The marketing automation implementation process and time it takes to complete it will vary depending on what features you need and how big your business is. In this post, we’ll look at three different scenarios and show you how long it might take to implement marketing automation at three different companies. We’ll also mention the factors to consider when deciding how long it might take to implement MA at your company.

Marketing automation implementation can vary greatly depending on the complexity of the project, the people/departments involved, and the structure of the company. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the title question, it is important to consider the different scenarios and factors that affect the time frame of such a project.

Scenario 1: Small business with few needs

Small businesses generally do not need advanced MA solutions. SMEs usually want to automate only a few key processes, such as customer segmentation, personalized product recommendations, and email marketing automation. In such a situation, the implementation process is usually short and takes one or two weeks.

The time and complexity of the project can vary depending on the circumstances, though. For example, if you’re a small business but have a lot of unstructured data from both customers and suppliers, you’ll need to spend some time getting your database in order. Another thing to consider is your team. Do you have someone on your team who’s IT savvy? Or maybe you need to train someone to manage your marketing automation platform—training also takes time and needs to be factored into the overall implementation time.

Finally, another thing to consider is content. Take email marketing for example – every email needs a template that will be tailored to different audiences. Do you have templates like these already in place, or do you have to create them from scratch first? Again, this is something that can take some time.

Scenario 2: Mid-Sized Company

For a mid-sized company, the process of implementing marketing automation is more complex, mainly because such companies want to automate more elements and processes. In this scenario, we often have to consider more issues, such as:

Here you need to spend a month or two to get everything up and running. Especially integrations with third-party solutions can take a long time. Chances are your company already has some marketing/sales tools. Implementing marketing automation will require integrating these tools with the MA platform. Everything is relatively easy if these tools use the API. However, if not, you will need to spend more time creating a different type of integration.

For mid-sized businesses, data preparation is also an important issue, as they deal with larger data sets and historical customer data from multiple sources. Data cleaning, de-duplication, and formatting can take up to several weeks, especially if your business tracks customer interactions across multiple touchpoints and has been doing so for years.

Content creation is also something to consider. Mid-sized businesses often have at least a small marketing team, which gives you more flexibility when it comes to content strategy. However, you’ll likely need to spend some time creating different types of content for different audience segments, along with variations for different marketing channels.

When planning your work, consider the following types of content:

There’s one more thing to consider – larger teams often require cross-departmental collaboration. You’ll need to integrate the work of your marketing, IT, sales, and customer service teams. This stage of work may require workshops, training, ongoing support, and of course, time.

Finally, it is worth mentioning one more issue – in a medium-sized company, testing becomes important. When implementing MA, it is worth conducting at least a few tests, including A/B tests covering different email sequences. It is also a good idea to test different advertising campaigns on social media or Google.

Scenario 3: Large Company

Large/international companies looking to implement marketing automation from scratch need a much longer timeline. Typically, such an implementation takes about six months (or longer). Such companies need to consider several important aspects of implementing marketing automation in an international environment. Here are the most important ones:

Customization options

Large corporations often require enterprise-type tools that have extensive customization capabilities. Of course, such tools are available on the market, but their use is usually associated with a complex implementation process that requires the constant involvement of the IT department. The time needed for full implementation and configuration of such a system can be even more than a month.

Data Architecture

Large corporations typically deal with huge volumes and types of data. Often, this data is scattered across channels, regions, departments, and IT systems. Implementing marketing automation in such an environment will likely require creating or unifying an entire data architecture.

Collaboration between teams

Large, international corporations have multiple teams spread across multiple countries and regions. Imagine 10 different marketing departments having to work together to implement MA. Then add 10 IT departments, 10 customer service departments, and 10 sales departments. We’re talking hundreds of people here! Getting everyone to work together and work smoothly will require a ton of planning and systematic work that can take weeks (if not months).

Multiple language versions

Implementation can be relatively easy if you and your customers only use English. However, international companies usually require multiple language versions, which means localizing all campaigns and communication scenarios. Compliance with local regulations is also important. And finally, there is the issue of adapting the system to customer preferences, which can vary greatly depending on the country and region!

Lots of testing and legal stuff

Large enterprises need to invest in testing, not only to make sure the system works as expected, but also to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations in different regions. This usually requires the involvement of the legal department (or departments), which, yes, can be time-consuming.

Change management

You can't expect everything to be implemented overnight. In a large corporation, everything takes time and change management. This involves training and educating employees. It will most likely be necessary to organize at least a few workshops, and maybe even a few e-learning modules, to make sure that everything works properly and that all employees involved know how to use the new marketing automation platform.

Summary

As you can see, implementing marketing automation can be quick and relatively easy if you run a small business. In a large, international company, on the other hand, you will need at least half a year to get everything working properly. But it is definitely worth the effort. Automating even a small part of your work in an international business will help you save tens of thousands of zlotys and many hours of work each month!
And if you are currently looking for a marketing automation platform for your business, we invite you to consider iPresso! Our platform works well for both SMEs and large enterprises !