Connected Strategy

I have incredibly high expectations today about the companies I do business with—or am considering doing business with. Whether they communicate with me via the Web, email, mail, phone or other channel, I’m keenly aware of the continuity of their messages and information (probably because I’m a marketer!).

I’m amazed at how disconnected these communications appear. And, too often, I’m being sold something that makes NO SENSE in relation to other products I own or have shown interest in. What’s missing? A connected communications strategy!

As marketers we know the power of talking to the right people at the right time via the right channel. Actually, at our agency, we’ve proven the power in this approach with our clients and our own marketing.

We call this approach a Connected Strategy. This unique relationship-marketing approach is designed to generate interest, drive sales, create loyal customers and ultimately build and grow a strong brand. Connected Strategy is based on our experience specifically targeting professional audiences for our clients. We’ve turned those experiences into a system that capitalizes on complex messaging requirements and prospect education challenges to increase ROI 5 to 10 times over traditional direct marketing techniques.

Disciplined marketing can lead to completely predictable results—it’s entirely possible to predict quarterly numbers based on your marketing plan. It starts with consistent prospect acquisition, and it relies on a planned test-and-tune strategy, a strong call to action, relevant creative—and an unabridged mix of marketing tactics—to drive success.

Start off by recognizing that there’s value in prospects that request more information but are not yet ready to sign up—and with these “unqualified” prospects, set the stage for future communication. These respondents, while not ready for a commitment, have shown interest in your particular value proposition, and ultimately represent your future growth.

They represent a higher number of potential future sales than immediate opportunities—the key is to connect with and stay in front of them over time. The day will come when many of these early prospects become decision makers, and you want your offering front and center.

Time after time our campaign analysis shows that unqualified prospects convert to sales at consistent rates. Use online communities, email marketing, compelling content and other remarketing vehicles to cultivate these prospects over time, keeping your brand front and center during the research and consideration process. By periodically presenting potential customers with fresh, time-sensitive offers, you can ensure that your brand is the option in front of prospects at the right time in their particular decision-making process.

The result is two sources of predictable revenue—one from tested, optimized and ongoing customer acquisition campaigns; the second is a steady conversion of unqualified respondents to sales.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this topic, so please leave a comment below.