Tjeerd BrenninkmeijerThese days, everyone in the industry is talking about the importance of making eCommerce and CMS work together. Rightfully so. But I see another hot topic on the horizon, a bridge of sorts between content and marketing automation.
Visitor to Lead Management + Lead to Revenue Management
Content Marketing and Marketing Automation are in many ways continuations of the same process: a smart, modern CMS focuses on content performance, powering Visitor to Lead Management — getting visitors to your website, and engaging them meaningfully in the web environment, across all channels. Marketing automation is about lead nurturing- Lead to Revenue Management, where the end goal is to hand over hot(ter) opportunities to sales. These two systems can reinforce one another to help your site generate revenue. Below are some key points to keep in mind when considering integration.
Draw lines
One of the main challenges we’ve seen businesses face when integrating CMS and Marketing Automation software surrounds divisions of ownership: which system handles which part of the revenue generating process. Make a clear distinction between the goals of your CMS and your Marketing Automation Software, and let those goals guide which system handles your landing pages, your forms, etc.
Use CMS data to enrich nurturing
Let the two systems help each other. The most powerful integration between CMS and Marketing Automation leverages the data from both systems in a mutually beneficial way. In Hippo, for example, personalized content based on evolving personas also feeds information to Pardot, helping us contact potential customers with the most relevant content in the future. Hippo CMS helps enrich data for lead nurturing.
Use Marketing Automation data to improve your customer journey
Your Marketing Automation platform can be a source of data to help you tailor your content marketing strategy. Information regarding the conversion success of an article or blog post in your drip campaign can provide valuable insight on your content performance: how your audience responds to and engages with your content, and when it may be time to switch focus.
See the bigger picture…
Remember that your integration is part of a larger, constantly evolving technical landscape—be ready for your needs to change over time. As your business needs expand, you will likely need more solutions to integrate into your digital environment. Working with solutions built on open standards is a great way to guarantee the ability to integrate future solutions.
…but don’t be swayed by a prepackaged suite
Precisely because your business needs might change over time, you’ll want the best solution for your CMS, your Marketing Automation, your CRM, and whatever other solutions become crucial for your business strategy. Don’t risk vendor lock-in with a prepackaged suite. Opt instead for an agile set of best of breed integrations, providing you the freedom to respond quickly to the demands of your business.
(This post appears originally on the Hippo CMS blog)
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