56 Marketing Automation Statistics Every Marketer Must Know

Feeling overwhelmed by all the talk around marketing automation but not sure what’s real and what’s just hype? It’s kind of obvious! With so many tools and platforms out there, it’s hard to know what actually works and where to invest.

That’s why we bring to you the marketing automation statistics. These numbers cut through the noise, showing you where teams are seeing results, what’s trending, and which mistakes to avoid.

56 Eye-Opening Marketing Automation Statistics

If you’ve been checking Statista marketing automation reports lately, you already sense that things are moving fast. As SaaS founders, we’ve seen firsthand how automation is turning into the heartbeat of how we connect, convert, and grow.

So, here are our hand-picked insightful statistics every decision-maker should know —

1. Market Growth & Size

The marketing automation market size is on a consistent upward trajectory.

1. Marketing automation vendors are expected to earn $6.6 billion in revenue by 2026, a rise from $2.9 billion in 2020.
2. The marketing automation market is projected to reach $10.54 billion by 2029, growing at an average annual rate of 9.1% over the coming years.
3. By 2030, the worldwide market for marketing automation is likely to grow to $13.71 billion.
4. Spending on programmatic advertising across the globe is expected to hit $724.84 billion by 2026.
5. From 2024 to 2032, the global market for financial automation is likely to expand at a yearly growth rate of more than 14.2%, eventually hitting $20.7 billion by 2032.

2. Budget Allocation & Adoption Trends

These marketing automation stats reflect how a majority of companies are reallocating resources to implement automation for marketing.

1. About 61% of marketers surveyed said they plan to spend more on marketing automation next year.

2. Pedalix found that 83% of B2B firms spending more than $570,000 on marketing make strong use of automation tools.
3. Another recent report revealed that only one in four companies has adopted marketing automation in a major way.
4. More than two-thirds of marketers think expanding automation in marketing helps them attract and retain customers.
5. According to a 2024 survey, 41% of marketing decision-makers have fully automated their customer journeys, while 59% have made partial progress.

3. Key Use Cases & Application Areas

The current and future scope of automation for marketing goes well beyond email campaigns. 

1. Currently, the top uses of marketing automation are email campaigns at 63%, social media management at 50%, and paid ads at 40%.

2. 28% of marketers intend to include marketing automation in their email marketing strategies.
3. Among all marketing channels, email marketing sees the highest level of automation.
4. Currently, 18% of companies make automation their go-to approach for handling email outreach.
5. Out of 250 marketers using automation, 50% reported daily use. Meanwhile, 33.2% use it from time to time, and 16.8% said their usage is more infrequent.

4. Benefits & Return on Investment

According to these marketing automation stats, businesses are generating more leads, conversions, and seeing measurable ROI improvements.

1. According to surveyed B2B and B2C marketers, the top goals for enhancing marketing automation next year are strengthening strategy (37%) and improving data accuracy (34%).
2. Survey results show that automation helps most with customer experience (43%). In addition, 38% find it useful for saving time, and 35% credit it for supporting clearer decision-making.
3. According to data, marketers who rely on automation are 46% more likely to describe their marketing plans as successful.
4. Nucleus Research found that companies make $5.44 for each dollar they invest in marketing automation within three years.
5. HubSpot’s 2024 State of Marketing & Trends Report shows that 77% of marketers rely on automation tools to deliver personalized content to their audiences.
6. The shift toward automation has helped companies perform better, leading to 80% more leads and a 77% boost in conversions.
7. Marketing automation is useful, according to 49% of marketers, for saving time and enabling more personalized outreach.
8. 45% marketers noted that it also improves workflow and leads to better ROI.
9. Marketing automation has helped 39% of marketers find leads that are more likely to convert.
10. According to McKinsey, automation usually helps sales teams work more efficiently.
11. According to Forrester Research, automation may help grow the sales pipeline by 10%.
12. 42% of marketers believe that marketing automation will play a key role in digital strategies going forward.
13. 37% feel that marketing automation will likely gain even more importance over time.
14. 22% of users say they see marketing automation becoming a part of sales over time.

