Marketing automation is the technology that helps your company perform regular tasks more effectively. Think of some of the biggest companies you know, for example, Amazon. You can’t believe that someone at Amazon actually types out every email that is sent to each person in the database. Marketing automation improves efficiency in both sales and marketing, and it can also improve your customer service. Using customized content delivered to each customer, you have the opportunity to turn prospects into customers and give better customer support for customers who have general questions or problems.
Here are some of the ways marketing automation improves the customer experience with common customer complaints and solutions in automated marketing technology:
- A customer complains that no one has responded to their customer query. Neglected customers will find somewhere else to shop. You’re waiting on reports to tell you who is interested in your product or service.
- A customer needs information, but isn’t wanting an aggressive sales pitch.
Solutions: Nurturing leads is about communicating effectively with the customer and creating a relationship. You need to keep tabs on the prospective customer, without turning them away. Marketing software helps you customize information for that customer, because you know exactly what they’re interested in. When customers receive the needed information and come to view your business as a reliable source of information, you will be on their mind when they’re ready to make purchases. This keeps your company from appearing aggressive and needy in making sales, while keeping your customer happy. - A customer is getting too many emails from your company that are unwanted because the information does not pertain to them. The customer then blocks your emails or sends them into the Spam folder, wasting your time and efforts, and alienating the customer in the process.
Solutions: Technology that allows you to customize your email marketing provides more opportunities for clicks and conversions. Amazon sends out emails that people want to read because it pertains to something the customer was shopping for, maybe a new book by an author that has been previously read, or the computer that someone has been watching goes on sale. Email marketing lets you separate clients by different interests and targets those customers through customized emails. When a customer clicks through, marketing software scores this information and reports back to you to know what works and what doesn’t. Your customer service is greatly improved through giving customers what they really want.
- A customer has a problem or complaint and spends hours on the phone trying to get an answer or sends an email that never gets a response.
Solutions: When tricky questions come in, marketing technology lets you direct the question to a specific person to handle the complaint or problem. You have to keep customers happy today, which means quick response times. Automation software lets you prioritize and automatically route emails to the correct team member. Your team communicates more effectively and increases customer service by being available when your customers call.
Improve Brand Loyalty With Marketing Technology
Marketing software isn’t just about marketing and sales. It’s a great tool to increase your customer service scores. It increases brand loyalty and strengthens customer relationships. When your customer has a good experience with your company in the first sale, the chances for another sale increases. Thus, after the purchase, you want your customer to recommend your service or write a review. Marketing technology can help you track these interactions and keep in touch with your customers.
Customers can be scored according to their longevity with your business. You can segregate marketing campaigns to different customers. A newer customer can get different preferences than one who has been with you for years. You have the ability to provide VIP-privileges to certain customers. Another benefit to marketing software is the response measurement. You can follow customers online and reply to those who are talking about your brand. Who doesn’t enjoy hearing appreciation for talking about something they love? And if a customer complains, you can quickly address it to prevent the complaint from becoming a storm that hurts your brand.
Use marketing technology to improve sales, not by being aggressive in your approach. Find ways to target customers that meet them where they are. You’re in business to solve a need, but your customers want to see you as trustworthy. Sales tactics that aren’t appropriate to a particular person will turn them off. Tailor your marketing efforts for each customer and watch your sales increase.
