When it comes to running your own business, content marketing automation is the way to go if you’re looking to save time, and money, and keep things running as smoothly as possible.
It’s no secret that we’re BIG fans of automation over at The Quirky Pineapple Studio HQ. 👀
Why? In our case, because content marketing automation helps us…
- Focus our efforts where they’re needed most (and when they’re needed most)
- Maximize our time to take care of all the necessary day-to-day tasks
- And stick to a content marketing strategy that is relevant and aligned with our goals
So if you’re looking to save more time through the magic of automation, you’ve come to the right place!
Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite content marketing automation tools — and how we use them.
What do we mean by content marketing automation?
Let’s start with the basics: what does content marketing automation even mean?
Put simply, content marketing automation is the process of using tools and software to streamline all of the repetitive tasks that make up your content marketing process.
From strategy and planning to content creation and execution, you’d be surprised to know how many processes can actually be automated to help you save time!
Thanks to automation, your marketing strategy can run smoothly and, at the same time, give you (and your team) more time to focus on the “big picture” without having to worry about all the little bits and pieces that go into your marketing strategy.
What are the benefits of automating your content marketing strategy?
We’ve said it before, but we’ll repeat it just because it’s so, so important: automation helps you save time!
And, what happens when you have more time? You have more energy to focus on other areas of your business that require this added dose of dedication and detail. Or you can use that extra time to… just do nothing and chill (we’re fans of both).
Additionally, content marketing automation can also help you, your team, and your business:
- Strengthen the relationship that exists with your audience
- Stay on track towards your goals
- Increse revenue
- Build a strong social media presence that helps you stay top of mind
- Measure results and plan for the future
Sounds good, right? We definitely think so!
But how do you get started with automation? We might have a thing or two that can help you out. 😉
Our favorite tools for content marketing automation
When it comes to choosing the right tools to help automate your content marketing strategy, we know things can be a little overwhelming.
After all, there are hundreds of software tools out there that claim to help businesses streamline and automate their processes for a biiiiiig price tag — but which ones are actually worth it?
Here’s a quick look at some of the tools we use (and love!), plus a few recommendations we’ve received from other experts in the field!
01. For email marketing, lead generation & CRM: ActiveCampaign
Here’s a little BTS, insider info: we recently migrated over to ActiveCampaign… and we haven’t looked back since!
Although a little technical — there is a slight learning curve to using all of the features available and understanding the ins-and-outs of what it can do — the platform takes care of pretty much everything we need in terms of email marketing, lead generation, and CRM.
From sales email funnels to campaign templates, identifying different audience groups, and targeting people at every stage of the journey, ActiveCampaign keeps all of your information in one place and let’s you make the most of it.
Looking to save time when it comes to email marketing? The Quirky Pineapple Studio’s Template Vault AAP will give you instant access to 30+ email templates for all things business, client, and team communications! Grab your all-access pass today and get ready to streamline your process once and for all!
02. For social media: Later & Meta Business Suite
When it comes to automating your social media marketing, there are tons of tools out there that can help you speed up the process. Our favorite, however, is Later. This is the platform we use for ourselves — and for our clients — and it’s the easiest one for beginners who are dipping their toes into the world of social media content and management.
Later allows you to schedule content for a variety of different platforms — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest — and keeps things extremely visual and intuitive.
Drag and drop options, different calendar views, and saved captions/hashtags are just some of the reasons we love using Later!
Content creation got you down? Our Converting Content Bundle is packed with tools and resources to help you scale your impact and create meaningful connections with your audience through content and storytelling! Grab your copy of the Converting Content Bundle and get ready to plan, organize, and execute a well-rounded marketing strategy that fits your business today!
And, although we have a love-hate relationship with the Meta Business Suite, it does help to keep all of your Meta-hosted content visible in one place at the same time. However, it is limited to just posting on Facebook and Instagram, which makes it difficult if you’re also present on other platforms.
03. For project management & team planning: Teamwork
Content marketing automation tools don’t always have to be client-facing: what happens in the backend of your business is just as important as what you’re putting out there.
We love Teamwork because it lets us keep our projects organized and it helps us stay on track in terms of due dates, who’s taking care of what, and the different moving pieces that go into every single content marketing project.
Teamwork allows you to assign tasks to certain team members as well as keep tabs on progress, how long each task takes to complete, and more.
The truth behind content marketing automation…
Is that it really works!
When you start to automate repetitive tasks, you’ll soon start to see the positive effects of saving time and energy where you used to feel stressed or burnt out.
Plus, automating your content marketing can also help you:
- Stay in touch with your audience
- Increase sales & revenue
- Stay top of mind
- Position yourself as an industry expert on social media
- And so much more!
When it comes to automation, there are plenty of useful tools out there to help you get the work done:
1. ActiveCampaign for email marketing, lead generation, and CRM
2. Later for social media management
3. Teamwork for project management and productivity
And, no: automation won’t make everything sound like a robot is doing the work for you. On the contrary, when you know you’re automating something, you have more time to focus on the “why” behind the content!
