Getting back to basics to engineer lasting change
Successful business growth requires establishing a foundation based on several basic principles. These basics revolve around two critical components: people and process. And in today’s world, the potential of these two elements to empower your business can be optimised by a further investment – technology. Long-term stability will result if these are in place before attempting more complex techniques.
Build a strong team of marketing problem solvers
Recruiting and nurturing a team of marketers who buy into your company values, are dedicated to achieving your company goals and are willing to tackle complex challenges is vital. Get it right, and they will fuel the long-term growth of your organisation by generating new leads and maximising the value of existing ones.
Building a successful team of marketers who are right for your brand and can bring order to chaos starts with the hiring process, as you seek out individuals who align with your business and its long-term objectives. However, it doesn’t end there. As with any employees, it is essential to offer growth opportunities, invest in them, and strengthen their abilities through training so they remain engaged, motivated and keen to deliver for you.
However, having an outstanding marketing team is only one part of any growth strategy. Marketing teams can only deliver value that leads to lasting change if the right operating processes are laid out to guide their actions, keep them on-brand and consistent with your company’s ethos and goals.
This is where the process backs up the people.
Use universal language that everyone understands
A business’s communication should be clear and consistent no matter what department or person it is coming from. It is this consistency that makes up a company’s brand values and allows your target audience to identify with you. Develop documentation that includes brand guidelines and terminology use to ensure that whoever’s voice is speaking, the brand identity shines through.
The language used within a company helps set it up for consistency in its activity and will empower you with the capabilities to successfully harness all that marketing technology can provide. Labels for different lead stages or what marketing qualified means, for example, can vary from place to place. Establish what is correct for your business, via a glossary of terms or knowledge bank, to allow clarity in communication of information. Help every member of your team understand precisely what each lead’s status is and how they can provide value in the next point of contact to coherently move them along the lead lifecycle.
Map out the end-to-end customer journey
The end-to-end journey of today’s customers can be highly complex, with multiple touchpoints and stakeholders involved at various stages. Creating a customer journey map and visually representing each stage a customer goes through before converting will help you structure when and how to communicate with them to deliver value that lasts beyond its lifecycle.
From initial brand awareness via a blog or article through to webinar engagement to a customer onboarding programme and invitation for feedback, your customer journey should illustrate how the customer interacts with your brand, its content, products or services. Having this clear overview will help you understand your customer, their preferences and pain points better to strengthen the relationship and achieve your end goal.
Leverage preference centres
Preference centres capture information on what kind of communication people want to receive. Giving your target audience the opportunity to state their preferences is essential in building valuable relationships with them. Simply knowing how often a person wants to receive communication can be a game-changer in whether they choose to spend more time with your brand or not.
Preference centres can also establish how your audience likes to be contacted (email, messenger, text, etc.) and their interests. This critical information enriches your lead profiles and allows you to engage your contacts in a more meaningful way while avoiding contact fatigue.
Make things easier with Martech
Getting these basic processes in order before aiming to build in more complex, long-term strategies is vital, and you can help your team do this more efficiently with the use of technology.
There is a Martech solution available to help with every one of these processes and more, from centralising the use of your glossaries or knowledge banks to planning customer journeys, controlling preference centres and managing lead profiles to optimising communication.
The multitude of options may seem overwhelming, but the curious and supportive team at WoolfHodson can help you navigate all the noise in the Martech landscape. We focus on partnering with our clients to understand their unique challenges and develop effective strategies. We will work alongside you to create processes and leverage your Martech stack to drive that long-lasting business growth that everyone aspires to.
People, process and technology - with the three working in harmony, you will have a solid foundation from which to drive business success.
At WoolfHodson we’re obsessive problem solvers united by a shared passion for delivering lasting change and value that sticks. If you would like to find out more about how we can enhance your marketing performance and improve operations to future-proof your business, why not contact us on information@woolfhodson.com.
