With customer flow communication software being new to the marketing and communication industry, it is important to review how to develop a full strategy.
In this article, we're going to tackle some subjects often overlooked. After answering the basic questions that point you in the right direction for strategizing, you're then prepared to move onto the next series of questions.
After reading the following questions, you will look deeper at your internal workings, to ensure you're not only prepared to maintain your campaigns using marketing automation tools but also ensure that your company's structure will support it.
Again, these general questions will help you develop a customer flow communication strategy.
Goal Setting
1. What Are Your Goals?
What do you hope to achieve with your communication strategy? New customers? Drive sales? Hits on your website or social media?
Whatever your internal goals are for your automated marketing campaign, ensure that they're achievable. Meaning, don't assume that you're going to have an immediate jump in your sales by, say, 100% in the first month after sending.
Establish reasonable and clear-cut goals, and ensure that you've created a system in which to monitor your progress. Remember, goals are flexible, and aren't hard and fast. Always reevaluate your goals, whether it's quarterly or yearly. It'll help you understand what's working and what isn't.
2. What Are Your Sales Goals?
Since marketing campaigns are, well, about marketing, one of your main goals is to generate leads and drive sales. But, putting money in your pocket does come with unachievable expectations. Consider first your overall sales goals, and say that it's 3% yearly.
So, what's the percentage of that 3% that you expect from your marketing automation campaigns?
Data Collection
3. What Are Your Data Priorities?
Without optimized and updated data, you'll never know how successful and effective your marketing and communication campaigns are. Some of the top data points that are industry standard include conversion rates, click-throughs, bounce rates and forwards. Though there are more minute and specific data points to consider, but these are a great place to start.
When looking at your customer data, figure out which order you'd like to consider. All data points are interconnected, but some areas are more important to look at when starting a new automated or inbound marketingg campaign.
4. How Often Will You Analyze Your Data?
As your campaign grows, analyzing your data more frequently is required. However, as a general rule, look at your data at set intervals, depending on the frequency you send our your emails, texts, voice messages or social media posts. Let's say you send out an email monthly. Then it would be a good plan to look at your reports on a weekly basis.
Staffing Needs
5. Who Is In Charge?
Is it your marketing director or are you going to put someone else on your staff in charge? As easy as online marketing sounds, it isn't as simple as being creative, hitting send and hoping for the best. There needs to be someone who has a complete overview of your campaigns, which includes monitoring your data and ensuring that the goals are met.
6. What Are Your Staffing Needs?
Depending on the size of your customer flow communication campaign, you'll need to figure out what staffing you'll need besides the manager of the account. Are you going to outsource your design, list management, and content? Or, is there a staff in place that will be able to handle all of the requisite tasks required? The good news is, customer flow communication as a whole will reduce the resources needed as a lot of the messaging is automated and only needs to be set up once.
Software
7. What Type of Software Do You Need?
This question wholly depends on what your budget is for your overall communication campaign. Is your campaign more grassroots, with a small budget? Then consider free or open-source email marketing software. If you're able to afford a top-of-the-line system, then do your research to find the right software. The days of single channel marketing are coming to an end, so if you can go beyond email, customer flow communication offers several channels that covers online, offline, social and mobile marketing.
Also, consider how you'd like your software to perform. Do you want it to be easy, with point-and-click technology? Or, do you prefer to be more hands-on? Does your software come with data analysis tools or will you have to rely on a different system?
Automated marketing tools can make-or-break your entire campaign. Make sure you have the right system for your specific needs before you even begin.
