All rise for automation – the unsung hero of marketing strategies! These innovative platforms can accomplish a myriad of tasks efficiently, saving you precious time and money, and importantly better help you create opportunities for your customer-facing colleagues. Put simply, automation is the use of software platforms to automate both routine and complex marketing processes on your behalf. Think email marketing and analytics for a start.
Automation will build on your existing strategies for increasing sales, perfectly complementing the ways in which most professional services firms work. Your networking and referrals will continue to form a vital role in building revenue, but automation will make these processes more efficient and effective by generating leads and opportunities with new customers and businesses.
The beauty of automation is its ability to allow you to scale your marketing efforts whilst keeping your content personalised to your audience. Working with the right automation platform can help you increase leads, conversions and essentially revenue, at the same time as streamlining your team’s workloads. It also can build awareness of your firm and help establish trust in your brand, ideal for any professional services firm. Really, what’s not to like?
So, in this blog we’ll walk you through some of the most useful automation strategies for professional services firms, and give you a taste of how these systems could work for you.
1. Segment your data
One of the most indispensable elements of any automation platform will be its ability to automatically segment your database by any number of variables. All of your prospects have different needs, and having the option to treat them as such will seriously strengthen your relationship. Look for a platform that offers segmentation and tailored, dynamic content which gives you the chance to customise content based on your contact’s needs.
2. Attract new leads
One of the foundations of any successful business and a common goal for many professional services firms, is keeping a steady flow of new leads and this is an area where your automation platform can really shine. Through a well-crafted combination of SEO-optimised content, social media and guest posting your brand visibility is likely to improve. Take advantage of your systems tracking capabilities to monitor and optimise your content strategies, providing you with vital insights into what works.
3. Nurture those leads
It’s the nature of business that some industries work to a very long closing cycle. This can definitely be the case in professional services. When you potentially have to wait many months, even years, for a customer to need your services, automation can really help. Drip campaigns are a real strength of these services – you can time and preset content for these mailings and then sit back and get on with running your consultancy while the platform does the work.
4. Be sales ready
Automation platforms that offer lead scoring will make sure you are primed and ready for when your leads are on the cusp of turning into opportunities. These individuals will be well nurtured, which means you will know exactly how to help them when the moment comes.
5. Improve client retention
In professional services a number of your solutions are required intermittently – clients need your firm from time-to-time, but not necessarily consistently. Marketing automation can help maintain these long term relationships for you. Automated reminder emails or offers can keep you in touch with your customers.
The recent High Growth Study by Hinge showed that 84% of professional services firms see marketing automation as a part of their strategy, and when you understand how it turns ambitious and expensive strategies into practical realities, it’s easy to see why. For more information on what marketing automation can do for you we’d love to have a conversation and help steer you in the right direction.