Whether you’re in the discovery phase or you’re ready to pull the trigger and purchase marketing automation software, you may be asking yourself, “Is this purchase worth the beaucoup bucks I’m gonna be shelling out?”
Having been there ourselves (at one point or another), we can confirm that this feeling is all too common, but 100% understandable.
We’ll admit it: Marketing automation can be very expensive when looking at the initial sticker price.
That being said, it’s important to know why the at-a-glance cost shouldn’t dictate the end of your marketing automation journey. Depending on your business type, size, goals, etc., marketing automation may pay for itself (and then some!); yet, on the other hand, it might end up being a huge, unnecessary expense.
To be honest, it depends!
Read on to find out if marketing automation software is worth the money for you and your team.
Marketing automation software is worth the cost if:
1. You’re looking to substantially boost your revenue
One of the biggest reasons you might be looking to purchase marketing automation software is earning potential. Marketing automation software has the unique ability to drive qualified leads. What results can you expect from marketing automation? Well, pulling from our ROI of Marketing Automation for CEO’s Guide, you can expect:
- 63% of companies see the first results of their marketing automation after six months.
- 74% of Net-Results customers report going live within the 1st month (vs. 32% on Marketo and 44% n Pardot).
- 95% of Net-Results customers report getting positive ROI on their investment within the first 12 months. In contrast, Marketo 57% and Pardot 68%.
If your company is looking to dramatically grow revenue, and have the ability to put in the necessary time and effort, marketing automation software is 100% worth the cost.
2. Your team is already producing great content
We’re a big fan of the cold, hard truth: if you are not already creating awesome content (email content, especially), marketing automation will cost you money (ROI will not magically appear out of thin air).
That being said, if your current content is already gaining fabulous traction and engaging your intended audience, marketing automation software is definitely worth the cost.
Why?
To put it simply, marketing automation doesn’t work well if your business isn’t already generating engaging, effective content for your intended audience. Marketing automation relies heavily on distinguished brand tone, voice, design, and understanding of your prospects; thus, we feel confident that if your content is on par and “moving the needle,” you will see positive ROI from MA.
3. You’re prepared to grow and expand your efforts
Does marketing automation make certain things easier? Yes.
Will it work without any sort of effort or elbow grease? Definitely not.
Marketing automation is nothing without an effective strategy and disciplined execution. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Marketing automation won’t turn your leads into customers without effort—marketing automation simply makes your efforts go further.
If you are not ready to majorly scale your efforts, marketing automation could become more of a cash suck than a cash cow. Be honest with yourself and your team.
Which brings us to…
Hold off on purchasing marketing automation if:
1. You do not have the capacity to nurture new leads
If other marketing automation software companies were being honest, they’d tell you to hold off on your purchase if you do not have the capacity, or “fertile ground” to nurture and develop new leads.
Whether it be because your company is brand new, you’re low on staff, your net-earnings suffered in 2020, and/or you’re working with a minuscule budget (the list is endless), you must be honest with the cost and time marketing automation requires.
Marketing automation software does not pull prospects out of thin air—it nurtures existing leads, and if you do not have the time or capacity to garner these leads, marketing automation software will drain your wallet.
Get back to the basics, build a solid foundation to work from, and when the time is right, Net-Results Marketing Automation Software will be right here waiting for ya!
On the surface, marketing automation software can appear a bit pricey; however, if the conditions are right, the positive ROI you and your team will experience will drastically out-weight any sort of initial sticker shock—promise!
If you’re still up in the air about your decision, there’s no better time to read up on the ROI of marketing automation software with our FREE ROI of Marketing Automation for CEO’s Guide (psst…you don’t have to be a CEO to read it).
Trust yourself, reach out if you need us, and best of luck with your digital marketing efforts!
Happy Marketing,
Lexie Robbins
Digital Marketing Specialist
