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This is the final part of our three-part series that delves into the CRM marketing selection and preparation process + automation implementation.
Part 1/3: How to choose a marketing automation platform
Part 2/3: How to collect the right data to drive your marketing
Finally, the journey of implementation is about to begin. But you are not ready. There are a lot of things that can and should be done before anyone starts uploading software to a server (or to the cloud)!
In the first two parts of this series, we covered the numerous steps and processes for identifying and choosing CRM+ marketing automation, the importance of data, and data integrity, and even rethinking CTAs. Let's dive into the next section.
The most important part of implementing marketing automation is content.
It would be great if we could get the CRM/MA integration team to throw the switch and turn it on, but there's really a huge hole that still has to be mapped and traversed. It can be easy for some and difficult for others. It's called "content".
We're assuming that somewhere in the rollout you've mapped out all sorts of leads, itinerary map , possible interactions, rules and conditional logic applied to those interactions, and track. When all is said and done (never, really, but work with me), there is one major problem that a CRM/MA vendor or a third-party integrator cannot do. And that's cataloging and possibly creating new, engaging content that the entire system will rely on.
Where is your content mapping in the overall marketing automation implementation?
Your content mapping should happen from the start. It seems odd not to mention it until part 3 of this series, but I wanted to lay the groundwork first.
The process we specify can really start even in the CRM/MA review process because regardless of the platform or tool chosen in the end, the content will still be required. Take a look back at part one of this series where we identified The Four Pillars of Nurturing Success . Content is one of those essential pillars.
We use another 4-step process to map out a content plan that defines what we have, what we need, our priorities, and how we will develop the missing pieces.
The first part of the process is to do content reviews based on what we call assess content needs 5x5x5 . To summarize, the 5x5x5 approach is:
- Determine the number of characters (let's say 5 for math here)
- Determine the number of stages in your review funnel (again, assuming 5 math here, works in most cases)
- Identify 5 key questions at each stage that right answered to take the prospect further down the review funnel.
5 x 5 x 5 = 125, which is how many content marketing topics you'll need to cover — just to address known and conjectured customer needs. But do not despair; much of that content may be dual-purpose, and some may already exist.
Next, perform a content check to determine the gap between the 5x5x5 and the existing content library. The result isn't always a binary, "Yes, we have that" versus, "No, we don't have that." A particular piece of content is often buried, needs to be updated, it's out of style, or needs to be brought together from a variety of sources. Even if the core content is there for a particular piece of content, it often needs to work. That takes time and resources.
When content is blatantly lacking, it's really a golden opportunity—a blank medium—to create what we really want and need to resonate with our audience. This often requires a combination of skilled inside and outside people:
- Create content, copy or script and tell stories
- Graphic design, including, motion graphics
- Filming and editing
- Record and edit audio
- Brand management and supervision
- Possible gambling, reviews, online calculators, product selectors and other activities interactive content content
- And maybe even legal review.
This requires a content calendar to organize the workflow of what content will be produced, in what order, and on schedule. You can Learn How to Create a Content Calendar (plus a free downloadable template ) to begin.
Obviously, content is just as important as any other pillar for the overall success of the project. However, it is probably the least preferred from a workload and timeframe standpoint. Some companies and organizations will do most or most of this work — they already have their content creation engines running at top speed and high quality. Others will start from near zero. In those cases, we usually recommend turning to a contract or freelancer to help with the heavy lifting.
With all content creation and production
Yes of course. No initial CRM + MA launch is perfect once activated. No content library is perfect.
Increase A/B testing and time interval testing. The never-ending next step is continuous optimization based on performance metrics. That's where we can see the return on all this investment in time and money, and make sure everyone in your organization is looking for a positive ROI.
That thread will have to wait for another series. There are tons of fun ways to look at light commits, hard transitions, decide which KPIs really matter, supported conversion and attribution models, and, importantly – train your control team. administration and management their expectations .
If that sounds difficult, is it even worth doing?
That really depends. That's a smart question to answer first. A little bit of math that isn't too complicated will usually give us the answer and possible timeframe. It all depends on the client's total investment, volume forecast, short-term revenue and LTV, as well as breakeven and ROI expectations. Those variables are different for every company or organization. There is no viable substitute for not pre-calculating or even re-evaluating where you are in your current CRM + MA journey.
The entire process of marketing automation/selection and CRM implementation can be overwhelming. But it is really a linear process with several initiatives running at the same time, A good plan, enough people and right people, will greatly improve the likelihood of a successful outcome.
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