Automation. What does that word mean to you?
It’s a term thrown around a lot these days. And it might sound like it’s about using robots, artificial intelligence (AI), or expensive software.
But, in reality, automation can be as simple as setting up a scheduling tool or automatic emails.
Automation for small business is about using technology to make your life easier and helping your business grow. It’s as simple as putting your messages and tasks into a system that runs in the background.
No matter how automated business gets, there will always be a need for human creativity and critical thinking. So don’t hesitate to explore automated tools that can save you time and help you run the day-to-day.
How you benefit from automation for small business
As a business owner, your time is your most valuable asset. You only have so many hours in the day, and you want to spend them on the things that matter most.
That’s where automation helps. By automating certain tasks, you get more time to focus on the big picture, while still ensuring your business runs smoothly.
Overall, the best use of automation is to help you bring in new leads and grow your business.
So, what are some of these tasks?
Top 5 ways to automate growing your business
Here are our favorite ways to set up automation for business growth.
1. To stop losing leads from your website
How quickly and how often do you follow up when someone reaches out through your website, social media, or any other online channel?
Remember, 35–50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.
You want to jump on leads quickly, but you might not want to be the one checking and responding throughout the day. Instead, set up automated responses to ensure every lead gets a quick and helpful reply. This way you don’t have to stop and respond at each moment.
2. To assign and track leads for easier sell-through
Your automated reply above gives you time to follow up. And to do that easily, we love tools that assign follow-up for each lead to someone on your team.
This gives one person responsibility and makes sure it doesn’t fall through the cracks. If you’re a one- or two-person team, it can also put it on your calendar with reminders.
3. To get business from prospects who weren’t ready to buy a few months ago
Once you have a prospect in your system, you want to keep that person engaged and interested in your business. So when they’re ready to buy, they’ll think of you.
It can be hard to keep this up on your own. But with an automated system, you can schedule your messages in advance. This might mean a series of scheduled emails or targeted messages on social media.
It’s all about keeping your prospects in the loop without having to personally reach out to each one.
4. To keep client referrals coming in
Word-of-mouth business and referrals can’t be beat. And the best way to keep a constant flow is to remind current and past clients that you’re there and available.
This is an area where automated tools truly shine. Messages can be triggered to go out after a certain action, like after a customer gets an invoice. They can also go out over time, like when customers haven’t been in touch in 6 months.
It’s convenient and leads to more referrals with less time babysitting the process.
5. To get reviews consistently
If you’ve read our past article on reviews (below), you know that having a good number of reviews and recent reviews are key. It’s important to your prospects and to Google.
Related: How Online Reviews Boost Sales & Searchability
One way to keep them coming consistently is to email customers after a sale. You want to make sure you’re leveraging that happy customer to bring in more business.
By automating your review or referral request process, you can encourage your customers to spread the word without having to manually reach out each time.
These are just 5 examples of how you can use automation to get more and better leads. There are many ways to use it for marketing as well.
Tech tools have advanced greatly. And there’s no reason to shy away from using them to your advantage—especially if they free up your time and help your business grow.
Interested in using automation? Let us know below or get in touch.
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