Many people mistakenly think that marketing automation and email delivery tools are almost the same thing because they have the same functionality. However, the two tools actually have different functions and roles, so it is important to understand the differences.
If you introduce it without knowing the difference, you will not be able to conduct effective
marketing
. In this article, we will explain the difference between marketing automation and email delivery tools.
What is the difference between email delivery tools and marketing automation?
What is the difference between email delivery tools and marketing automation?
The main difference is the marketing approach. While email distribution tools approach potential customers through email marketing, marketing automation aims to acquire new customers by making full use of SNS and LP.
To explain the differences in more detail, we will explain email delivery tools and marketing automation respectively.
What is an email delivery tool?
An email delivery tool is a system that allows you to send emails according to your purpose to the customers you want to approach. Here, we will focus on the main functions and implementation costs of email delivery tools.
Main features
The main functions of the email distribution tool are as follows.
- list management
- Mass email distribution, all-at-once distribution, scheduled distribution
- Scenario distribution, step mail
- Analysis of delivery results including email deliverability, open rate, contract rate, etc.
List management means managing customer information. Previously, requests such as unsubscribing or unsubscribing from
e-mail newsletters
were done manually by typing them into Excel. Because it was done manually, it was not only time-consuming, but also prone to mistakes. If you install an email delivery tool, this will be done automatically, saving you time and preventing mistakes.
Introduction cost
There are two types of email distribution tools:
cloud
type and on-premise type.
In the cloud type, the platform belongs to the service provider, and users use the email delivery service via the Internet. Since the monthly fee is determined by the number of distributions, the cost often ranges from a few thousand yen to several tens of thousands of yen per month.
With the on-premises model, you purchase
the servers
and software yourself, and do all the management and operation yourself. Initial costs are approximately several million yen due to software purchase
license
fees and system construction costs.
Additionally, you must handle maintenance such as updates and troubleshooting yourself. If you outsource these tasks to an external company with specialized knowledge, it will cost you around tens of thousands of yen per month.
What is marketing automation?
Marketing automation is the visualization and systematization of marketing operations. Systematizing the marketing process not only reduces the burden on marketers, but also has the advantage of reducing errors such as omissions.
Main features
The four main functions of marketing automation are:
- lead generation
- Lead development
- Lead screening
- lead management
Lead generation is about attracting prospective customers, and the purpose is to get them interested in your company’s products and services through LP and other means.
Lead nurturing is what you do after attracting potential customers. Using the data obtained from the data analysis function, you can guide prospective customers by frequently distributing content that is of interest to them.
Use marketing automation to score customers who read your content higher every time they read your content. The score is a calculation of the probability that a lead will convert into an order.
Since you can change the approach method for customers with high and low scores, you can improve the accuracy of your approach.
Installation cost
The cost of introducing marketing automation is generally high, ranging from several hundred thousand yen/month to several million yen/month or more.
In addition, introducing marketing automation requires implementation in your company’s environment, which incurs a one-time cost of several hundred thousand yen to several million yen to an external company.
Marketing automation tools cost several hundred thousand yen per month, so if you can use them in-house, there are no other costs. However, many companies cannot fully utilize the functions of marketing automation tools. When such companies outsource their consulting services, they end up incurring costs of several million yen.
What do email delivery tools and marketing automation have in common?
Email distribution tools and marketing automation have two things in common: approaching potential customers via email and list management.
Marketing automation is a tool that can automate sales-related activities, and one of these activities is email distribution. Among the many sales tools, email distribution tools specialize in one function. Therefore, email delivery tools can also be considered a part of marketing automation.
Cases in which it is recommended to introduce an email distribution tool
Marketing automation can also send emails. However, marketing automation has the disadvantage of being difficult to operate due to its multifunctionality. Below, we will introduce cases in which it is recommended to introduce an email delivery tool.
I want to announce and distribute all at once.
It is not suitable for use in email distribution as it is assumed that a typical email client will have only a few sending servers. Also, from the perspective of managing your customers’ email addresses, you should avoid sending them as CC or BCC.
