The technological innovations which most affect small businesses’ marketing automation are those which enhance and aid immediacy and relevance. In today’s marketplace, your product is relevant to your customer base now, not two months beforehand or afterwards. In order to successfully implement marketing automation within your business, you need to consider relevance and immediacy when developing a marketing and delivery plan. Keep the following tips in mind when you do so.
Keep Your Database Active.
In order to deliver immediate products, updates, and best practices to your clientele, you need to maintain an active customer information database. By integrating your marketing strategy with an such a database, you can deliver marketing materials that speak to customer needs of the moment. Being able to meet your customers’ immediate needs as well as their long-term needs makes you relevant in a way that helps to ensure loyalty and future sales.
Strike While the Iron is Hot
Now that your customer information database is an active, living part of your marketing strategy, you need to make sure that immediate needs are met immediately. The longer you wait to reach a prospect – or even a regular customer – the more likely it is that they will find an alternative. After all, if you’re a loyal Jack-in-the-Box patron but your local restaurant isn’t serving food right now, you’ll probably find another fast food option. You’re hungry now. So are prospects and customers.
Target and Focus
Today’s email and communications technology allow you to send targeted messages at specific times rather than generic mass-mailings on a periodic basis. With the proper database automation, you can pick and choose which marketing materials to send to which prospects and clients, and at the perfect time. Why send your entire catalog if you know that John Q. Customer wants a specific product within that catalog? Why not just send the item description? New technology makes it cost-effective to send out over a hundred pieces of material on Monday, less than a dozen on Tuesday, and more than 500 on Wednesday. At the same time, use your database research to alter the message based on what you know about each customer or prospect.
Automate and Walk Away
Many businesses make the mistake of continually fiddling with their marketing automation processes if results are not perfect instantaneously. The important thing is that you automate tasks which can be handled by a database solution more efficiently and effectively than by employees. This will free up man-hours, reduce costs and restore productivity. Once you’ve automated your database, walk away. Let it do the job you programmed it to do. Database programs self-update, so allow yours to do so. Modify it on a periodic basis in order to ensure effectiveness, and use your new resources – both temporal and financial – to grow your business.
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