Marketing Automation for Small Business: Where to Start

Most small businesses don’t need a giant martech stack. They need a few automations that save time and turn leads into customers.

Start With the Customer Journey

Map out: how someone finds you, what they do next (form fill, call, visit), and what happens after. Look for one or two steps that are manual, slow, or easy to forget—those are your first automation targets.

High-Impact First Automations

• Lead follow-up: Instant reply + add to CRM + notify the right person. No lead should sit for hours.
• Booking reminders: Reduce no-shows with SMS or email the day before.
• Post-visit sequence: Thank you, review request, and one or two helpful follow-ups.

Keep It Simple

Use one or two tools that talk to each other (e.g., your website, CRM, and email/SMS). Avoid “set it and forget it” without someone checking results. Review open rates, reply rates, and bookings monthly and tweak.

Automation should make your team more human, not replace judgment. Start small, measure, then expand.