All About IBM Watson Campaign Automation

Marketing automation software is widely used in the digital age. With the ability to provide mobile solutions, as well as email marketing and lead management functions, IBM Watson Campaign Automation is a leading example of the genre.

Developed as part of IBM Watson Marketing, the package is a comprehensive one catering to a wide variety of customers in different areas of commerce and industry.  It can be used on many different devices and with various applications to engage with the customer and improve their overall experience.

Designed to be simple to use, IBM Watson Campaign Automation uses a sequential editing system – very much ‘What You See is What You Get’ in concept – that enables easy connection between contacts, and it has the ability to provide automated lead qualification to a select set of rules devised by the user.

The software can analyze behavioral statistics using a number of different sources to provide accurate reports on the way customers behave. This allows the user to customize the system accurately to create the right marketing direction. IBM Watson Campaign Automation can integrate with other popular packages such as Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM and SalesforceCRM, making it even more versatile.

Main Features

IBM Watson Campaign Automation offers a wide variety of features, each designed to deliver analytics and multi-channel working at the highest level. These include:

• Campaign Automation: by being able to automate campaigns across channels, using a simple visual planner that guides the way, this tool allows for increased collaboration within all your areas of marketing. Used correctly, it will boost return on investment and speed up the marketing process.

 

• Watson Marketing Assistant: simple development of email campaigns and other forms of marketing communication is enabled by this very handy function. Full, detailed analysis of customer behavior leads to more direct, relevant and targeted marketing communication.

 

• IBM Journey Designer: this clever tool allows users to create, via drag and drop, combined sales and marketing journeys, fully visualized using a simple system. By way of specially tailored customer service, this tool helps boost engagement with the customer. It’s a vital part of the IBM Watson Campaign Automation package.

 

• Lead Management & Scoring: high-quality leads are what every business is looking for, and the lead management function within IBM Watson Campaign Automation is a very powerful tool. Reduced costs in marketing, and automated analysis of lead behavior, can mean more streamlined marketing and greater success in procuring the right leads.

 

• Performance Insights: IBM Watson Campaign Automation is able to use social media , email and other communication media, as well as SMS and more, by connecting to customer devices such as Apple Watch and others. This gives a great idea of what customers are looking for, and allows the user to develop a more personal experience for individual customers. This, in turn, means the user can attend to the customer on a more personal basis, and actively enhance brand loyalty.

Here is a brief explanation of some of the features mentioned above:

Broadcast Email Marketing – this is an email that is sent to many recipients at the same time, and usually consists of a marketing newsletters and promotional content. It is usually sent to those who have opted-in to get such mails, or to your subscribers.

Reporting and Analytics – quite simply, tools in this area allow the user to keep a close eye on how a campaign is performing, via customized templates and dashboards.

CRM Integration – Customer Relationship Management systems allow the user to analyse how the customer responds, and to tailor marketing as and when required for better results.

Lead Management – a major part of growing a business and brand awareness is converting leads into actual sales. Many business are not very efficient in this area, so the lead management feature in IBM Watson Campaign Automation is a great way of enhancing effectiveness. By using the lead nurturing and scoring features, users can further enhance their brand loyalty.

Custom Forms and Landing Pages – IBM Watson Campaign Automation allows for the creation of bespoke landing pages including forms on which the lead fills out their contact details and registers interest, so that the user can use this information in current and future marketing campaigns and for lead management purposes.

These are just a few explanations of the functions found within IBM Watson Campaign Automation, and there are many more that will be of interest.

Implementation and Integration

As it is a cloud-based solution, the IBM Watson Campaign Automation package is very easy to set up and start using. Cloud-based also means there is no extra space taken up on your servers, so your current system does not need to be updated.

If you need help and advice, you should turn to the IBM Knowledge Center. This is a comprehensive resource offering users information on how to start using IBM Watson Campaign Automation, setting up and using new accounts, a wide range of advice on the various features and functions provided by the platform, and a large database of knowledge and articles regarding IBM Watson Campaign Automation.

For new clients, the IBM Watson Campaign Automation also features full support to help with setting up accounts and full training packages for users and management. This includes training in the following:

• Strategy to use for increasing and maximizing customer engagement, technical advice and product advice, implementing and deploying onto the market new products.
• On-demand services, according to each user’s requirements, service management, and any requirements that may be unique to the user.
• How to generate bespoke custom reports, how to enable effective and efficient data migration and active integration, the development of applications and more.

Furthermore, users can take advantage of the full strength of IBM customer support via the Client Support Portal. This allows you to gain access to e Learning courses, webinars, and to enroll your team on training and certification courses for great efficiency. You can also use the portal to arrange onsite training, for whenever is convenient to you and your users.

IBM Watson Campaign Automation includes fully supported, by the vendor, integration with the following:

– SalesforceCRM
– Microsoft Dynamics
– SugarCRM

Further integration is supported on a third party basis with the following:

– Adobe Omniture
– Adobe Genesis
– HootSuite apps
– Corometrics

It can also integrate effectively and seamlessly with other IBM packages including:

– IBM Campaign
– Digital Analytics
– Data Exchange
– Universal Behavior Exchange
– WeatherFX

With such a wide range of integration options, IBM Watson Campaign Automation is aimed at companies of all size, from the smallest to the larger corporations, in a wide variety of different market sectors, and is used by some well-known brands, although IBM does not publicize who it works with.

Customer Service and Further Support

The IBM Client Support Portal is the place to go if you need advice, help or support regarding IBM Watson Campaign Automation, training or any other IBM platforms. The contact details for Customer Service are displayed in the portal. If you need help with problems or troubleshooting, the IBM Knowledge Center is a good start. You can find answers to many popular questions and problems there.

Customer Support at IBM is there for you to use 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with access online or by telephone. They also offer out of hours support in the case of emergencies, meaning you are covered for fast attention should you have major problems with the system.

Tiers and Pricing

IBM Watson Campaign Automation is offered at three pricing tiers, each aimed at particular users and budgets. Each one includes unlimited customer records – which is a bonus – and full CRM integration.

The three tiers are: Essentials, Standard and Enterprise, and they comprise the following:

Essentials – with the Essentials package, you pay a flat monthly fee which covers: 500,000 marketing interactions, 5 environments with 10 users per environments, plus a single scoring model and 20 active programs. This package would be fine for the smaller, growing business.

Standard – aimed at medium-sized to larger business, standard is as the Essentials package, but with a million marketing transactions per month, and double the environments and double the users per environment. It also includes unlimited programs and scoring models.

Executive – with 1.5 million marketing transactions per month, everything else unlimited, and the addition of planning and budgeting features, this is the ultimate IBM Watson Campaign Automation package.

IBM does not display its prices openly – and nor does it give examples of its current customers so please contact them direct for a quote.