @IntegratedLogi5: Hello Whitney! Thank you for hosting. @KeystoneClick: Hello, hello, Tracy! It’s always a pleasure to host #USAMfgHour. Thanks for being here!
Phil Samuels, @samiamiu: I’m Phil Samuels and I approved this message. I will have to leave early for our webinar at the top of next hour. @KeystoneClick: Welcome, Phil! Thank you for joining #USAMfgHour today – we’re happy to have you here for as long as you are able!
Rick Gunnarson: Hello! Rick with DCSC in St. Louie!!!
@DCSCInc: WOOT! Suzan, Kirsten, Rick, and Buddy are checking in from DCSC. We help distribution & manufacturing companies with Shipping, #ERP, Inventory, Supply Chain Solutions & Consulting. Thank you for hosting today!
Q1) What are the main benefits of using marketing automation tools in B2B businesses?
Rick with DCSC: Saves time. Whitney: And we all know how important that is, especially for small marketing teams!
Phil: These tools can free up time and allow the marketer to repeat complete answers rather than rush multiple short responses. Whitney: “Repeat complete answers” – I LOVE that!! Automation tools can certainly stop you from having to reinvent the wheel over and over again and give better support to your customers. Kirsten: YAY! MW-Phil made it to #USAMfgHour and provided an awesome answer! WOOT!
Tracy: I believe it saves time so you can get more accomplished. Whitney: Yes, so true! AI and automation tools are great for taking over those repetitive tasks, freeing you up to do other – sometimes more significant – things, like strategizing.
Nigel: MATs are great for dealing with large databases for posting, emailing and direct contact with potentials. They are usually associated with a CRM system that keeps track of interactions with clients. There is a health warning. Keep on top of it. Miss things out and they are. Whitney: For sure, Nigel! If you have a CRM that your MATs integrate with, that just makes them all the more powerful.
Host Whitney’s answer: The main benefits of automation tools are – increased efficiency and productivity by handling repetitive tasks – improved lead management by nurturing prospects with timely content – better marketing/sales alignment through shared data – enhanced customer experience with personalized communication – comprehensive analytics for fine-tuning your strategy – cost savings through scalability
Q2) How can chatbots enhance the customer experience on a B2B website?
Rick: By addressing common questions while gathering information in case a live person is needed. Whitney: Yes! Chatbots shouldn’t be used to fully replace humans – they just help those humans do their jobs better. Ruby: I agree with this. However, it does give one a reassuring impression that “someone’s taking care of me.” That’s good enough for me. Better than nothing. Whitney: For sure! Sometimes you look at a site outside of regular business hours. Chatbots help with the sense of immediacy and can keep those prospects engaged instead of them moving on to a competitor.
Kirsten: I think if a customer wants an answer fast, as least there is “something” interacting with her. I do however, think you need to be careful with it. The other day I was fed up with a large communications company and their chatbot made it worse.
Ruby: I contacted tech support yesterday for one of my tools. They have an AI assist me. (How cool is that?!) The recommended fix was spot on but I already tried those BEFORE I requested human intervention. It does take the load off from your team for FAQs.
Phil: Chatbots can address FAQ’s if all the taxonomy lines up to match the correct answer to the question posed. Nigel: If you have to put FAQs into your website then the site is failing your customers. Ruby: Hmmm….. Aren’t FAQs helpful to those that are looking for an answer to their pain point or a problem they wanted solved? That covers customers and potential customers. Nigel: If they are asked frequently, you should address the issue in the content of the website and add a call to action at the end. It works much better for all concerned. Ruby: Oh, now I understand. I think most often, people have to be “told” what’s what instead of them hunting for it on a page so an FAQ can be helpful that way. Besides that, it is helpful in the sense if it’s crafted in a manner of asking question for SEO. Nigel: They do have a benefit for SEO with the People Also Ask in Google SERPs. Whitney: FAQs can be very helpful with SEO. If you have a customer googling a problem they have, better they find the answer on your site thanks to an FAQ section than on someone else’s. Kirsten: That’s a great tip! Whitney: We have several webinars on our YouTube channel about SEO. Here’s an “SEO Basics” for anyone who’s interested: https://youtube.com/watch?v=iea9bTJLBl0&t=629s Ruby: I highly recommend it for search. Nigel: In my experience the FAQs never have the exact question I want answered. There is never an ask your question form. Whitney: Ooh, there is an idea! I like that. Nigel: I have had clients put them into their websites but they never bother to respond to enquiries. Ruby: There goes missed opportunities.
Tracy: Chat bots can handle large volumes of inquiries. Improve efficiency and gather information. Whitney: Definitely! They help free up your customer service team to address bigger concerns. Plus, they help your prospects get the answers they need faster. Win-win.
Host Whitney’s answer: Chatbots offer scalability, reduce the need for a large customer support team, and ensure no visitor is left unattended, ultimately improving customer satisfaction. They do this by providing: – 24/7 customer service – answering questions – guiding users through the sales process – handling multiple interactions simultaneously. Kirsten: I forgot about the 24/7 customer service, now that’s a plus. Whitney: Most definitely. @PaulieRoseRCF once called websites your digital trade show booth that’s up and running 24/7/365. Adding a chatbot to your website is like making sure your booth is never unmanned. Kirsten: Taking notes!
Bonus info: DYK? Automated SMS messages have significantly higher open and response rates compared to email, making them perfect for urgent updates, promotions, and reminders. Tracy: People always open SMS messages unlike emails. Ruby: I think, like email, people will get tired of it. I report most of my SMS as junk. Whitney: Oh interesting! I get some that are obviously spam that I report. The ones I don’t want I unsubscribe from. But if it’s a brand I like, I usually keep them.
