Remember that marketing plan you wrote in December? It’s filled with great ideas, marketing strategy, objectives and tactics. How much has been executed? How many campaigns could have been automated? In a world of ‘get more done,’ many industries are investing in marketing automation to better target their campaigns, analyze the effectiveness of their effort and calculate ROI with more accuracy. Marketers can now track every step of the buyer’s journey, take that data and turn it into strategies to drive results.
Automation can be as simple as automating routine communications, or a more complex, highly strategized targeted onboarding program. In addition to simplifying the process, automated marketing has the added bonus of helping marketers stay on budget. In addition to saving money, it can also save time, allowing you to concentrate on serving your membership.
Here at Synergent, we are discovering that this can be very effective in engaging members of all ages. “By using automation to send personalized messages to mark milestones such as birthdays or membership anniversaries, you can keep the conversation going, deepening the member relationship and building member engagement,” Doug MacDonald, Vice President of Direct Marketing Services, explained.
This thinking reinforces the idea that ‘automated‘ doesn’t mean ‘generic.’ By adding a personal touch to a targeted message, automating marketing efforts can mean stronger connections, and better campaign results. When insufficient manpower and too many initiatives take the top two challenges for most credit union marketers, automation could help with regular direct mail or email to members with auto loans coming due or other monthly mailings for products and services. It’s almost the end of April, relook at your marketing plan and determine which campaigns may need an IT boost.