THE STATE OF MARKETING AUTOMATION 2024

Marketing automation is evolving rapidly, driven by advancements in AI, personalization, and workflows. To capitalize on these developments and enhance ROI and efficiency, marketing professionals need to stay informed about what strategies are working and which are not.

But what marketing automation strategies are marketers adopting now compared to a year ago, and what are their plans for the future? To explore this, Ascend2 and our Research Partners conducted the “State of Marketing Automation 2024” survey. We appreciate the 387 marketing professionals who participated in the survey during February 2024.

Additional reports in the Ascend2 Marketing Automation series include:

• The State of Marketing Automation 2023
• The State of Marketing Automation 2022
• The State of Marketing Automation 2021

This Survey Summary Report, titled “The State of Marketing Automation 2024,” reflects the views of all market segments involved in the survey. Specific market segment results are provided separately and exclusively by our participating research partners.

Ascend2 created this report for your benefit. Use it to refine your marketing strategy—clip charts, write about them in your blog, or share them on social media. Remember to credit the research as published.

We hope this report helps you optimize your strategies in the coming months.

The Ascend2 Research Team

RATING STRATEGIC SUCCESS

28% of marketing professionals surveyed—up 3% from last year—believe their current marketing automation strategy is best-in-class for achieving their marketing objectives. Meanwhile, 69% feel their automation efforts are somewhat successful, and just 3% report that automation is not effective.

The effectiveness of automation is clear; the real challenge lies in finding the most effective strategy to enhance its success further.

BUDGET TRENDS

Automation budgets are on the rise, with 54% of marketers expecting an increase in their marketing automation budgets for the coming year. Only 11% anticipate a decrease, while 30% expect their budgets to remain unchanged. Despite budgetary pressures, marketing professionals continue to prioritize investing in marketing automation.

PRIMARY GOALS FOR AUTOMATION

The top three objectives for enhancing marketing automation in the coming year are identifying ideal customers (47%), improving data quality (40%), and reducing costs (39%).

Last year, identifying ideal customers was ranked #3 at 34%. So why has it risen to the top spot this year? Advances in automation and AI have significantly improved the ability to identify ideal customers by using automated processes to target specific demographics and preferences, resulting in more precise messaging and higher conversion rates.

GREATEST CHALLENGES

The top challenges in using automation to enhance performance are collecting quality data (52%) and developing a comprehensive strategy (47%). Investing in quality data collection is crucial, as it is essential for delivering personalized experiences, improving segmentation, and advancing the buying journey that marketing professionals aim to achieve with their automation programs.

AREAS OF CURRENT USE 2023/2024

For the third consecutive year, email marketing and social media management are the most commonly reported areas where marketers apply marketing automation. Additionally, the use of SMS marketing (30%), campaign tracking (28%), live chat (24%), and SEO efforts (22%) has increased compared to the previous year. The data suggests that marketers are adopting a gradual and methodical approach to integrating automation into their marketing programs.

Unlock key insights into marketing automation trends and strategies. Continue reading and download the full report to stay ahead in 2024!

• Methodology and Participants
• Introduction
• Rating Strategic Success
• Budget Trends
• Primary Goals for Automation
• Greatest Challenges
• Areas of Current Use 2023/2024
• Automation of The Customer Journey
• Using Automation to Build Effective Customer Journeys
• AI and Automation
• About Ascend2 Research

Number of Pages:

• 14 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

Ascend2 benchmarks the performance of marketing strategies, tactics, and the technology that drives them with a standardized online
questionnaire and a proprietary 3-minute Survey format. This survey was fielded to a panel of marketing professionals and marketing research subscribers.