It is no surprise that most companies now use at least one type of marketing automation tool, whether for email marketing, lead nurturing, or customer engagement. By 2030, it’s expected that marketing automation market revenue will reach up to $13.71 billion worldwide.
With the right marketing automation features, marketers can connect more effectively with customers, improve internal processes, increase ROI, and strengthen overall digital performance.
Here are five reasons why marketing automation continues to be an essential tool for marketers going into 2026.
1. Connect with customers better
Customers do not want irrelevant content. Imagine being a coffee distributor and accidentally sending a tea drinker recommendations on the best coffee to try. It would not boost sales, and it would waste time and resources.
To build stronger customer relationships, brands must deliver the right information at the right time. Relevance and timing are key to creating personalized experiences.
A strong content marketing strategy paired with a digital experience platform (DXP) that includes marketing automation features such as time-based triggers and ready-to-use templates allows marketers to improve interactions with minimal coding. Buyer personas and audience insights can be woven directly into workflows to create more meaningful communication.
Examples include abandoned cart reminders, personalized product suggestions, birthday messages with special offers, and follow-up sequences based on browsing behavior.
2. Drive efficiencies
Marketing automation helps teams eliminate repetitive tasks and free up time for high-value work. Instead of manually building multi-step processes, marketers can automate workflows and create more consistent customer experiences.
Many modern DXPs offer built-in analytics that give users easy access to contact information and performance data. This makes it easier to track behavior, identify opportunities, and convert prospects into customers.
With automation, teams can reuse high-performing workflows, schedule campaigns, and optimize existing processes instead of rebuilding them each time. By streamlining marketing operations, teams can simplify everyday tasks and expand their capabilities without additional tools or resources.
3. Improve marketing performance
When paired with a strong marketing strategy that incorporates personalization, marketing automation can significantly enhance marketing performance.
Strategic automation increases lead generation and improves lead quality by providing a structured way to deliver personalized content. Marketing automation enables marketers to create targeted emails, optimize statistics, and improve campaign performance.
Why is this the case? Consumers are more likely to shop with brands that deliver relevant offers and recommendations across email and other digital channels. Personalized messaging drives engagement, conversions, and long-term loyalty.
4. Maximize ROI
Measuring ROI is essential when evaluating marketing technology. Marketing automation features within a DXP provide streamlined workflows, reusable templates, and long-term efficiencies that directly contribute to better financial outcomes.
Research shows that 76 percent of companies report a positive ROI within the first year of adopting marketing automation (WinnSavvy). Studies have reported that over 90% of workers report that automation helped improve their productivity; creating positive results across the board and directly impacting ROI (HBR)
5. Unlock creativity
Thanks to some marketing automation tools out there that come loaded with templates, instructions, and features that facilitate collaboration, your team can gain more independence without being an expert in the field.
It means you can focus on adding value to services or products with creative ideas or boosting customer retention and customer loyalty rather than spending time and resources figuring out complex processes and system setups.
Marketing automation with Xperience by Kentico
Xperience by Kentico includes native marketing automation, enabling your marketing team to catch your audience's attention with a personalized approach.
Select actions—like filling out a form—to use as a trigger to send automated emails. Set email conditions to customize the frequency and time frame for specific communications based on the individual activities of your visitors. This gives marketing teams the ability to tailor their outreach to match the unique needs and behaviors of each visitor, creating more meaningful and effective customer journeys.
Learn more about how Xperience by Kentico's built-in marketing automation can simplify your workflow and help boost your marketing qualified leads with a free, personalized demo.