Revenues for B2B marketing automation systems will grow 50% to reach $750 million in 2013, according to Raab Associates’ recently released B2B Marketing Automation Vendor Selection Tool (VEST) report.
Why should it matter to you?

Successful marketing to Doctors involves developing a personal rapport. How does reliance on automated emails gain importance when you need to focus on a personal approach?

Marketing automation systems are not meant to replace personal engagement. On the contrary, they allow you to maintain that personal touch and remain in constant contact with potentials; doctors and providers. When you want to remain in constant contact, you want to be relevant and on time without being a pest.

What is Marketing Automation?

One simple term I use to describe marketing automation is the ability to ‘nurture’ a lead. EMR sales has a cycle that can take up to 3 months for small practices. Nurturing is a gradual process. It can take a series of emails to lead from ‘interest’ to a more detailed engagement mixed with phone calls at appropriate times.

In its very simplest form, marketing automation can handle some of the menial tasks that can take up a marketing department’s time. At a more sophisticated level, marketing automation allows you to Score Leads to determine who has the most likelihood of graduating from a lead to hot prospect, and therefore deserves more time of the sales person.

Why should an EMR company use it?

Marketing automation systems are more more sophisticated than automated email service providers. There are three levels of Marketing Automation.

1. Interactive Marketing Intelligence – tracking the behavior of providers interested in your EMR software to gain a measure of their intent. This allows a more accurately targeted response and therefore development of a nurturing program targeted towards their interest. Is it the price, service, features that interest them?
2. Marketing Automation – moving leads in the funnel, making them sales ready before handing over to your sales team.
3. Advanced Workflow Automation – automation of internal processes that are intricately tied to your CRM system.

Using such tools have proven over and over again that it works and the return on investment is certainly there.

It has helped me create a faster and more predictable revenue cycle, increase profitability with tactics that result in higher conversion rates and align my marketing and sales to substantially increase top line revenue growth.