Earlier this year, CMO.com released a report titled State of Digital Marketing 2016. This report shed some light on the state of marketing automation. The authors stated that 55% of B2B marketers are using marketing automation, but indicated that many are having trouble utilizing it to its fullest potential.

One of the biggest issues is that too many marketers lose sight of their end goal. They focus too heavily on engagement metrics rather than reaching long-term sales goals.

Here are some things that you need to keep in mind to create a marketing automation strategy that leads to higher sales.

Marketing Automation Still Requires Effort to Generate Sales

Marketing automation software allows you to streamline many tasks that would otherwise consume your day. Unfortunately, too many marketers believe that marketing automation is an alternative to actual work.

You won’t generate any sales by taking a purely automated approach to marketing, which would probably mean merely syndicating content from other users on social media. You need to be proactive by creating your own content, coming up with a consistent marketing message and developing an effective marketing funnel.

Use the Right Marketing Automation Tools

There are a lot of marketing automation tools on the market, such as GetResponse. GetResponse offers marketing tools that let you:

• Create emails that look great on any device
• Create easy-to-follow workflows
• Monitor events in real-time
• Track shopping cart abandonment

There are other tools on the market, but GetResponse is one of the best.

Work Backwards from Your Revenue Conversion Goal

Your entire marketing strategy should focus on generating revenue. Unfortunately, even marketers that remember this basic wisdom often have difficulty developing a clear roadmap to reach their goal.

The problem is that they don’t think about how their organization generates money. Will they be making purchases from your company website? Will they be encouraged to schedule an appointment with a company representative that will close the deal in person?

Keep in mind how revenue is generated. All of your marketing automation efforts need to focus on that.

Don’t Overlook Upselling!

According to the State of Digital Marketing 2016 report, 68% of marketers use marketing automation tools for increasing engagement. Only 58% use it to up-sell existing customers.

Up-selling should be one of your primary sales objectives. According to Amazon, 35% of their revenue comes from up-selling techniques. If you aren’t generating a large portion of your revenue by up-selling existing customers, then you should incorporate it into your marketing strategy.

Marketing automation makes it much easier to convert existing customers. Here are some tips:

• Use lead scoring. You can use marketing automation tools to identify customers that know your products the best. These customers will be easiest to convert.
• Create segmented email lists. Almost all marketing automation tools have email marketing platforms that allow you to create segmented email lists. You can segment existing customers based on their lead score, future purchases, interests and other important funnels.
• Emphasize your gratitude. You must appreciate your existing customers. They have been your bread and butter. If you intend to squeeze more revenue out of them, you need to nurture that relationship. Let them know that you are offering new promotions for your valued customers.
• Personalize your message. If you are making a sales pitch to your existing customers, you should try to make it seem as personal as possible. You can use marketing automation technology to include their name in your emails and reference previous interactions they have had with your brand.

Marketing automation makes up-selling easier than ever, but you need to understand the tools inside and out and have a clear strategy in place to convert existing customers.