In an interview with Richard Dedor, a marketing executive with 14 years of experience, we analyzed his approaches towards marketing automation. Proficient in almost every existing digital platform, Richard has been certified by the Google Analytics Academy, Google Ads, Hubspot, Salesforce, Pardot, and Action Selling. As an all-rounder when it comes to digital marketing, Richard believes in cultivating talent and respecting expertise.
About Richard Dedor
Richard Dedor: As an entrepreneurial-minded and relationship-driven marketing executive, I have a proven track record of merging current trends with future opportunities to drive business results. To develop brands and drive the sales funnel forward, I develop and deliver programs and have relevant experience in non-profit, sports, CPG, real estate, and finance industries.
Reasons to love marketing automation
Richard Dedor: When executed smartly, marketing automation can be more target-oriented in terms of promoting goods and services. That’s what I love about marketing automation. Unfortunately, as a customer, I often receive messages that have the potential to be automated in a targeted way but are not optimized properly, resulting in a net loss.
One thing people should innovate for marketing automation
Richard Dedor: The marketing automation industry is in dire need of accurate customer targeting and segmentation solutions. Almost every industry I see still follows mass messaging. Whereas, targeted messaging, be it automated or not, works 10 times better than mass messaging.
One can learn from Amazon’s way of offering an automated yet personalized experience to their customers. They understand what their customers prefer to shop for and highlight such items besides those that people generally buy.
One thing people should forget about marketing automation
Richard Dedor: Marketers need to forget about setting an instance and disremembering it. Messages get set often and marketers do not remember about it after a certain point of time, which eventually becomes a problem for them. We launched our automatic onboarding process at my regional credit union late this summer and after three months, we are again adjusting our cadence and key messaging just because we are constantly learning.
Familiar marketing automation tools
Richard Dedor: To support this strategic initiative of marketing automation, I have used several tools throughout my career. I have helped launch and implement Salesforce / Pardot, Hubspot, Constant Contact, and Mailchimp in various situations and circumstances. Moreover, I have also set up various AI text conversations and Chatbots in the past few years.
The trends and challenges happening in the marketing automation sector
Richard Dedor: The disparate nature of systems integration is the biggest challenge in the marketing automation sector, which I am afraid, will not get solved anytime soon. When the loop cannot be closed, automation is great and still provides value, but an open-loop creates additional problems at scale.
In nearly every company I have worked or consulted, there are silos with information and data.
Thoughts on the evolution of MarTech arena a few years from now with regard to some of its potential disruptions and transformations
Richard Dedor: In the finance industry, we continue to see an influx of FinTech operators, which will provide incredible opportunities to disrupt the operations of the entire industry. If the MarTech arena can leverage and integrate with some of these services, it will be able to provide more value to its end consumers.
The biggest challenge for companies while adopting a new marketing technology
Richard Dedor: Losing legacy data and information while switching from one tool to another is the biggest challenge for companies while adopting a new marketing technology. In such a situation, one needs to start all over again, creating a learning curve roller-coaster for both the business and the consumers.
The future of marketing automation in light of the increased involvement of AI in marketing
Richard Dedor: AI is great when used in a smart way and not in place of human interaction. If we forget about how to have authentic interactions, AI will destroy our customer relationships. AI can provide smart guidance in our automation efforts, cannot provide feelings and emotions needed to convert leads.
Impactful projects managed with marketing automation, associated challenges, and its solution
Richard Dedor: One of the steps while setting up our checking account onboarding is encouraging new members to turn on e-Statements. It is eco-friendly for everyone, saves the member money, and we have seen incredible conversion on this single message alone. Though it sounds simple, it shows that we can not only encourage an action but also that we have the ability to smartly influence behavior.
Evaluation method for marketing technology tools before making the purchase decision
Richard Dedor: Before making the purchase decision, I evaluate marketing technology tools from three different perspectives:
First, what does integration with our current and non-negotiable systems look like?
Second, is it easy to use and provide exactly what we are asking for?
Third and most important, will our customers notice a difference?
In the end, it does come down to gut feeling. Yes and no are both acceptable answers, but it depends on your goals.
Thoughts on the idea – ‘strategy should drive technology’
Richard Dedor: If you let strategy drive technology, you can find solutions to make the technology work in your favor. But, if you let technology drive strategy, then you are setting up barriers.
Favorite outfit to wear at work
Richard Dedor: I would love to wear a sweater with jeans to work every day, irrespective of the day, the time of year, and who I have a meeting with.
“SCARIEST” task in marketing automation
Richard Dedor: It is scary to hit send for anything content-related that is going to our members or to the public-at-large. I am constantly afraid of the fact that there might be a spelling error, grammar error, bad link, or mistakes like that.
Ways to prove the ROI of technology
Richard Dedor: To prove the ROI of the technology, you just need to show that you are using the technology and that it is providing you with the ability to be strategic in your messaging.
Five words that best describe Richard
Richard Dedor: Well, the five adjectives that perfectly describe me are inquisitive, thoughtful, hungry, big- thinker, and questioning. This is probably a weird combination of words, but it truly fits how I approach the work I get to do each day. I like to sit back, listen, think big, and then ask the questions to help us be successful.
Richard’s Fun activities
Richard Dedor: For me, family comes first, then cooking new food, wood-working, and biking. I also write a fair amount and give workshops and keynotes whenever it can fit it into my schedule.
Necessary skills for a marketing automation professional
Richard Dedor: With marketing in general, you have to wear both the hats: the company hat and the consumer hat. You need to analyze if the message you are sending is the right message and if it is going to be received by your target market the way you want it to be taken, received, and acted upon. From a tactical level, you have to think minute-by-minute, understand data and segmentation, and then ROI metrics.
Top 3 things to do in the first 30 days of a new marketing automation role
Richard Dedor: In a new Marketing Automation role, I would prefer to learn the system, dive into the data that exists, and then meet with all the players and review customer feedback before anything else.
Okay, so maybe that was four things, but all are important!
Top 5 most important marketing metrics in today’s world
Richard Dedor: Measuring metrics is very important for the success of your marketing campaigns. But the first and most important metrics that you should measure is brand equity, which is really tough for one to measure but is invaluable. After that, it becomes more tactical but Email Campaign Success (Open Rate, CTR, and Conversions), Direct Response Mail, and then social engagement coupled with social customer support metrics.
………
Thank you, Richard, for this unique insight into the life of a marketing automation wizard and for enlightening us with tips to improve marketing automation.
