The demand for high-quality content is at an all-time high. Businesses are under constant pressure to produce engaging, relevant, and timely content to stay ahead of the competition. However, managing this process manually can be overwhelming and time-consuming. This is where content marketing automation tools come into play.
In this blog post, we'll dive into what content automation is, 10 key content marketing processes you can automate, and the top five tools for content automation.
What is Content Marketing Automation and Why Should You Care
Content automation refers to the use of technology to streamline, manage, and produce content with minimal human intervention. This can include anything from social media posts and blog articles to email newsletters and website updates.
Key benefits of content automation:
- Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks frees up your time for more strategic activities.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent brand voice across all platforms without manual oversight.
- Scalability: Easily scale your content production as your business grows.
- Data-driven decisions: Utilize analytics to optimize your content strategy in real-time.
Content automation can give you a significant edge over competitors relying on manual processes. It's not just about saving time; it's about enhancing the quality and reach of your content.
10 Content Marketing Processes You Can Automate
You can automate every aspect of content marketing, from strategy to ideation and execution. Here are key features that content marketing automation tools must have.
1. Content Strategy Creation
Developing a comprehensive content strategy is foundational to effective marketing. StoryChief’s AI-driven tools analyze your brand’s goals, audience insights, and current content landscape to craft a tailored content strategy.
2. Keyword Research
Keyword research is crucial for driving organic traffic. StoryChief automates this process by using AI to identify high-potential keywords relevant to your niche. It provides data on competition, trends, and competitors, ensuring you target the right keywords to enhance your content’s visibility.
3. Topic Ideation
Generating fresh and engaging content ideas can be challenging. StoryChief’s AI suggests topics based on current trends, audience interests, and keyword opportunities. This feature ensures a steady flow of relevant content ideas, keeping your editorial calendar full and your audience engaged.
4. Content Generation and Editing
AI can draft articles, blogs, and social media posts. It also offers robust editing tools that provide grammar and style suggestions, ensuring your content is polished and professional.
5. SEO Optimization
Effective SEO is key to your content’s discoverability. StoryChief automates SEO optimization by analyzing your content for SEO best practices. It offers real-time suggestions for keyword placement, meta descriptions, alt tags, and internal linking, helping your content rank higher on search engines.
6. Social Media Management
Managing multiple social media accounts can be overwhelming. StoryChief’s AI schedules and publishes your content across various platforms, ensuring consistent and optimal posting times. It also analyzes engagement metrics to refine your social media strategy continuously.
7. Content Planning
Efficient content planning is crucial for maintaining a consistent publishing schedule. StoryChief automates content planning by plotting all your content ideas on a unified calendar. This allows for seamless collaboration among team members and ensures all deadlines are met without hassle.
8. Multi-Channel Publishing
StoryChief automates multi-channel publishing, allowing you to distribute your content to websites, blogs, social media platforms, and email newsletters from a single platform. This ensures broad visibility and maximizes your content’s reach.
9. Keyword Position Tracking
Monitoring keyword performance helps refine your SEO strategy. StoryChief tracks your keyword rankings over time, providing insights into what’s working and what needs adjustment. This data-driven approach helps you stay competitive and improve your search engine rankings.
10. SEO Site Audit
Regular SEO audits are essential for maintaining website health and performance. StoryChief automates SEO content audits. It provides actionable recommendations to improve your rankings, and traffic.
Top 26 Content Marketing Automation Tools to Use in 2024
After discussing the main features of content marketing automation tools, let's delve into the top tools and platforms for 2024.
1. StoryChief
StoryChief stands out as a central hub for content management and distribution, making it an indispensable tool for marketers aiming to streamline their content production process and improve their online presence.
This platform allows you to create, push, and track content across multiple channels, ensuring a unified message and brand consistency.
It's particularly useful for agencies and marketing teams as it supports collaboration, editorial planning, and SEO optimization. StoryChief’s ability to integrate with various CMS systems, social media, and other marketing channels, makes it a top choice for a holistic marketing approach.
The platform covers a wide range of activities so you won’t need supplemental software. Some of its main features include:
- Content calendar
- AI tools for content creation and optimization
- Campaign monitoring
- Collaboration and workflow approvals
- Analytics and reporting
Regardless of your marketing goals and approach, few better tools are available to marketers.
2. ChatGPT
As an AI language model developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT has dramatically changed how businesses interact with their audiences. ChatGPT can generate human-like text responses, making it an ideal tool for creating quick drafts, generating ideas, and automated content generation.
In 2024, its advanced AI algorithms are more refined, offering more contextually aware and nuanced outputs. Whether you're looking to automate responses, draft articles, or even create personalized messaging, ChatGPT provides a versatile, intelligent solution.
3. ContentShake AI
ContentShake AI by SEMrush is a new tool that has gained popularity for its ability to provide comprehensive content automation services.
This tool is equipped with AI capabilities to analyze current trends and suggest relevant content ideas. It can also create SEO-friendly content using AI and data, and generate social media posts.
