The rise of automation: How agencies are leveraging technology
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When you think about the rise of automation, you might automatically think about machine learning, AI, and advanced high-tech robots carrying out daily tasks with the aim of making daily life a breeze.
Automation can actually be much less complex, having the versatility to be used in all types of business types and industries. With the free versions and easy accessibility of platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, automation is also becoming a great tool for peoples day to day lives.
As these technologies develop, there is a worry that automation will become a way for society to become lazy, reliant and dependent on these machines. When really, they should be used as a way for people to be more efficient to free up time for creativity and innovation, something which these AI-powered programs are notoriously not good at.
This blog is going to look at stats on automation, how businesses are using automation, the potential use cases for automation and how marketing agencies in the UK are leveraging this technology.
Stats on automation in businesses
Automation in the workplace is one of the most important, with opportunities for efficiency, minimal error, and increased job satisfaction as people can focus on higher-level thinking tasks.
Businesses which use automation are the ones which are usually ahead in their fields and benefit from being able to use resources more efficiently.
- 37% of human resource job functions are frequently automated
- This is important considering 80% of job seekers are discouraged by the lack of application status updates but 3.5 times more likely to reapply if updated.
- 51% of companies use automation for cost savings.
- Automation could increase global productivity growth by 0.8-1.4% annually.
- 31% of businesses have fully automated at least one function.
- 76% use automation for standardizing daily workflows, 58% for data reporting, and 36% for regulation and compliance.
- 88% of small business owners say automation enables competition with larger companies.
- 97% of employers plan to increase the use of recruiting technology.
- 24% of employers would automate jobs to reduce operating costs.
- The most common automation tasks are data entry (38%), document creation and organization (32%), lead management (30%), and inventory management (27%).
- Automation frees up 82% of sales teams to focus on building stronger client relationships.
- Cloud-based business process automation software is projected to lead the market by 2033, with an estimated $22.9 billion, due to its cost-saving and efficiency benefits.
- In 2022, the worldwide market for industrial process automation was estimated to be $58 billion. Forecasts suggest it will expand to $96 billion by 2030, achieving an annual growth rate of 5.4% between 2023 and 2030.
- Gartner forecasts a substantial rise in network automation by 2026, with 30% of enterprises automating more than half of their network activities, compared to less than 10% in mid-2023.
(Sources: FlairHR, PR Newswire, Vena Solutions)
Automation in different industries
You may be thinking that automated processes can only be adopted in certain tech-heavy industries, however, there are multiple industries that are set to be affected very soon by the growth of automated technologies.
- The use of surgical robots is expected to lead to a 2% decrease in surgeon jobs between 2019 and 2029
- A 20% increase in translation and interpretation jobs, driven by AI-powered translation software, is anticipated between 2019 and 2029
- By 2040, lab-grown meat could represent one-third of all meat consumption in the US, affecting the cattle and plant-based alternatives industries.
(Sources: EuroNews, Interpreters and Translators Inc, Forbes)
What do people think of automation in the workplace?
- 93% of millennials prioritize up-to-date technology in job choices
- 56% believe governments should protect jobs from automation.
- 65% of knowledge workers are less stressed due to automating manual tasks.
- 45% of HR professionals believe automation will enhance future recruitment.
- 31% of respondents are concerned about labour displacement and job loss due to automation and artificial intelligence.
- 88% of employees using automation tools trust their accuracy and reliability. (Salesforce)
- 84% report greater company satisfaction as a result of using automation to streamline tasks and reduce workload
- 90% of IT staff credit automation for improved cross-team collaboration
How marketing agencies are leveraging automation technology
Digital marketing agencies are often fast-paced, data-driven, analysis-focused and customer service-heavy with many of these daily tasks being able to be carried out by automated and AI processes.
Agency life, however, also requires multitasking, high-level expertise, justification skills, experience-led decisions, creativity, advanced problem-solving and teamwork, most of which automation would not be able to carry out at all or as well as a person.
By automating repetitive tasks like uploading to social media, sending follow-up emails and tracking leads, employees can be freed up to be more creative and focus on strategy (something which definitely can’t be automated). Automation can also be applied to audience targeting by separating into demographics and interests allowing for a more personalised approach. Automation can also be used in the next step to analyse campaign data in real time, helping marketing agencies to make more informed decisions on strategy direction.
On the other hand, automation runs the risk of removing personalisation and authenticity from the brand, which can subsequently see a drop in leads, engagement and trust in the brand.
Having a balance and knowing which parts of the business are best automated is what can take agency life to the next level. Here at Embryo, we take pride in being innovative in all aspects of our work.
Some examples of how Embryo uses automation for efficiency:
PPC automated bidding- Paid ads can be watched closely with an attentive eye to watch results and adjust bidding accordingly. See our blogs on this for more details.
