Have you got a lot to say to your customers, and do you rely on email for that reason? Even today, email is still going strong as a means to communicate your company’s messages to valued customers.
As the bad-ass CEO you are, you can send beautiful emails that engage your customers, get them to be more aware of your brand, enlighten them on news such as product or service options and deals, and even increase sales.
The catch is, email marketing isn’t such a cut and dry subject, nor is it straightforward by any means. There are many steps to it, like a staircase. It’s the same with using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
The good news is that 1) Email Marketing and a CRM can be used together to create a harmonious workflow at your company, and 2) our Systems Queens can tell you how to integrate them to work FOR you, not against you!
Let’s get started, shall we?
Step 1: Understanding the WHY of Doing This
Email marketing remains a tried and true method of sending the best content to the right customers. Considering there are 3.9 billion email users worldwide, it’s no wonder businesses are relying on this form of communication to grow their sales and brand awareness.
When it comes to the why of using a CRM, there are some definite benefits. Some of these we’ve already explored in our blog, however we can totally help to recap some of them for you here:
- Better organization
- A greater knowledge of your customers
- Ability to anticipate and make changes to your marketing and sales strategies when needed
- Insights into current data, business trends, and marketing details
- Way more effective communication
Now when you look at email marketing, it has its own fair share of benefits as well:
- Flexibility when it comes to formatting, content layouts, brand colours, and imagery needed, so you can send beautiful and personalized emails
- Workflow setups are included in most email marketing platforms also, so you can have a clear vision of the automations to send out
- Insights into the rates of which your customers are opening your emails, clicking on the links and offers inside, and clicking through to the sales opportunities you present them with
- Premade templates are offered and can be adjusted to align with your brand, depending on what kind of plan you’ve signed up for
- New features are becoming more readily available for greater conversion rates and brand awareness, such as Instagram and other social media feeds
So when you combine email marketing and a CRM, here’s what the two can do together really well:
- Be a single space for audience data, contact organization, and automations
- Provide a clear picture of your target audience
- Create a solid connection to all marketing channels
- Ensure more personalized, well-targeted campaigns are sent to the right people
This is why integrating your CRM system with your email marketing efforts are worth your while.
Keep in mind that this step is like learning any new skill—while practice can make perfect, a guide helps for sure.
Step 2: Play around with features/demos
There’s really no harm done with experimentation before you decide fully on either a CRM or an email marketing program! Companies nowadays offer a free trial period or a demonstration prior to a full purchase. This way, if you’re not satisfied, you can cancel anytime.
Naturally the more premium account you sign up for, the more features you’re going to unlock. However, if you’re already on a tight budget, the free accounts for either form of software can also suffice.
Step 3: Choosing a CRM
If you’re reading this and you still don’t have a CRM system or email marketing in place, then this step is about really nailing down that choice. Once you’re finished playing around with ideal features in your demo or perhaps even a free account, you could start looking into upgrading.
You can click here to get your comparison guide for CRM. And then you can click here to discover the email marketing that is the most popular and widely used amongst businesses of all sizes.
The best way to figure out which CRM is best for your business is to first fully map out your Client Journey, so that you can get a more accurate picture of which features you will need in a CRM. Good news! We have a Do-It-Yourself course that can walk you through this process which you can learn more about here.
If you already have a CRM and email marketing platform in mind and in place, then great! You’re one step ahead of the game and you can skip this step. Look at you being your own bad-ass self!
Step 4: Save Extra Time Connecting the Two with Zapier
Maybe you’ve already got your CRM system and email marketing in place already, and you don’t want to spend too much time connecting the two. Worry not, we have the solution for you!
Zapier is a super helpful tool, because it connects almost everything together with your CRM. It also automates the most repetitive tasks for you, so you don’t have to worry about them the next time an email marketing campaign comes up.
Whether your client journey for email marketing is straightforward or complicated, Zapier is a great way to set up the series of events needed.
Step 5: Always Test Things Out
Running test emails and testing your workflows and automations prior to sending a campaign is a great way to both train yourself and any staff at your company in charge of your marketing.
Almost all email marketing and CRM systems provide this testing opportunity from the get-go, so in case something goes amiss or formatting needs to be tweaked, you can do so.
Typically your email marketing software will present you with the option to send a test email whenever you’re creating a campaign, or you’re creating an email template for your marketing. That way, you can receive feedback needed from your staff on things that either look great, or need fixing prior to sending the email out.
When in Doubt, There’s The Systems Queens
Maybe you’re already looking to save time and money before you spend time and money—we get that!
At our CRM consulting agency, email marketing is only one of several services we provide to our clients. Other, much bigger services can involve:
- Deciding on the best CRM system not only for harmonizing your email marketing plan, but also taking out the admin tasks from your day
- Setting up your CRM so that everything is automated and saving you the time it would take to do it yourself
- Train you on multiple aspects of running a business and using a CRM for that purpose, such as the Client Journey, set-up, and transitions to better quality of life improvements for you and your company both
- Provide our email marketing services, which consists of several hours worth of setup support and letting us do the hard parts for you
And if you need help remembering anything relating to email marketing, don’t worry we’ve got you covered there too! Check out this handy cheat sheet at our shop.
If all this sounds great then you know exactly what to do next.
