Marketing automation has fundamentally changed the way marketers do business. To be able to schedule cross-channel campaigns that deliver on time and on target frees up a lot of opportunity for marketers to focus on things like strategy, creative, and feedback loops. Campaigns run with fewer resources, still generating and nurturing leads. But unlike the flawless “set it and forget it” reliability of, say, a crock pot, automation has its risks.

Because marketing automation helps companies run complex campaigns with fewer resources, the software is growing in popularity. According to MarTech, a marketing technology forum, more than 50% of companies currently use marketing automation. 70% of companies, they say, plan to institute it in the next 12 months.

Whether we’re out to lunch or window shopping, mobile is playing a bigger role; it’s more than a distraction from your date or vibration in your pocket. It’s our tether to the world – from text alerts and app-driven push notifications to mobile-enabled websites and social media streams. And more often, it’s an up-sell being added when we agree to have our receipt sent to our email or our phone.