The Languages of Lov(ing your brand)

by Jenny on February 16, 2016 Comments Off on The Languages of Lov(ing your brand)

Communication is key; use Marketing Automation to avoid “radio silence” with your customers.

We’ve all been there; we start having feelings for someone, and as a result we see our hopes and expectations change. That “Hey, how’s your day going?” text is now more than just pleasantries. It’s seen as an indication of where the relationship is at, or at least an indication of where things are headed.

We anxiously await a response. Trying our best to not come across TOO excited, but still we can’t help but check our phone more frequently. Now, in these moments we assess and analyze the actions of the other party in trying to understand their level of involvement or interest in us.

A quick response, regardless of the message, implies a sense of priority or importance. Whereas if days go by without a return response, we get that sinking feeling that… ugh, maybe they’re just not interested.

Granted, for all we know the other person could be on an epic mountain climb to a summit above the clouds. So their lack of response didn’t actually have any implication as to their interest in me or the possible relationship at all.

However, often times we see that perception is reality. While we may over-react or jump to conclusions, the point is we seek validation especially when we feel that we are the ones reaching out in a leap of faith, leaving ourselves vulnerable to rejection.

In hindsight we may look back and see our “Why aren’t they responding!?” reaction as a bit of a knee-jerk, but those feelings were honest and genuine. So while the lack of return communication may have been justified (on top of a mountain, yeah I guess), the justification still doesn’t negate the impact made while waiting for a response.

Similarly, customers sometimes make efforts to communicate with their favorite brands. Be it an email, or a phone call, or a website visit, or a Social Media post; customers will put forth communication efforts, and at that point it’s the brand’s opportunity to show its customers they are important. Just like in the text message story above, the message doesn’t have to offer life-changing content. However, it should be prompt and relevant. This helps convey to customers that the brand is listening, attentive, and respectful.

At MacKenzie Corp., we are currently leveraging Marketing Automation strategies to ensure our partner’s customers receive a quick, meaningful response to their engagement or communication efforts. We want those customers to know that the brand is listening, and that each individual customer is in itself a priority.

We do this by creating a custom Marketing Automation strategy based on your most frequented touchpoints, or high-volume communication channels. Assigning one person to respond to all inbound communication efforts would be a headache, not to mention inefficient. An automatic email blast can seem impersonal; it’s somewhat comparable to handing out flyers as people pass by on the street.

Instead of the quantity-over-quality approach, one key benefit of a custom Marketing Automation strategy is the ability to tailor an automated message to the specific action performed by the customer or prospect. For example, your program might have one response sent to people who download a whitepaper, and a different response sent to people who fill out a “contact us” form. For any trackable “action” you can program a custom response offering your customers a prompt, relevant response to their communication efforts.

The automated aspect of Marketing Automation allows you to build, monitor, and grow a program while it is running. So now, whether someone visits your website, clicks on a link, posts to your Social Media page, or sends a “how’s your day?” text… you can stay focused on that climb to the summit, knowing inbound messages are already being responded to; automatically.

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Jenny

Jenny Dinnen is President of Sales and Marketing at MacKenzie Corporation. Driven to maximize customer's value and exceed expectations, Jenny carries a can-do attitude wherever she goes. She maintains open communication channels with both her clients and her staff to ensure all goals and objectives are being met in an expeditious manner. Jenny is a big-picture thinker who leads MacKenzie in developing strategies for growth while maintaining a focus on the core services that have made the company a success. Basically, when something needs to get done, go see Jenny. Before joining MacKenzie, Jenny worked at HD Supply as a Marketing Manager and Household Auto Finance in their marketing department. Jenny received her undergrad degree in Marketing from the University of Colorado (Boulder) and her MBA from the University of Redlands.

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