One of the biggest mistakes digital marketers make, is focusing on self-promotion instead of engagement. What we’ve discovered, is that by focusing on creating conversations through personalized email marketing campaigns instead of going straight for the ‘hard sell,’ your team will gain key insights about your company’s online reputation and how you can build your connection with your audience.
Email Marketing Campaigns and CRM Automation Get Personal in 2018
“When people show you who they are, believe them.” This axiom penned by Dr. Maya Angelou applies to perfectly digital marketing. As a marketer and business owner, it’s crucial to pay attention to what your customers tell you about their likes, dislikes, motivations, and goals. You also want to know where your customers are spending their time. From having your thumb on the influencers your customers follow, the kinds of events they attend, and even the content they consume, this knowledge is important in order to start a dialogue with your customers. With that information, you can effectively use email marketing campaigns and social media marketing to reach more people just like the ones who are actively engaging you.
How does your company handle onboarding?
Improving how your firm or business handles the onboarding process is one of the most important conversations you can have with your team and your customers alike. Onboarding is the first contact point customers have with your product or service, and it should be a process that every single customer one of your customers experiences. As experts in marketing automation and CRM, we’ve discovered that onboarding is one of the most critical opportunities of the client-customer relationship.
Understanding the first impression your company gives customers can help boost retention and conversion, in addition to improving your online reputation by giving your firm the opportunity to earn better reviews and curate testimonials from happy customers.
A simple way to fine tune your first impression with customers is by asking. Most customers are more than happy to share their experience — especially when they know that you care.
Do you speak your customers’ language?
Having a grasp on the problems and concerns of your customers is just the beginning; it’s still crucial to engage in regular conversations with them. By staying engaged you get the unique opportunity to learn how your audience talks. For example, many have professionals have their own language or industry jargon that you’ll need to understand if you don’t want to struggle with engagement and conversion. As a professional marketer, it’s not just your job to study what your customers are saying: you also have to pay close attention to how they’re saying it.
Don’t forget to ask “Why”
Digital marketing insight and sustainable growth come from blending the “What” and the “Why,” of your business with your own intuition. Why are your customers buying your product? Why are they signing up for email updates or newsletters? Why aren’t they referring friends or family?
While brand ambassadors are great when it comes to sharing the benefits of your company, your current customers are the ones who will tell you where they felt your business or service came up short; they just need to know you’re willing to listen to what they have to say. One of the most powerful questions you can ask your customers when talking to them is “Why,” and it should fundamental part of your digital marketing and social media strategies.
What do your clients want and what do they need?
Another common mistake made by businesses, is presuming that you know what your customer wants better than they do. Instead of operating by guessing what your customers needs, ask them. You may even find that your customers love you even more when you start to make improvements on your services based on the comments and the dialogue you’ve had with them. Also keep in mind that by taking the time to listen to your customers, you’re also going to generate stronger brand loyalty, turning customers into brand advocates.
Why have clients left you in the past?
While some may view a bad review or a negative social media interaction as the kiss of death for customer relations management, incredible insight can be gained by talking to those clients who were unhappy or those who have stopped engaging with your brand.
Keep in mind that most customers won’t mention that they’re dissatisfied. Instead, they’ll leave. Instead of letting them walk away, reach out to learn how you can improve your business and customer relationships.
Get your clients involved and invested in your brand
Anytime you going to release something new, it’s an opportunity to get your customers involved. From roundtable discussions, and video hangouts, to simple hashtag conversations, show your customers you value their input by giving them the chance to weigh in on features or services they’d like to see.
One great way to do this, is to conduct alpha and beta testing on landing pages. Since reading minds is still impossible, the surest way to build something your audience will truly love is by getting them to talk about what they want. Engaging in this way not only helps your customers to feel valued, they also become far more loyal when they are empowered to play an active role in developing one of their favorite brands, tools, or services.
Make content sharing work for you
When your content gets shared or highlighted by influencers in your field, make sure you thank them. Increasingly, brands are unlocking the power of influence branding so if you get the opportunity to engage, be sure to take it. If your blog or product has been shared by an influencer, not only should you thank them, you should also ask them why. Ask why your content captured their attention or how it added value to their day and find out what other kinds of content they find compelling. This research will help you refine your digital marketing strategy as well as inform the kinds of content you create for your audience.
Don’t Let Your Emails Get Lost in Translation
At Soffront, our team has more than 25 years of experience helping thousands of businesses and entrepreneurs grow. Connect with our team today to learn about our full-suite of digital marketing solutions, including email marketing campaigns with hundreds of personalized templates to choose from.
