There is no denying that marketing automation delivers results: a 10% increase in marketing contribution to pipeline, a 20% increase in generated sales opportunities for nurtured leads versus non-nurtured leads, and converting 53% more leads to Marketing-qualified leads.

So, why do just 5-10% of companies under $500 million in revenue use marketing automation?

The most common reasons given for reluctance to adopt marketing automation range from lack of time or budget to the inability to get executive approval.

One less-talked-about objection, however, is the most likely culprit: fear of the unknown. The biggest hesitation comes from those who have not used marketing automation before. For those unfamiliar with the technology, it can be scary to make the decision to invest in it. No one wants to screw up, or look dumb by not being able to use all the bells and whistles.

However, there are numerous resources for studying up on marketing automation. This video from Salesfusion's Marketing Minutes Video Series provides an overview of what marketing automation is, also outlining how to determine whether a business could benefit from a marketing automation solution.