5. Cross-Departmental Impact of Automation

Beyond marketing, the ripple effects of automation extend to sales, HR, IT, and finance. 

1. A 2022 study by Salesforce and Vanson Bourne shows that 91% of businesses have seen a rise in automation demand over the last two years.
2. 80% of executives think automation can support decisions across all areas of the business.
3. More than 40% of CFOs are now focusing on adopting tech like automation to help their teams work more efficiently and build new skills.
4. Around 70% supply chain professionals say automation  helps them keep talent, while more than 50% believe it opens doors for learning and job growth.
5. According to Gartner, network automation is expected to grow fast, with 30% of businesses automating at least half of their network tasks by 2026.
6. Thanks to payment automation, companies are saving over 500 hours a year in their finance teams — that’s about 9.9 hours each week.
7. At first, just 66% of accounting and finance staff felt good about using automation. This was lower than in IT, HR, and sales. But after putting automation in place, that number rose to 89%, according to a Salesforce report.
8. About 93% of CFOs say they’ve been able to process invoices faster because of digital tools and automation. On the other hand, 80% of those still facing delays blame it on not using AI-based automation.
9. In HR, automation use has surged by 599% in recent years. HR bots now make up 39% of all employee automation tasks.
10. More than 40% of HR professionals plan to expand their use of automation by 2026.
11. Most HR employees (95%) shared positive experiences after trying out automation tools, a clear jump from the 72% who felt that way before using them.
12. 53% of HR staff said automation helped cut down on routine, repetitive tasks.
13. For sales employees, 82% reported they could spend more time connecting with customers because of automation.
14. AI and automation help sales reps save over 2 hours and 15 minutes every day by taking care of tasks like data entry and scheduling.
15. AI-powered automation can make sales more efficient by saving between 30 minutes and an hour on prospecting, plus 1 to 2 hours each on lead evaluation and analyzing data.
16. 50% of sales reps who use AI expect that by 2030, most of their tools will feature automation or AI built in.
17. Automation has made teamwork across departments more enjoyable for 90% of IT staff.
18. 82% of IT pros want to improve their automation tools to deal with complex and blended systems more efficiently.
19. Over 70% of employees say automation speeds up their daily work.
20. Almost 90% of employees believe that automation tools help them avoid mistakes.
21. Marketing teams rely on automation tools far more than other departments — 76% more than sales and 136% more than finance.

6. Challenges & Barriers to Adoption

Despite the enthusiasm, the growth of the marketing automation market is met with real-world friction points.

1. The top priority in choosing a marketing automation platform is how much it costs.
2. Preparing for automation takes up the biggest chunk of resources, with 70% typically used before any automation is implemented.
3. The biggest obstacle to adopting marketing automation tools is the lack of proper training and understanding.
4. For most marketers, the main issue lies in not having enough hands-on expertise to use these marketing automation tools effectively 
5. 47.18% of marketers believe they understand, at least to some extent, how to include AI in the way they approach marketing.
6. As automation reshapes global jobs, between 7 to 24% of women and 8 to 28% of men might have to shift to new types of work.

Final Words

If you’re a startup founder, marketing lead, or ops manager, these marketing automation statistics give you direction. Founders should watch ROI trends, and marketers can use these stats to fine-tune content and workflows. 

When it comes to ops teams, look at cross-department gains. To decide: check if your goals align with automation’s strengths, like lead gen, personalization, and time savings. 

If you’re unsure where to start, look at where others are seeing success, like email and paid ads.

FAQs

Can you make marketing automation work?

Yes, you can make marketing automation work if you understand how its parts connect. Start with clear goals, avoid common mistakes like ignoring data or over-automating, and use tested workflows to personalize your customer journey effectively.

What are some common marketing automation mistakes to avoid?

Avoid these marketing automation mistakes: unclear goals, generic content, ignoring analytics, skipping workflow tests, and forgetting the human element. Plus, map the whole customer journey to make your automation feel innovative, not robotic.

Is marketing automation the same as CRM?

No, marketing automation and CRM aren’t the same. CRM helps you understand customer relationships, while automation handles routine marketing tasks. They work best together; automation saves time, and CRM enables you to get to know your audience.