The email distribution tool is equipped with an email server designed for simultaneous distribution and mass distribution.
Because it can handle large volumes of email delivery quickly, there are no problems such as delays in the timing of email delivery to users.
I want to get appointments from an existing list
The disadvantage of email distribution tools is that you can only conduct marketing activities for the email addresses you have acquired so far, which limits your marketing scope. But if you want to generate appointments from your existing list, you don’t need marketing automation to generate more leads.
With the email distribution tool, you can distribute content from existing lists by behavior history and interests, and distribute automatic emails and step emails depending on the situation.
Automail and Stepmail are systems that can automatically send the most suitable content according to the reader’s situation.
I want to send regular emails and nurture them.
Nurturing is a marketing strategy that continuously approaches prospective customers to increase their desire to purchase and lead to actual purchase. This is aimed at people who are already interested in your company’s services. The goal of
nurturing
is to make the most of your existing list and increase your closing rate.
By providing appropriate information, such as sending email newsletters to people who are comparing your products with those of other companies, and informing them of limited-time campaigns, you can increase their desire to purchase. It can be said to be effective marketing that can be done without incurring cost and man-hours.
Cases in which marketing automation is recommended
- Are you already familiar with the email distribution system?
- I want to expand functionality by linking with SNS etc.
- Are your company’s marketing measures adequate?
If these conditions apply to you, we recommend implementing marketing automation instead of an email distribution tool. In addition to the above, here we will explain in detail the recommended cases for each case.
I want to create an LP at the same time.
The LP is the first page that customers visit, and it is a dedicated page that conveys information about products and services in a concise manner, leading to the action of purchasing the product.
If you ask a professional to produce your LP, it will cost a lot of money. However, with the introduction of marketing automation, it is possible to easily create an LP even without specialized knowledge.
By attaching the LP URL to listing advertisements, SNS, and email newsletters, you can gain many leads. In addition, since marketing automation has extensive marketing functions, it is easy to improve LP according to user movements.
I want to get a lot of leads
Although email distribution tools can reach existing customers, it is difficult to acquire new leads.
On the other hand, with marketing automation, you can obtain a large number of leads by displaying a
pop-up
window to appeal to visitors who are viewing your site, appealing to your content, and encouraging them to move to the linked LP.
To capture and nurture more leads, you need to reach more customers at their level. Marketing automation can automate actions based on lead level, making it an essential tool for acquiring and nurturing a large number of leads.
I want to manage leads
A lead is a prospective customer, and if lead management is unclear, you will end up losing potential customers. Lead management refers to lead generation, nurturing, and selection. Lead management must be done in real time. Because customer status changes frequently. Management using Excel or paper media is not sufficient.
By introducing marketing automation, lead management can be done automatically. Since you can understand things like website viewing time, email newsletter open rate, number of URL clicks, etc., you can easily perform scoring and improve the efficiency of lead management. This helps prevent lost opportunities and wasted resources.
Certain conditions are required for implementing marketing automation.
In order to introduce marketing automation, it is necessary to prepare an operational system. Take the following steps to prepare your operational system.
- Clarify whether there are any issues or needs in marketing activities and the purpose of implementation
- After clarifying the purpose of introduction, consider what functions are necessary to achieve the purpose.
- Organize customer data
- Preparing content
- Scoring design
- Creating a marketing scenario
Content preparation includes setting up FAQs. Of course, you don’t have to prepare all the content from the beginning. However, without a certain amount of content, it will not lead to lead acquisition and nurturing. It is also necessary to establish a content production system and coordinate between departments. Coordination with the sales department is essential when designing scoring.
summary
In this article, we compared marketing automation and email delivery tools from the perspective of their main features and costs. Marketing automation is an effective way to acquire new customers.
However, since it has many functions, effective marketing cannot be carried out unless an operational system is in place. Email distribution tools are not good at acquiring new customers, but they are very effective in reaching out to existing customers.
After understanding the disadvantages and advantages of marketing automation and email delivery tools, select the tool that suits your company’s current situation and conduct effective marketing.