It's one of the hottest buzzwords in the world of online marketing: automation! Marketing automation seems ideal. The term itself leads you to believe that you can set up a system and then sit back and relax as leads pour into your sales team's desks. But what is the reality like? Could it really be that easy? If your business is considering an investment in this effective online strategy, there are some marketing automation requirements you need to know before spending your hard-earned money.1. Choose a solid partner There is no shortage of marketing automation providers on the market. You can choose from companies that perform a full range of services. From automated social media posts (think Hootsuite) to automated sales funnels (think Infusionsoft) you have a big decision ahead of you. The first thing you need to do when investing in marketing automation is find the right partner. There are a few things to consider when narrowing down your pool of potential candidates: What are your ultimate goals? What type of message does your audience need to move to the next stage...