How can a CRM help your marketing?

As a concept, your CRM is your single point of truth. That means it's the place where all your data meets. Only by having everything in one place can you start using your data to your advantage.

Most consultants, both online and in real life will tell you that data is everything. Even according to Forbes, data is the new gold. And, in many ways it is. But, unlike gold, simply holding on to it and having as much as possible isn't going to make you rich. Quite the opposite in fact, because apart from storing it at hefty storage fees, you might actually use it incorrectly.

Picture this: you're sipping your morning coffee, casually scrolling through your inbox like a seasoned pro. But instead of the usual deluge of irrelevant spam, you're greeted with emails that actually speak to your soul. It's like finding a diamond in a haystack of cubic zirconia. Sure, the occasional "Hey [insert first name here]" is nice, but let's be real - it's about as personal as a form letter from your bank. What you really want is content that speaks to your interests, your needs, your deepest desires (well, maybe not that last one).

And that's where the power of CRM comes in. With the right setup, you can tailor your marketing efforts to each individual subscriber, like a bespoke suit made just for them. It's not just about increasing sales (though that's a nice bonus); it's about building meaningful connections and keeping those pesky churn rates at bay.

But wait, there's more! With CRM data at your fingertips, the possibilities are endless. Want to measure user behaviour or engagement? Done. Want to personalise your website based on each user's preferences? Easy peasy. It's like having a Swiss army knife for your marketing arsenal - versatile, reliable, and oh-so-satisfying to wield. With a little bit of data and a whole lot of creativity, you'll be unstoppable.

Use cases

Customer Segmentation: With a CRM, you can segment your customers based on various criteria such as demographics, purchase history, behavior, and preferences. This segmentation allows for targeted marketing campaigns tailored to specific customer groups, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Lead Management: CRM systems help manage leads effectively by tracking their interactions with your company across different channels. This allows marketers to nurture leads through the sales funnel with personalised content and communication, ultimately increasing conversion rates.

Email Marketing Automation: CRM platforms often integrate with email marketing tools, enabling automation of email campaigns. Marketers can create drip campaigns, send personalised emails based on customer behaviour, and track email engagement metrics—all within the CRM interface.

Campaign Tracking and ROI Analysis: By tracking campaign performance metrics such as clicks, conversions, and revenue generated, CRM systems provide insights into the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. This data enables marketers to optimise their strategies and allocate resources more efficiently.

Customer Service Integration: Integrating CRM with customer service platforms allows marketers to access customer service interactions and feedback. This insight helps in understanding customer needs and preferences better, enabling more targeted and effective marketing efforts.

Social Media Management: Many CRM platforms offer social media integration features, allowing marketers to monitor social media interactions, track brand mentions, and engage with customers directly from the CRM dashboard. This integration streamlines social media marketing efforts and enhances customer engagement.

Personalization: CRM systems store a wealth of customer data, including past purchases, preferences, and interactions. Marketers can leverage this data to deliver highly personalised marketing messages, offers, and recommendations, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Overall, CRM systems play a crucial role in modern marketing by enabling data-driven decision-making, enhancing customer engagement, and driving revenue growth.

Scattered digital landscape

Many organisations find themselves swimming in a vast sea of data, but here's the problem: it's often scattered across more platforms than a game of Tetris played on expert mode.

Imagine this: you've got one dataset saying one thing, another dataset saying something completely different, and a third dataset doing its best impression of a shrugging emoji. It's enough to make your head spin faster than a tilt-a-whirl at the county fair. And don't even get me started on email addresses - it's like playing a game of "Guess Who?" where every answer is "I have no idea." You've got three different email addresses on record, all about as reliable as a fortune cookie prediction.

But here's the kicker: you're not alone. Some of the biggest, baddest companies out there - we're talking multinational level, with more zeros in their budgets than a sci-fi movie - have fallen into this trap. And it's a very expensive and tedious trap. One wrong move, and it all comes crashing down.

So, what's the solution? Well, it's not as simple as waving a magic wand and chanting "data integration, data integration, data integration" (though that would be pretty cool). It's about rolling up your sleeves, digging deep, and putting in the hard work to bring all those scattered datasets together in harmony.

It's almost inevitable to use more than one software platform. Companies use Wordpress, Mailchimp, Hubspot, Drupal, Jira, Teams, … the list is honestly larger than you think. Just for good measure, write down the ones you're using right now and you'll see what I'm on about.

All these tools are great at what they do. Depending on personal taste you can choose what you enjoy working with. But the problem with 'scattered', stand-alone tools is that they hardly ever have strong and reliable integrations. Even if they do, these integrations aren't always cheap and complete.

The solution?

You should consider finding an all-in-one platform. These types of platforms offer a variety of tools that are fully integrated. Instead of juggling a dozen different tools like a circus performer with too many balls in the air, you've got everything you need neatly packaged into one shiny platform. No more unreliable APIs throwing a wrench in your plans, no more sync issues giving you headaches - just smooth sailing all the way.

And the best part? Choosing an all-in-one platform might not be as expensive as you think. Sure, it might seem like a hefty investment upfront, but when you factor in all the time and sanity you'll save not fiddling around with exports and imports, it's like getting a bang for your buck (or euro, or whatever currency floats your boat).

Tools like Hubspot, ZoHo, Odoo, Procurios or Microsoft Dynamics offer good value for money and finally bring everything you need, do and want in one user friendly place.

Or should you go for a custom made platform?

Choosing a custom developed platform is certainly an effective way to create a platform that fits your needs. Sure, partnering with a custom development team can feel like having a personal genie at your beck and call, ready to grant your every software wish. You get expert guidance, advice, and the satisfaction of knowing that your platform is as unique as a snowflake.

But here's the rub: custom work can be about as agile as a one-legged turtle on a bumpy road. Making changes feels like trying to bend a steel beam with your bare hands - not impossible, but certainly not easy. You've got to have a crystal-clear understanding of your organisation's processes, and even then, you'll need to optimise like your business's life depends on it.There's no point paying thousands of dollars for a platform that supports an inefficient process, is there?

And let's not forget about the elephant in the room: the almighty dollar. Custom development doesn't come cheap, my friend. Not only are you shelling out big bucks for the initial development, but every little tweak and feature request is like reaching into your wallet and watching the moths fly out. It's a never-ending cycle of "out of scope" and "additional charges," leaving you feeling like you've been hit by a freight train of unexpected expenses. There's no online community to ask for tips and tricks and hardly ever does the customer pay the agreed upon amount of money for a platform that meets all their expectations.

And lastly, there's the future. Your organisation will change over time whether you like it or not. Often for the better. And when it changes, you will need a platform that changes with it. Think of the integration of AI for example. Almost all out-of-the box platforms will have this embedded within the next 2-5 years. But when you rely on a custom built solution, you will have to invest in those changes yourself.

So, before you jump into bed with custom development, take a moment to consider the long-term consequences. Because while it might seem like the perfect solution now, you could find yourself singing a different tune down the road.

Conclusion

Regardless of your approach, having your data in one place is a vital key into successful marketing. It's honestly hard to imagine that non-personalised marketing still works today unless you're willing to spend huge amounts of money. Once you nail this down, it's easy to gain traction and start optimising your marketing efforts. It might be intense at first, but once the dust settles down, you will enjoy the benefits and cost savings that comes with it.

Photo by Vladislav Klapin on Unsplash