Q3: What advantages does email automation offer for lead nurturing and engagement?
Rick: Email automation allows an effective and efficient drip campaign for the nurturing and engaging while saving time. Whitney: Definitely! We recently set up a drip campaign for one of my clients. They were so happy when I told them how to add people to the campaign so they could continue using the automation over and over for the right contacts.
Ruby: I’ve heard that email marketing has the highest ROIs. Is that still true? Whitney: Email and direct mail both perform very well! And they can be used to complement and support each other (and/or other digital marketing efforts)! Ruby: That’s interesting about direct mail. Whitney: One of my clients is a direct mail printer. I have learned so much! The fact that you have something tangible to have as a physical reminder and/or to pass on to someone else is big.
Tracy: Advantages are targeting campaigns, timely follow ups, scalability and personalization. Ruby: What do you use for email? Tracy: We have changes going on. I used to send out automated emails. Now I send individual ones. Will be going back to automated with our company’s transition. Whitney: Good call. Automation isn’t the best for every situation.
Phil: All of the same advantages we are currently discussing. I would say the biggest key to success with email marketing is keeping the list clean and targeting your ideal customer profile. Whitney: Segmentation and keeping your list(s) clean is so important. Glad you brought that up! We have a helpful webinar about segmentation for anyone who wants to learn more: https://youtu.be/eQJ9Cgn21h4?si=SdgCwGLCfIoOG-qD
Host Whitney’s answer: Email automation ensures personalized, timely communication by segmenting audiences and triggering emails based on specific actions. It improves lead nurturing, boosts engagement with targeted content, and maintains consistent communication. Additionally, it offers detailed analytics and reporting to measure campaign performance and allows for scalability as the business grows.
Q4: How can social direct message (DM) automation tools benefit B2B businesses on social media.
Kirsten: I think as long as it’s done tastefully and segmented correctly, it helps to remind people you’re there. It sometimes takes 7-10 touches to get anyone’s attention. Whitney: Love that your brought up customer touchpoints, Kirsten! I believe this is an easy way for companies to leave a good impression. I have observed many B2B companies post & ghost and not monitor or respond to messages or even comments in a timely manner, if at all.
Phil: my DM’s have all been generated by me personally. When I receive a “Dear LinkedIn User”, I frequently block them. I guess I’m old fashioned that way. Just because it can be done with technology doesn’t mean it should be. Ruby: Oh gosh! I hate those, Phil. Introduction from a complete stranger and a buy-me spiel. My pet peeve. Kirsten: I saw a great @MfrsNews MNI University class with Dave Meyer from @bizzyweb, he calls it “Pitch Slapping” Here is the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YyacR-68hs Whitney: Yes! Hate pitch slapping so much! I feel social DM automation is best for REPLYING to messages, not initiated contact/prospecting. Nigel: Whilst technology can enhance productivity for business, it should be invisible to the customer.
Ruby: Like chat bots you can set it up, thinking of, FB here. You can set up routine inquiries and responses. It also gives your customer the feeling that “someone’s home.” Whitney: Exactly! If the social platform(s) you’re on has that capability, I am a firm believer in using it!
Tracy: Some benefits are consistency, accuracy, stronger online presence, data driven decision making, time management and cost savings. You have to select tools that go along with your specific goals and audience to get the most out of these benefits. Whitney: Well said, Tracy! I especially love automation tools for consistency.
Host Whitney’s Answer: Social DM automation tools offer immediate customer support and scale to accommodate business growth. Social DM automation tools – handle high volumes of messages with timely responses – increase engagement rates by maintaining constant interaction – provide consistent information – save time by automating routine interactions – support lead generation by guiding prospects through the sales funnel – offer immediate customer support
Q5: What role do reputation management tools play in maintaining a B2B brand’s online presence?
Tracy: I believe the role is monitoring and alerts so you can track the brands that are mentioned across different platforms. Ex: social media, news, search engines. That way if something bad comes across you will be alerted so you can address the situation swiftly. Whitney: The keyword there is “swiftly.” You don’t want to let potentially damaging comments, reviews, etc. go unaddressed.
Host Whitney’s answer: Reputation management tools monitor and respond to online reviews, social media mentions, and customer feedback in real-time, yielding multiple benefits, like improved customer satisfaction. Reputation management tools – help protect the brand’s image by addressing negative feedback quickly – enhance credibility through active engagement with reviews – provide customer insights for product/service improvements – improve overall customer satisfaction by demonstrating a commitment to customer service
Top Tools: Your online reputation is everything, and managing it effectively can make or break your business. We recommend:
- BoostGenie from @KeystoneClick
- BirdEye @birdeye_
- http://Reputation.com @Reputation_Com
- Yotpo @Yotpo
KeystoneClick: Thank you to everyone who joined us for the #USAMfgHour today!
Learn more about scalable marketing automation tools in our recent blog https://bit.ly/3St78Gh
Special thanks to @SocialSMktg and @DCSCInc for making this chat happen every Thursday at 1 p.m. CT.
Kirsten: Whitney, awesome job, I actually need to review a few of these resources. Thank you to everyone who came to #USAMfgHour today! We will be taking a short break next week!
Ruby: Thanks for hosting today’s chat @KeystoneClick and @whitney_m_koch
Nigel: Thank you, Whitney, for another excellent #USAMfgHour. Great questions and brilliant responses from everyone. Thank you for allowing me to join you again. Have a great week and stay cool with a long glass of white wine spritzer.
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