I think I might be wrong; I think we’ve entered the Age of Marketing.
More than ever, consumers are calling the shots, sharing their experience on review sites and social media every chance they get. This ‘real world’ peer-based information trumps paid advertising every time.
While that may sound dire for marketers, it’s actually an opportunity. WE are the makers of the user-experience and WE see the vast data that defines (and manages) the consumers’ decision-making experience. Content marketing, social media listening/publishing and automated marketing tools are just coming into their own.
Marketers can now easily append a prospect’s information with third-party data sources and identify quality prospects based on metrics derived from their best clients. Think of it as a ‘dashboard’ for your ideal clients.
Hyper-targeting, retargeting and automated marketing are just in their infancy. Agencies are now able to craft the right messages to the right target at the right time easier than ever before. When agencies fully capitalize on this ability, they can expect to see an increase in their sales up to 29%. Not to mention a potential 34% increase in sales productivity and a possible 42% increase in forecast accuracy.1
And it’s just getting better.
If you’re unfamiliar with CRMs and are interested in doing some research, we recommend a couple different options depending on your needs and the size of your company. Check out Hatchbuck or HubSpot. Both offer free trials, so go dig in and see if they’re right for you.
Plus, the sound of a drill gives me the jeebies, anyway.