When you build a database of contacts, the end goal is to ultimately sell your services/products to those people who are interested in what you are marketing to them. But how do you find these buyers and engage with them?
A lot of the time, you may think getting your message out to as many people as possible is the best way forward. Using Automation to send out email campaigns to your database can be a great way to promote who you are, and what you do.
However, the power of a list is in personalising the interactions and experiences that potential customers have with you and your company. So, how do you go about doing that? The answer is called Segmentation.
What is Segmentation and why should you do it?
You may have heard of Segmentation before. (It’s about splitting your database into manageable chunks,) but it’s a lot more than that. Segmenting your contacts into demographics, previous interest, industry sector etc, offers you the chance to target your prospects in line with their interests.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all advert, like a radio or newspaper ad, you can study your leads’ interests, and build a personalised campaign based around what you know about them. Just by knowing if they have bought from you before, you can:
- Send out a personalised email as part of a campaign that targets past/existing customers
- Reward them with discounts for past loyalty
- Upsell them a new product
At the same if they haven’t purchased something from your before, but have shown previous interest, you could:
- Add them to a new email campaign specifically designed to re-engage with them
- Send them promotional content that they have engaged with before
The Power of Segmentation Lies in The Data That You Collect
I’m sure you collect data about your leads and customers in your database, but do you use it to its fullest potential?
CRM’s are a goldmine for data and you can use it to segment and engage with those on your list. Email open rates, click through rates, age, gender, how they interact with you, are all important pieces of information that can help move your prospects through your sales funnel.
If they are engaging with a particular type of email content (i.e by phone), engage with them that way instead of sending them a series of emails they won’t read or even open.
Even more important is to segment by purchase history. It’s key to send the right materials to the right contacts. If they have bought from you before, don’t send them emails and content aimed at prospects who have never purchased your product/services.
By leveraging the data you collect in this way, it gives your overall marketing strategy consistency and continuity. Your prospects are given a bespoke experience based on their own preferences. It gives you the best chance of:
- Nurturing those who are not ready to buy
- Selling to those who are ready to purchase
- Upselling and cross-selling to those who have already bought from you
The personalised approach makes prospects and customers feel valued and much more willing to engage with you.
So now you have a few tips on how to engage your current database – but this is only the beginning. Our ebook “How to Engage your Current Database” explores beyond the surface of how to truly maximise your engagement. To learn more, you can download this ebook for free here
