As a marketer I could tell you story after story of the client with the website that has no CRM. You ask them where the data goes and crickets chirp on the other end of the line. What a missed opportunity. I can’t stress it enough- Data is valuable! Collect it, manage it and use it to build loyal customers.
There are a plethora of options out there from free & functional to budget busters with all the bells and whistles. As Marketing Director for Traklight we have selected to implement my favorite- Infusionsoft Infusionsoft . Primarily built for small-medium sized businesses, Infusionsoft has the power to become your marketing department.
I recently attended Infusioncon 2013 and was blown away by the creative applications of the software. Each year they recognize an “Ultimate Marketer†(sorry guys but Traklight will be taking the prize in 2014) and the contestants’ stories were incredible. Not only were there the typical forms, emails and opt-ins but these companies used external plug-ins to do things like send a caramel apple to their patient who just had their braces removed, or even perform the daunting task of training new hires. And the best part? All automated. Think of the potential for your brand. To have the ability to make really relevant touch points with your customers. Think of the cost savings for your company. The efficiencies created through this automation save real, hard dollars that add up fast.
I encourage each of you to sit down and make a list of your company’s marketing objectives for the rest of 2013. Research CRM applications like Infusionsoft, Salesforce, Basecamp and more- don’t forget to check out the plug-in capabilities like Sendoutcards, social applications, etc.- and start circling what could be accomplished by simply leveraging one of these platforms. You’ll be amazed. What may have felt like dream goals before the exercise are suddenly do able within the next quarter.