There are many great tools and apps that will support you in running your business, and a CRM for Marketing is one of them. A CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) is one core tool that you can’t be without if you want to ensure you are able to nurture potential customers to the point of buying from you.
Why is CRM Software a must?
CRM Software creates central source of all of your customer and prospect information is critical to the smooth running of your business, not least:
– Keeping a central view of all existing customers and prospects
– Holding information and notes on those you’ve had conversations with
– Keeping tabs on the interactions that customers and prospects have had with the business
– Tracking and reporting stats
The list is vast. Quite simply, this central view and capability can save you hours of time, and is at the pinnacle of creating meaningful and lasting relationships.
Many of these features will come for free in some of the well-known customer relationship management systems, for example, Mailchimp, Hubspot, Keap and the like – and they’re even better when you pay for the upgraded version.
So what about using a CRM for marketing your small business?
CRM systems have a whole other level of fantastic functionality that allows you to build your marketing list (or email list) stay in touch with those on your marketing list, in a time efficient manner, and create a relationship so that when the time comes that they are ready to buy, it will be you that they come to first.
Let’s explore some of those wonderful marketing features.
1. Landing Pages
Landing pages are much like a page on your website; and is one to CRM systems greatest key features! They allow you to create a page of information on something specific that you may want your prospective customers to read about and act on.
For example, if you wanted to create fresh new data in your database, of those individuals that you can nurture into clients, you may well have a landing page that offers a ‘Free Guide’. In offering that guide, you will be able to create new data into your CRM, and in return, they will get your free guide. Here’s an example of this. By registering, you will be able to see what the process if like from a prospective customer point of view; because filling out the form triggers and automatic email to send, which we will cover in point 2 below.
There are some superb landing page templates that you will find in your CRM system, that you can simply personalise to your business.
What can you produce and provide to your customers, to collect more data?
2. Automated Emails
When your prospect fills out your landing page form, the CRM software can automatically send a response that you have pre-set within the system. This email may be the email that delivers the free guide we discussed in number 1. above.
You simply use a set of rules within your CRM system that tells it what to send and when, when someone completes that form, and the data arrives in your system.
The beauty of this feature is that you can set up multiple emails, in a sequence, that can warm that prospect over time. For example:
Email 1: Delivers the freebie, immediately
Email 2: Reminds them about the freebie, and offers another bit of advice, 2 days later
Email 3: Expands on the subject matter and offers some more value, 3 days later
Email 4: Makes an irresistible offer, 2 days after
This is just an idea of how you might structure some automated emails or automated workflows, that will nurture potential customers whilst you are sleeping, through a pre-planned sales process and helping you avoid repetitive tasks and create better customer experiences.
Do note, you must ensure you collect and treat data in line with GDPR guidelines; as you should with any of your marketing campaigns.
What emails do you consistently send out that you could automate?
3. Scoring Leads
There are some super lead management capabilities and advanced features in CRM systems or CRM software that help you to identify where your leads are in the buying process, taking into consideration the actions they have previously taken and the customer interactions with your email marketing. These are highly valuable insights. The system can automatically score your leads, and you can filter them to find the warmest of those leads in your sales pipeline; and then carry out actions that move those individuals closer to the sale. Great for all small businesses and sales teams too.
For example, if you or your sales teams, can see that a particular set of individuals have reached a certain lead score, you may wish to make direct sales calls to them. They are much more likely to be receptive to the call, because you are now so much more familiar with them from your automated email marketing, and the customer relationships are continuously building.
How could you use lead scoring to support you in identifying hot leads?
4. Targeting and Segmentation within your CRM for Marketing purposes
Taking number 3 a little further, a CRM system for marketing will allow you to sort your data into meaningful segments that you can communicate with differently and appropriately in the sales cycle.
For example, if you owned a healthcare business, you may have treatments that are different for men and women (as a very basic example). You may wish to email MEN with specific offerings and WOMEN with other offerings. You can then make all of your messaging very specific to your target audience with your CRM software, which is much more likely to resonate with them, and therefore, outcomes will be stronger.
Your targeting and segmentation is only ever as good as the data you collect, however, and you can only get valuable insights if you do gather the right information. So do make sure that you are collecting the data you need for segmentation purposes, so you can utilise this appropriately within that sales cycle.
What would make some logical segments in your business, that you could send emails to?
5. Regular Contact
One of the basics of having a CRM system is to regularly communicate with your database, and let them know what’s happening in your world, or their world, that is interesting, informative and useful to them.
Do think about creating a regular ‘newsletter’ that does this; for both your prospects and your customers, as that will help with customer loyalty.
As an example, at All Star Marketing Club, we send out a monthly “What’s On” email, giving our database an overview of what marketing training we have coming up – both free and paid, that they can access. We will always get bookings from that.
Your regular newsletter may include things like:
- Market News
- New products or Services
- Team Member News
- Top Tips
- Free downloads
- Events taking place
- A combination of the above
It’s always good to have some key email templates that you can use for this sort of activity, to ensure it is something that your audience come to expect, know and love to receive.
What would you like to regularly communicate with your customers about?
6. Task Management
Making sure that leads never fall through the net is very important, and this is where workflow automation and task management play a big part. If you’ve put the hard work into getting the data in the first place, then don’t let it find its way into your database, and not be given the appropriate action that supports turning that individual into a paying customer.
In your CRM system, you can create rules around tasks as well, and you can set up certain parameters that allow you to receive a notification to carry out a certain action.
As an example, if someone downloads a specific sales brochure, it is a good indication that they are in buying mode. You can create a task that notifies you or a member of staff, to make an outbound call to them.
What tasks could you set up in this way, so that your marketing automation is working harder for you?
These are just a handful of ways you can use your CRM to support you in getting leads and sales, and a way for your to not only optimise your marketing and sales funnel, but also address some of the business processes that you could automate too.
If you want to get that competitive edge, then do look at integrating these contact management features. But do look at the options, and the CRM tools available, and make a selection that best suits your needs.
Do get in touch with All Star Marketing Club if you would like any help.
