How to Help Your Clients Go Through a Digital Transformation 

70% of companies have a digital transformation strategy or are working on one but less than 30% have had success with that plan. (PTC)

Here are some more interesting data sets on the state of digital transformation:

• Between 2020 and 2024 global investment in digital transformation will almost double. (Statista)
• 87% of companies think digital will disrupt their industry, but only 44% are prepared for it. (Deloitte)
• Executives say digital transformation’s top benefit is improved operational efficiency (40%). (PTC)
• By 2025, 3 in 4 business leaders will leverage digital platforms to adapt to new markets and industries. (IDC)

Yes, digital transformation is impacting all businesses and marketing is at the center of that transformation. But companies need help with the transformation to make it a success.

The State of MarTech report, by the research firm Ascend2, uncovered some interesting data on digital transformation for marketing professionals.

1. 
   
   Customer data management is going all digital. Only 21% still use spreadsheets. In place of spreadsheets are digital platforms, like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and/or Customer Data Platforms (CDPs).
2. Top digital tools used by marketing include email, social media engagement, landing pages, and video. 
3. Top digital tools used by sales include email, social media, calendar/scheduling, and CRM. 
4. The most successful sales teams are 108% more likely to be using automation tools than their less successful counterparts. 
5. The most successful marketers are 118% more likely to have a fully integrated marketing technology stack. 

How to Help Your Clients Prepare for the Digital Transformation Era 

The digital transformation is coming, and nothing will slow it down. Here are a few ways to help your clients prepare:

• Switch from manual processes to automated processes. From how you capture and store customer data to email campaigns to nurture leads, use automation to optimize the process.
• Show them how to get started. Here is a starting point:
• CRM – take care of their data.
• Marketing/email automation – automate their outreach
• Social engagement – build their engagement.
  
  NOTE: get a detailed list of tools used by marketing and sales in The State of MarTech report.
• Find new prospects when you use digital technology to get the best ROI on digital channels like Google Ads, Facebook, etc. Use automation to build audiences and target with ads.
  
  Best tip: integrate your technology so you can view ad interactions on the life of the lead. 
• Nurture leads with automated drip campaigns. The most successful marketers are 182% more likely to be using automated drip campaigns to nurture all their leads. 

Don’t be left behind on making a digital transformation of your marketing and sales programs. Not only does automation save you time but it also increases revenue by making sure that no lead is overlooked, real-time action is used to increase conversion rates, and personalization is used to increase engagement rates. 

Learn more about digital transformation and how to plan for the next steps. 

More Information About the Research

For this report, Ascend2 surveyed 187 marketing professionals in the U.S., using multiple third-party survey panels, and the survey was fielded in July 2021. The research was commissioned by SharpSpring to provide marketing professionals with data-driven guidance on how to take back control of their marketing tools and data to pave the way to better results. Download the report, clip the charts for client presentations, and adapt it to support your marketing efforts.

Learn more, download the 18-page research report, The State of MarTech. Coverage and analysis of this research are also available by MarketingProfs, MediaPost, and Convince & Convert.