You may think automation is only for large businesses, with the resources to implement sweeping changes. Companies that can cut repetitively prone to error manual processes and replace them with shiny new technological solutions.
Automation doesn’t necessarily mean expensive hardware and robots taking over physical processes. Automation also includes smart software solutions that perform business processes. Automated software solutions can help take the stress out of small yet time-consuming tasks that consume a large chunk of the day for companies, regardless of their size.
These solutions are accessible to everyone, and given the stress of running a small business, this is where they can be most effective. Research shows that small businesses lag behind when it comes to utilizing automation compared to large companies (only 25% compared to 40%). While slower at adopting automated processes, when they do, small businesses have a higher success rate.
When running a small business every minute counts. Instead of overworking yourself and burning out, you should take the time to see what automation has to offer.
5 Processes Small Businesses Should Consider Automating
1. Payment approval
Manual payment processes can become a time-consuming bottleneck. Doing these tasks manually can introduce minor errors and delays or, worse, late fees and ruined supplier relationships. A more efficient method involves automating payment approval workflows. Automating approval workflows can help you manage invoices while still giving you control of the money coming out of your business.
Automating payment approvals means utilizing tools to review and accept invoices before payment. Approval tools allow you to create your own rules regarding who has access (senior employees, bookkeepers, accountants, etc.), at what stage of the process they gain access, and the payment limits they can approve.
Digital payment approval tools allow small businesses to ensure timely payment cycles and prevent manual approval disparities. All the while maintaining a transparent process that keeps them in control.
2. Social media
Getting the word out about your business and interacting with customers is key to your business’s success. Posting content on social media can be a time-consuming process filled with new posts, buying advertising, looking for mentions, and responding to messages. Automating your posts allows you to receive all the benefits of social media without the time drain. Some examples are:
- Automating the content you post as well as where and when it gets posted.
- Tracking social media mentions across sites and generating notifications to simplify social listening.
- Storing data related to social media mentions and advertising to gather new insights into your business – this includes optimizing the timing and content of posts.
- Integrating social media data into your customer relationship management (CRM) platform for further analysis.
3. Customer support
With so much competition across every industry, customer support and consumer interactions are becoming key differentiators. One bad experience, or a slow unsatisfactory response, is often enough to lose a customer.
With few employees, small businesses often struggle to respond to customer queries quickly, especially when they can arrive at any time of the day. Automating aspects of your customer support can produce faster response times and improve the experience for customers and staff.
This includes chatbots that respond to online queries 24/7. Chatbots can provide customers with commonly requested information and trigger notifications for staff to intervene if the issue can’t be resolved.
This can be referred to as automated ticket assignment, the process of assigning requests (regardless of channel) to the correct employee or department. Rather than searching through online messages, emails, social media posts, and any other communication channels, automated ticket assignment sorts customer support queries according to who can solve the issue most effectively.
4. Email marketing
In a world seemingly dominated by social media feeds and video content, there’s still a place for email marketing. Emails can help cut through noise, raise brand awareness, and let potential customers know about a new product or deal.
However, manually running personalized email campaigns is a significant undertaking. Thankfully email automation software can take over and deliver everything you need, including:
- First-time welcome emails for new sign-ups, thanking them for joining the mailing list, and providing introductory marketing information to help convert them into new customers.
- Abandoned cart emails for eCommerce customers who chose not to finalize their purchase. Integrating email software with modern eCommerce platforms allows you to automatically send emails to convince customers to return and purchase items.
- Personalized emails based on information provided by customers. This could be content specific to their interests or something more personal such as special offers on their birthday or other special occasions.
5. Lead follow up
Growing your customer base is critical to the success of your business. Rather than manually tracking every potential customer, you can automate the process with the right customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Some examples are:
- Sign-up forms: Letting customers opt-in to receive marketing material is a common business practice. CRM automation can integrate information on each sign-up, tracking essential details to help convert leads into new customers.
- Lead scoring: Every lead is different, and while some are long shots, others are high-value prospective customers that are worth investing time and effort into. Lead scoring allows you to log interactions and automatically assign values as to the quality of the lead. CRM platforms can track lead scores and let you know when a customer is showing more interest and are worth reaching out to (opening emails, clicking through, etc.).
- List segmentation: Segmenting contact lists based on various factors allows marketing teams to send personalized, relevant content to each lead. This could be based on information provided by the customers or their interactions with your marketing material.
Grow your small business through automation
Automation can alleviate the time pressure that small businesses experience and produce significant benefits. From payments and marketing to customer service and following leads, with technology on your side, you can simplify workflows and reclaim more time for yourself. Don’t assume automation is only for big business; investigate easy-to-use tech solutions that can make a real difference for your business.
