A Guide to CRM

Aug 10, 2021

Do you have a customer relationship management tool in place for your business? They’ve been around a while, but it’s now more important than ever to streamline marketing, improve customer experience, and generate leads, among other great ways to grow your business. For those businesses that have been on the fence about adopting a CRM system, it’s time to implement a solution to help ease post-pandemic recovery.

What Is CRM?

These tools come in all shapes and sizes,  but the basic definition is that the tool integrates all of the engagement your business has with both current customers and those you hope to draw in. The tools then distill that data and all of those interactions to actionable insight that drives revenue. It can also streamline marketing automation and customer service in one simple dashboard. 

Why Use CRM?

The relationships you have with customers and clients matter now more than ever, especially for businesses that have branched into eCommerce and have fewer face-to-face interactions. Every time someone takes action to engage with your business’s digital assets (social media, website clicks, booking an appointment) your CRM tool will add that data to its collection. This serves to help quantify the actions you’re taking to maintain and nurture customer relationships. 

Segmentation

CRMs continuously collect data and then work to define that data into groups based on keywords, interests, purchases, and more. Segmentation of your customers can organize them into groups that you can then interact with based on unique characteristics. How you move forward with new customers who haven’t yet made a purchase will be much different than how you follow up with shoppers who have already bought from you. Segmentation makes it easy to get a big-picture look at how you can continue the conversation based on where they are in the purchase process.

Personalization

Not everyone who comes to a website will be on the same buyer’s journey, and using CRM to meet them where they are with personalized information will push them to take the next steps towards making a purchase. Personalization is key now more than ever and you need to find ways for your message to cut through the noise. Data from segmentation can be carried through to the personalization process; one good example is using automation to trigger a series of emails based on website visitor information and interests. 

Predictive Analysis

Many (if not all) CRM solutions use artificial intelligence (AI) to make it more than just a virtual Rolodex of customer data. AI features track customer patterns and suggest to retailers what shoppers will need before they even need it, giving businesses an opportunity to ensure inventory is available. AI-based CRM tools can track favorite purchases and average purchase amounts, automatically send discount offers, or generate news about the business. 

Agility

Cloud-based CRMs with cybersecurity features allow business owners and salespeople to access all the data collected on mobile devices when they want from wherever. Customer data can’t be siloed in a computer database that’s only accessed from a physical office or storefront; users should be able to access it from remote locations. 

CRMs can be a valuable tool for any size business to gain a competitive edge during a time when recovery is on everyone’s mind, and customer interactions are key to keeping doors open. If you’re ready to get serious about continuity, consistency, and results in your marketing, you need an experienced professional to help you build and deploy a marketing system to land your new best customers.

Digital marketing, content marketing, SEO, website creation, social media, and email can be confusing and overwhelming. So why add in the need to manage different vendors across every channel? Free up your time and lower your overall costs with one of our marketing packages. We combine effective marketing tactics into practical, proven marketing systems — contact us today to get started!

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Forecasting the Next Ten Years of Marketing

10 Apr, 2024
Marketing is gearing up for significant changes as we enter the new decade. With new technologies, shifts in buyer behavior, and changes in consumption culture, the way businesses reach out to customers will look very different in the coming years. While we can't say what marketing will look like in 10 years, we can examine emerging trends and strategies to forecast its future. Here are some predictions experts are suggesting could take shape moving forward. Increasing Personalized Advertising Personalized marketing should undergo even more profound transformations in the coming decade, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to forge deeper customer connections. With the ability to glean insights from vast amounts of data, companies will craft highly tailored ads and messages that resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships. From dynamic content customization to predictive marketing algorithms, the era of hyper-personalization will redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences on a one-to-one level. Advanced Device Communication The proliferation of voice-enabled devices and virtual assistants heralds a new era in consumer engagement, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies to communicate effectively through these mediums. As voice technology continues to gain traction, companies must anticipate the rise of voice commerce and tailor their approaches to accommodate this emerging trend. By leveraging conversational AI and natural language processing, brands can deliver seamless, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, whether shopping, seeking information, or interacting with digital assistants. Wider Use of Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become a ubiquitous tool in the marketer's arsenal, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional advertising methods. With VR, brands can transport consumers into captivating virtual environments where they can interact with products and services unprecedentedly, fostering deeper engagement and brand loyalty. As VR technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, expect to see a proliferation of immersive marketing campaigns that leverage the power of virtual experiences to captivate audiences and drive conversions.

