Automating your business can seem like a daunting task and many people simply don’t know where to start. Which marketing automation system should you use? What services should you get and what kind of companies even do this kind of work? We will try to simplify things for you.

We want to go over 3 of the top ways you can automate your business and how you should be thinking about your marketing moving forward. Think of this as like the “marketing automation 101” to get your feet wet.

The video below will outline everything, and then we’ll talk more about each step.

So, let’s start with Lead Generation. Obviously this is the first step and the first place where you’ll interact with your customers on many mediums. What you use for your lead generation is up to you, but you’ll need to focus on VALUE and how someone will absorb that content, and then, what you want them to do.

GOOD examples of lead magnets are:

• PDFs
• Video Series
• Webinars
• Free Trials
• Free Samples
• Infographics
• Free Audit and Consults

Make sure your lead magnet is appropriate for your target audience. For example, you wouldn’t want to just create a PDF when you’re audience is 18 – 24 year olds. That wouldn’t work because that isn’t how they want to view things. They want video!

Once someone opts-in to receive your content, the work has just begun. Getting leads is easy. Keeping their attention and converting them into customers is the hard part. You don’t have time to respond to each and every lead that comes in, so you need a system to do it for you. This is where marketing automation comes in. Using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system allows you to build amazing funnels and processes to give your leads a true custom experience. Remember, stop thinking everyone is the same. Your marketing needs to be catered to THEM as much as possible.

Let’s look at how to do that……

Say someone comes to your website, or sees your Facebook Ad. They opt-in to get your FREE 3-PART VIDEO SERIES which is great and will give them 1 video per day, for 3 days.

So, they are now a “prospect.”

Once they opt-in, you should really be taking them through an email confirmation sequence which will have them confirm their email. In CRM systems, a “Confirmed” email comes from a different server with a better sender reputation. Therefore, confirmed emails get delivered more and have a better reputation. Plus, it can help you weed out SPAM submissions and people who only want free stuff and have no intention of buying. Yes, this adds another step, but it’s a good idea to implement it to get stronger leads.

Once they sign up and confirm their email address, they enter the sequence to get the video series. Don’t just send them 1 video a day and think that is enough. TRACK IT!

Did they open the email?
Did they click to view the video?

Remember, it’s up to you to make sure you deliver, so if you have to send another “hey, did you see this video?” email that’s okay! It’s all automated anyway so it’s no more work on your end.

Once they finish with your free lead magnet, you want to continue giving them value. In the video example, we talk about you offering three products – Product A, Product B, and Product C. In this case, they signed up for something relating to Product A, so that is what you’ll start talking more about in the “Segment Me” stages. We recommend having at least 7 additional emails and communication points in this sequence. By tracking their opens, the time they open, the links they click on, etc. you can really compile a good amount of data on someone that will help deliver an unmatched experience!

As that list grows, many won’t buy immediately. They need more. This is what you’ll continue email and marketing automation and even add them to social media retargeting lists, like Facebook Audiences. Once they have left your website then you can add them to a “retargeting list” which will then show them ads and additional touch points to follow up and get them back. Remember though, it’s all about VALUE!

Are you making their lives better and solving their problems?

If you are, then and only then, can you make an offer for them to buy your product. This is where they start more in the Sales Pipeline process.

The Sales Pipeline is one of the most custom things we build for clients. There are literally infinite possibilities on how to set that up. Make sure you book a time with us if you need help deciding how to build yours.

Any lead that comes in, no matter where (for the most part), will start as a Cold Lead. This doesn’t mean you should treat them any differently and this stage is actually the most exciting, at least to us! 🙂

A Cold Lead gives you the opportunity to really get to know them more (like the Segment Me sequence) and help convert them into someone who wants to take action.

Once they have done certain actions, like opened 2 emails, or clicked on an important link, or called in to your office, they can be considered a Warm Lead. In this stage you’ll get a bit more aggressive, but don’t mistake that for being a pest, or annoying them. If someone is Warm, you want to keep them that way. The saying “strike while the iron is hot” makes a lot of sense here. This is where you start putting out the good stuff that you’ve been hiding behind the curtain and even have a sales rep call them or you reach out personally. You might extend their trial, or give them a new way to test and see your product in action, or give them additional free items. This is where you “WOW” them. Figure you’ll want to create 5 – 10 touch points during this (emails, ads, SMS, calls, etc).

Once they are in the Warm stage, you’ll want to start making more blunt offers to become a customer. Of course, by now they’ve probably seen your product or service and know more about it, so you’ll want to get a bit more “to the point.”

Once you begin to pitch the offer, you’ll want to do that several times and track their results.

Are they receptive?
Are they engaged?

Remember, the CRM system can do all of this for you so don’t get caught up in thinking you don’t have time for all of this.

From here, they’ll go to “Closed Won” or “Closed Lost.” As I talk about in the video, if they are Lost now, that’s okay. In fact, most of your leads will end up here. But what many companies FAIL at is thinking that’s the last road. If someone isn’t interested today, maybe they will be next week, or next month, or maybe they know someone who might like the product too. You have to set up funnels and communication to let them know you understand they are not interested now, but that you still want to help them solve their problems. After all, you’re a “Solution Provider” and you’re not just selling things.

Congrats! You’ve made a sale!! Yay!

It’s so easy to think “my job is done here” but you need to stop that kind of mindset. The “80/20 rule” means that roughly 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers. That clearly illustrates that EXISTING CUSTOMERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUY AGAIN from you. So, make sure you continue treating them like royalty.

Make sure your “Welcome” sequence is in place to send them receipts, thank them, and welcome them to your family. Then, you’ll want to make sure you automate as much as you can with the delivery. Maybe it’s creating an account and giving them logins. Maybe it’s sending a fulfillment task to your shipping center. Maybe it’s printing the label and mailing the products yourself. Whatever the case is, automating this process is crucial and something that can not only save you time, but can actually deliver a BETTER customer experience for that person.

Once you’ve delivered the product or service, that begins the Follow Up stage where you’ll want to check in with them and see how they are enjoying it. Don’t just ask for a referral, or review, make sure they like it first! If they are happy, then automation can help turn them into a raving fan and someone who can refer business your way. If they are not happy, then the system can notify you so it can be dealt with immediately. Unhappy customers are not always going to stay that way. Many times, how a company deals with problems actually looks better than just getting a positive review from the start (yes, strange isn’t it). This is really important to know, and a mindset that many companies don’t have. We want to change that.

So, there we have it! We hope this helps you get on your way to automating your business. There are MANY factors to consider, and TONS of software programs to choose from. Let us help you make the right choices for your business, so book a free brainstorm session and we’ll look at your business directly and help you make the best decisions. Talk soon!