4. HootSuite
HootSuite has been around for a while but continues to be one of the most reliable tools for automating social media marketing. In 2024, it still excels at scheduling posts, monitoring social media traffic, boosting social media presence and analyzing engagement data.
Its comprehensive dashboard allows you to manage all your social media efforts from one place, making it easier to maintain a consistent posting schedule and engage with your audience effectively.
5. Canva
Canva has revolutionized graphic design for marketers, bloggers, and businesses. With its user-friendly interface and vast library of content templates, Canva makes professional-looking image content creation and video content creation accessible to everyone, regardless of their graphic design skills.
In 2024, its automation features like scheduled posting and brand kit usage make it more than just a design tool. Whether you're creating social media graphics, presentations, or marketing materials, Canva helps you maintain a high level of consistency and quality with minimal effort.
6. Hubspot
The HubSpot Marketing Hub provides a comprehensive suite of marketing tools that can automate a range of processes. Use HubSpot to:
- Automate email responses.
- Schedule social media posts in advance.
- Produce in-depth analytical social media and website reports.
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of HubSpot’s tool is its ability to draw, nurture, and convert leads through the sales funnel. It allows you to build landing pages, manage digital advertisements, and utilize reporting tools.
7. Adobe Marketo Engage
Marketo, by Adobe, is another all-around marketing automation tool that’s particularly suited to B2B organizations. Its list of features has increased significantly over the years. IT now enables far more nuanced tasks, moving on from standard social media scheduling and analysis.
Some of the key features that appeal to B2B business include:
- Personalized targeted marketing campaigns for effective lead generation.
- Account marketing features.
- Advanced analytical reports providing insights into campaigns and financial performances.
- Email marketing features, including A/B testing and targeting.
- Multichannel engagement capabilities (combining multiple platforms, like email, websites, social media, digital advertising, etc.)
Marketo’s comprehensive tool collection combined with its automation features make it a strong option for larger companies.
8. Salesforce Pardot
If your business already uses the Salesforce CRM, choosing Pardot as an automation tool is a no-brainer. It integrates with the CRM with ease, providing you with a powerful marketing system that can
- Boost lead generation.
- Create more efficient sales funnels.
- Provide detailed analysis of marketing performance as well as ROI.
Pardot's standout feature is its automated lead-scoring system. It uses grades to rate leads, so you can better prioritize potential customers. The best part is that these systems are easy to use.
9. Oracle Eloqua
Eloqua by Oracle is capable of powerful analysis and complex automated marketing tasks required by many large corporations. It’s used by many multinational corporations to automate tasks throughout the entire marketing process. This includes:
- Lead generation.
- Personalized messaging.
- Customer segmentation.
- Detailed analytics.
Oracle Eloqua is an excellent option for a large organization looking to spend its resources on marketing strategy rather than standard tasks. It has more than 700 integrations. This ensures it works with a range of CRM systems, Oracle software, and third-party applications.
10. Sprout Social
One of Hootsuite’s main competitors, Sprout Social is a trusted social media management tool. It offers a range of useful features, like keyword monitoring, scheduling, and automated communication. It allows you to assign chatbots to handle customer messages on Facebook or X.
One of Sprout Social’s unique selling points (USPs) is its AI-powered social listening tool. It analyzes tens of thousands of posts every second, providing you with industry insights, emerging trends, and other important data. Users can leverage this data to create better and more engaging content that resonates with their audience.
11. Buffer
If you’re looking for a social media management option that won’t break the bank check out Buffer. It has multiple useful features, like a scheduling tool for automated posting, analytics reports, and collaboration workflows. It also integrates with third-party applications including Canva, MailChimp, and OpenAI.
Buffer is easy to use with a gentle learning curve. You can get accustomed to it within a few hours.
12. Social Poster
Social Poster is a marketing tool from Semrush, used predominantly for building, scheduling, and posting on multiple social media platforms. Scheduling and analytics may be automated, giving you more control over your content and allowing you to be more efficient with your time.
Available at a competitive monthly price, Social Poster will help you streamline your social media strategy. It’s ideally suited to a small to medium-sized business. In particular, it helps you monitor campaign performances, research competitors, and try new strategies (e.g. influencer marketing).
13. Agorapulse
Agorapulse is an all-around marketing tool that shines brightest in the social media department. It has an advanced social listening tool that tunes into all your social accounts as well as keywords, hashtags, and competitor activity.. You can then use this information to come up with your own content.
Agorapulse has a built-in AI writing assistant to help you write more engaging copy for social media. As a versatile application, Agorapulse is suited to influencers, freelancers, small businesses, and agencies.
14. Mailchimp
Mailchimp was once a leading email marketing platform used to build, monitor, and analyze email marketing campaigns. It has developed into a complete marketing tool, mainly used by small to medium-sized businesses.