- Using AI to drive PPC automation
- Using automation within PPC
- Why PPC automation is necessary for success
Recruitment and onboarding- All Embryo employees are automatically assigned to training courses in the onboarding process.
CRM platform- Hubspot has many integrations which support automation for email outreach, workflows and reminders. While these options are available however, it doesn’t mean that they should be used in all cases. Email automation comes with risks of depersonalisation which can lower leads. More detail on this in the ‘challenges of automation in business’ section.
Tool development- We develop tools that easily automate the data collection process and put it into an easily understandable format. Our two most popular tools, Needle and Intermingle, make it easier for the team and clients to easily see and justify data-driven decisions. While not necessarily automation from a third party, these tools have meant that the team can spend more time perfecting the data analysis process.
Social media- Automation of organic post times and ad post times can save a significant amount of time each week. This means that social media management can be carried out in bulk, without waiting for peak times to post.
Let’s take a look at some general stats on the marketing sector and how agencies are using automation.
(Image source Backlinko)
There are many different automation tools and platforms available, some of the more common being Zapier, Automato, Boomi and Make, all of which are popular in the marketing industry.
- For marketers that don’t use automation, 40% plan to implement it
- The global marketing automation market is projected to grow from $5.65 billion in 2024 to $14.55 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 12.55%
- Automating all social media posts and advertisements can save six hours each week
- The marketing automation market is expected to be $8.42 billion by 2027.
- 51% of companies currently utilize marketing automation, with 58% of B2B companies planning to adopt it.
- Marketing automation has led to an increase in leads for 80% of users.
- B2B marketers using automation see a 10% increase in sales pipeline contributions.
- Over 60% of companies outsource some aspect of marketing automation.
- Upselling, in the opinion of 58% of marketers, is one of the key advantages of marketing automation
- The main objectives of marketing automation, according to another 57%, were lead nurturing, sales revenue (47%), boosting customer engagement (36% ), increasing marketing productivity (29%), and improving campaign measurability (28%)
- 64% of marketers say automated email marketing is the most common
- A 2024 survey found that 41% of marketing decision-makers have already significantly automated their customer journeys, with the remaining 59% partially automated.
(Sources: CMSWire, LLCBuddy,Vena, Backlinko)
Challenges with using automation in business
One of the biggest challenges of using automation is the knowledge set needed to set up and maintain these processes. Often, businesses find themselves unable to make the most out of automated processes as their workforce doesn’t have the skill set to maintain these processes.
As new employees may need to be hired to help implement larger-scale automation, paired with steep learning curves for existing employees, it can often become a lengthy and costly process. However, in the long term, and when implemented correctly, automation can save businesses a lot of money, leaving business owners conflicted.
This however may not even be an option for smaller business owners who can’t justify the price of purchasing automation tools, subscription fees, and maintenance costs.
Another challenge associated with automation is the poor job security for many people across multiple industries. As these processes are designed around needing little human input, large organisations implementing automation could be causing hundreds of jobs to be lost. For example, 15.7% of 20-24-year olds are in jobs with high automation risk.
There are many things that automation can’t be programmed to do (yet), also leaving businesses wondering if automation can truly replace the skillset of a human. Multitasking, justifying, understanding morals, being unbiased, feeling, and being creative are just a few of the many limitations that automated processes cannot yet do, and most likely never will be able to. After all, these machines are only working based on the data and information that has been fed to them by humans.
Let’s look at some of the stats concerning the challenges and risks of using automation in business:
- In the US, workers between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the most significant average exposure to the risk of automation, standing at 49%
- Automation may affect 38% of jobs in the US, 35% in Germany, 30% in the U.K., and 21% in Japan
- Resistance to change processes is the third most significant challenge in implementing automation
- 31% of respondents are concerned about labour displacement and job loss due to automation and artificial intelligence
- 54% of companies say that mapping out complex automated processes is the top challenge when trying to implement automation due to skill and knowledge gaps.
- A lack of knowledge and training about automation is the most significant barrier to adoption, with 39% of marketers affected by automation.
- While 75% of organizations expect employees to optimize processes, only 8% provide formal training, revealing a significant skill gap.
- 70% of automation processes usually require a pre-automation process, often just as lengthy as the usual process.
Conclusion
The rise of automation is almost certainly not going to stop any time soon, and will only develop around the growing needs of the users, both business and for personal use.
In the world of digital marketing, automation has many use-cases and is great for freeing up time for strategy and creativity. But let’s face it, your competitors have access to exactly the same tools. The overuse of these tools means your business has the risk of drowning in a market of brands exactly like yours. Ultimately, marketing works well when the audience feels connected through emotion and storytelling, something that automation can’t replace.
If you want to work with a marketing agency that knows how to successfully and correctly leverage technology for business benefit, then get in touch with us today.
