What is marketing automation?
Marketing automation is the platform category that runs behavioral programs, segmentation, lifecycle nurture, and the CRM integration that connects marketing to the rest of the revenue operation.
The platform definition
Marketing automation refers to the platforms (HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, Act-On, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp at the smaller end) that run behavioral marketing programs, manage segmentation, send email at scale, capture engagement, and integrate with CRM.
It is platform infrastructure, not a strategy. The strategy is what you do with it; the platform is the system of record for behavioral marketing.
What marketing automation actually does
At the platform level: contact and account database, segmentation engine, workflow and program engine for behavioral automation, email sending infrastructure, form and landing page tools, and a sync layer to CRM.
At the operational level: lifecycle automation, lead scoring, MQL routing, deliverability management, attribution data capture, and the reporting underneath all of the above.
When marketing automation is and is not the right tool
Right tool: B2B with a meaningful sales cycle, content-driven nurture, and a CRM that needs marketing data. Right tool: B2C ecommerce with abandoned-cart and lifecycle programs.
Wrong tool: pure transactional email (use a transactional provider). Wrong tool: simple newsletter sending below 5,000 contacts (use a lighter ESP).
Frequently asked questions
QWhat's the difference between marketing automation and an ESP?+
QWhich marketing automation platform is best?+
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