Good morning, savvy readers. Today, we’ll cover email marketing myths that have long since expired, will explore why smart CMOs are spending their budget retaining (not acquiring) customers, will learn a few hands-on tips for account-based marketing and will discover why one author says that balancing technology and tradition is the key to developing successful customer experience strategies.
Just like every week, if you happen upon a news item or tip you want to share, please get in touch. And now, without further ado, here’s this week’s news:
Email marketing myths that need to be laid to rest
From Bigfoot roaming the woods to alligators living in NYC sewers, there is no shortage of legends and urban myths around today—and the same holds true when it comes to email marketing. But according to Jen Ribble in MarketingProfs, if you’re still letting any of these three email marketing myths have any influence on your email programs, it’s past time to put them out of their misery.
For example, do you still believe the myth that if your email contains “spammy” words or phrases that your deliverability may be negatively impacted? While your email content used to have a big impact on your deliverability, times have changed and this is no longer the case. These days, your deliverability is tied to your sender reputation and subscriber engagement, so as long as you’re following best practices there, go ahead and let your customers know about your best promotions including “free shipping” and “clearance sale” offers.
CMOs: Customer retention, not acquisition, is the name of the game
If you’re still spending a good portion of your marketing dollars on customer acquisition efforts, says Mike Sands in MarTech Today, you’re on the wrong side of the latest trend reported by Gartner. Instead of concentrating your budget on getting new customers in the door, focus on gaining true competitive advantage by creating a unified customer identity and using that identity to create delightful experiences that grow those relationships and increase lifetime customer values.
In-the-trenches tips for account-based marketing
If you’ve been tasked with tackling account-based marketing for your marketing team and you aren’t 100% certain where to start, you aren’t alone—it’s one of those activities that can be overwhelming to get started. Thankfully, Harsh Jawharkar’s post in Forbes gives marketers actionable tips on putting ABM into action. First, remember that account-based marketing is simply reaching out to a group of individuals—something at which we as marketers are already extremely adept. And don’t be afraid to start with a small test and learn before moving onto bigger (and more important) accounts. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
Keeping the customer in customer experience strategies
As you’re knee deep in determining the exact mix of technology, communication channels and processes you’ll need to effectively address customer pain points, build relationships and nurture loyalty, don’t neglect the most important element of your customer experience strategy: your customer. While there’s certainly a temptation to get drawn in by the latest technology including artificial intelligence, chatbots and voice search, says Kris McKenzie in ITProPortal, it’s important to remember that automation isn’t replacing humans but instead, is reinforcing just how important human interaction is in this increasingly digital world. Companies can’t afford to dehumanize customer interactions, so ensure you have the right mix of new technology and a traditional approach to deliver a human-friendly experience.
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