We talked about WordPress Marketing Automation at our July 2014 meetup. Dan Kaufman, marketing consultant at Empowered Marketing and co-organizer of I Love Marketing GR spoke about how to automate a sales funnel and must-have plugins.

Get ready for WordCamp Grand Rapids 2014, August 15-17! You can buy a ticket, volunteer, and/or sponsor.

Remember, you can also find us on Meetup, Twitter (@wpgrandrapids and #wpgr), and Google Groups.

Download Dan Kaufman’s presentation on WordPress Marketing Automation (PDF).

Marketing automation defined

Marketing automation: streamlining sales and marketing by replacing high-touch, repetitive manual processes with automated solutions.

Marketing automation systems

• Pardot
• HubSpot: better for inbound marketing
• Act-on
• Marketo
• Ontraport
• Infusionsoft

Autoresponders

• GetResponse
• MailChimp
• AWeber
• Constant Contact
• Campaign Monitor

Lead generation

• LeadPages: good-looking custom landing page, high conversion rate
• OptinMonster: popup and lead generation plugin, with exit intent

Marketing automation cont.

• Popups: if pop up in 5-10 seconds, response rate goes up by at least 20%
• Exit intent offer: can give higher response rate than standard popups
• Zapier: automate by creating “zaps” between systems (such as MailChimp to GoToWebinar)
• IFTTT: automate by creating “recipes” that connect various systems. Free.

Must-have WordPress plugins

• OptinMonster (premium)
• LeadPages
• Jetpack: helps automate marketing (e.g., Publicize)
• Revive Old Post
• OptinSkin: nice-looking, high-converting opt-in form. Dan likes LeadPages better.
• OnePress Social Locker
• Facebook Like to Download for WordPress: require a Facebook like to download
• Hello Bar

Sales funnel

1. Lead magnet
2. Welcome mat offer
3. Core offer
4. Profit maximizer
5. Return path

Traffic tips

• Blog and guest blog
• Contest/giveaway: do something creative; don’t just give a Starbucks gift card
• Buy targeted traffic
• Social media
• Helpareporter.com
• Press releases
• Solo ads: buy right to send emails to targets (minimum $300)
• Media buys

Lead magnet

• Small “chunk” of value that solves a specific problem for a specific market offered in exchange for an opt-in
• Promises “one big thing”
• Speaks to a known desired end result
• Offers immediate gratification
• High perceived value
• High actual value (has an “aha moment”)
• Can be consumed in under 5 minutes
• Components
  • Professional logo
  • Branded/lifestyle image
  • Lead magnet offer
  • Simple, above the fold opt-in form
  • Privacy policy and TOS
  • “No thanks” link

Welcome mat offer

• Irresistible, super-low-ticket offer that converts prospects into buyers
• Once a customer has purchased from you, they’re far more likely to keep spending. Maximize front-end conversions by keeping price point as low as possible.
• Typically under $20 (low-cost report or book); sometimes offered for free with shipping and handling.
• Checklist
  • Low barrier to entry; impulse buy
  • Easy to understand and explain
  • Seamlessly leads to core sale
  • Useful but incomplete
  • High perceived value
  • High actual value

Core offer

• Flagship product/service
• Irresistible offer

Profit maximizer

• Upsell, cross-sell, or subscription
• Increase average customer value and overall engagement

Return path

• Put non-buyers in follow-up series
• Generate additional revenue from existing
• Exit offer ideas
  • New lead magnet
  • Highlight an unadvertised bonus
  • Quiz or survey
  • Sale/discount
  • New appeal