Mailchimp’s USP is that it provides accessible, user-friendly components. In addition to excellent email features (audience segmentation) built-in A/B testing, and analytics, Mailchimp offers multichannel marketing tools. You can create, optimize, and monitor social media posts, landing pages, and digital advertisements.
15. Campaign Monitor
If you’re a new brand in search of a value-for-money email marketing tool, Campaign Monitor is one of the top options. Its automation software, particularly for email, is excellent. What’s more, the platform provides real-time reporting, providing you with analysis as soon as your content goes live.
One of Campaign Monitor’s major appeals is its arsenal of templates. You can build and customize the feel of your email, ensuring it delivers the exact message you want.
16. Klaviyo
Designed specifically for the e-commerce marketplace, Klaviyo helps you target and convert your target audience through SMS and email marketing. The platform enables highly personalized experiences through advanced segmentation and behavior-based communication.
Klaviyo uses predictive analytics to determine things like the likelihood of a future purchase. It then uses this data to come up with suitable messaging. Klaviyo integrates with all major e-commerce platforms.
17. Omnisend
Omnisend is another email-oriented platform that targets e-commerce businesses. You can build from premade workflows or create your own email designs from scratch. This is a nice feature if you like to differentiate between campaigns by design and layout. Structurally, Omnisend also enables customization.
18. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is a quality marketing automation platform that recognizes not every aspect of your process can be determined automatically. Rather than removing human influence from each step, ActiveCampaign uses email notifications to prompt salespeople. This human element can make all the difference when closing a sale.
The platform integrates with over 900 third-party applications. Whether you’re building personalized email campaigns or weekly newsletters, the process is intuitive and easy.
19. Brevo
An important part of developing your startup is building your brand and curating a loyal audience. Brevo is designed to do just that. Billed as a CRM suite, it helps you to streamline email, SMS, and chat messaging through automation.
You can write auto-responses for frequently asked questions or email queries, ensuring your target audience remains engaged.
20. Campaigner
Campaigner is one of the top email-based marketing tools on the market. It’s especially beneficial for businesses looking to differentiate themselves with well-crafted, carefully structured email campaigns.
Not only does it allow you to design and structure your emails exactly how you want to, but Campaigner also provides behavioral analytics. When integrated with an e-commerce store, like Shopify, this gives you invaluable insights into your target market and their buying habits.
21. GetResponse
GetResponse helps your startup automate communication through multiple channels. Although it started as an email-based system, it has expanded into SMS and website chat responses.
The major selling point is that GetResponse can integrate with e-commerce platforms. This enables you to entice customers toward making purchases. You can create custom responses or messages to help sell products or services.
For example, if a QR code generator business had an FAQ section, a chatbot could be programmed to answer queries and direct customers toward a sales page.
22. Keap
Keap is a CRM and email marketing package in one. It’s designed for new businesses and startups, helping reduce the time and effort needed for data entry and daily marketing tasks, like emails and customer responses.
One of the top reasons to consider Keap is its expert coaching package. For a fee, you can receive guidance and walk-throughs from an InfusionSoft representative. Larger organizations may not appreciate the full benefits of this platform.
23. Constant Contact
Constant Contact isn’t necessarily a content automation tool just yet. However, it is established as an email marketing platform with automated capabilities. However, it continues to introduce automation, notably in the form of team workflows and personalization from AI technology.
Constant Contact is best suited to businesses that have partnerships with e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, eBay, or Etsy.
24. Zapier
Zapier is an outlier on this list. It doesn’t add value as a standalone application. Rather, it connects commonly used professional programs, like Slack, Gmail, and management apps. Essentially, Zapier acts as a hub, allowing you to automate various tasks and actions from integrated software.
You can build Zaps, which are workflows, allowing you to transfer data between apps. For example, you could connect your Google Ads account to an e-commerce site, adding leads directly to your sales funnel.
25. AdCreative.ai
AdCreative.ai, as the name suggests, is one of the most creative and unique systems on the list. The application creates customized ads that match your branding and messaging. From the user side, all you need is clear prompts. However, you can choose the type of ads you want for various platforms.
26. Twilio
Twilio accommodates scaled email campaigns. The company claims to produce trillions per year. If your business is focused on attaining a large customer base and focusing on email marketing, a service like Twilio is a non-negotiable.
Work Smarter, Not Harder With StoryChief
From AI-driven copywriting solutions to sophisticated analytics platforms, these technologies promise not only to streamline workflows but also significantly enhance the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
By integrating these content automation platforms into their strategies, marketing teams can focus more on creativity and innovation while leaving the heavy lifting to automation.
To significantly enhance your content workflow, we recommend focusing on tools that offer:
- Content strategy development
- Keywords research
- Generation of content ideas
- Content creation and editing
- AI-enhanced copywriting and SEO improvement
- Social media management
- Content planning and collaborating
- Publishing across multiple channels
- Analytics and performance
- Monitoring keyword rankings
- Conducting SEO website audits
Sign up to StoryChief to try out all the tools above for free!