The Power of Storytelling

12 Mar, 2024
Marketing tends to focus on analytics and systems, but we sometimes forget about one powerful tool that has existed since the beginning: storytelling. From our ancestors telling ancient myths to be passed down for the generations to come to modern-day brand narratives, stories have held the power to inspire and connect in all different ways. Today, consumers face a constant bombardment of advertisements and catered content; using the power of storytelling in marketing campaigns has become critical for businesses, especially smaller firms aiming to create meaningful connections with their target clients. Why Storytelling is an Effective Strategy When a brand uses storytelling to convey its message, it connects with the audience emotionally. By telling a compelling story, marketers can create a memorable experience for consumers, making them more likely to remember and engage with the brand. Additionally, storytelling allows marketers to communicate the brand's values and personality more authentically. Instead of bombarding consumers with sales pitches, storytelling enables brands to share their stories and build trust with their audience, increasing brand loyalty and customer engagement. The Emotional Resonance of Stories At the heart of storytelling lies its ability to bring out emotions and create profound connections on a human level. Unlike traditional marketing messages focusing solely on product features or sales pitches, stories can engage the audience's imagination, stir empathy, and spark genuine interest. By weaving narratives that resonate with their target audience's hopes, dreams, and challenges, small marketing firms can create a powerful emotional bond that transcends transactional relationships. Building Brand Identity and Authenticity Storytelling is a potent tool for small businesses to authentically define and express their brand identity. Through compelling narratives that reflect their values, mission, and vision, small firms can differentiate themselves from competitors and carve out a distinct identity in the minds of consumers. Whether recounting the founder's journey, highlighting customer success stories, or showcasing the company's commitment to social responsibility, storytelling allows small businesses to humanize their brand and foster customer trust and loyalty.

A Guide to Employee-Generated Content

13 Feb, 2024
In a world of "influencer marketing" and brand deals, companies can easily overspend their marketing budgets and get caught up in the frenzy. An influencer may feature your product or brand only for their videos to perform poorly. At best, you lose out on the money spent sending the product to the influencer and whatever you spent on hiring them. At worst, your business gets a bad reputation online, and customers don't take your brand seriously. Consider that influencer marketing is just the "shiny new toy" in marketing. In that case, companies should continue to produce consistent, cost-effective outcome. One source for this? Your Employees. Employee-generated content refers to any videos, pictures, or copy that employees publicly post about their position and the company. Find out the benefits of employee-generated content (EGC), what this content can look like, and how to implement EGC into your overall strategy. What Does Employee-Generated Content Look Like? The beauty of employee-generated content is that it can take many forms. Any content your employees make that involves details about their role, the company itself, or the relationships they've developed with coworkers or customers/clients can be EGC. A simple, straightforward EGC piece can be an employee spotlight for new hires or veteran employees. You can choose to craft employee spotlights as infographics with a picture of the employee along with some fun facts about them, write a long-form piece from an interview with the employee speaking about their time at the company, or even long or short-form videos with the employee speaking on their experiences. While these methods may require the help of a graphic designer, copywriter, or videographer, the idea is that the employees generate the content by speaking about their experiences and introducing themselves. Other ideas for EGC pieces might be "day in the life" videos following a specific employee throughout their day, reflections employees have from conferences or professional development opportunities, employment milestones or recognitions, or even just pictures employees take with each other or showing what happened that day. There are limitless options and iterations for employee-generated content, and the key is to find out what works well for your business and why.
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