Inbound Funnel Marketing
In 2024, inbound marketing has shown significant efficacy, with inbound strategies being reported as 10 times more effective than outbound marketing methods (FounderJar).
Businesses are investing heavily in marketing strategies aimed at increasing clicks, engagements, and website traffic. While getting more clicks is undoubtedly important, the real challenge lies in what happens after those clicks are generated.
What many businesses are starting to learn, is that getting a click is like getting a phone number at a party—it's just the start of the conversation.
The moment a potential customer clicks on your ad, visits your website, or signs up for a newsletter, they enter your sales funnel. And that is essentially what inbound funnel marketing is - collecting leads through various channels, interactions, and experiences and nurturing them to conversion. It's essential to have a system in place to capture these leads, track their behavior, and guide them through the sales process.
Measuring and Tracking Customer Engagement
You’re running campaigns, getting the word out, sharing blog posts - and leads are coming in.
Great! Now what?
This is where many businesses falter, missing out on the opportunity to convert leads into loyal customers. Marketing platforms do a fantastic job of getting customers in the door, but then they're struggling to seal the deal.
Without a system to measure, track, and nurture these leads, the efforts spent on acquiring them can quickly go to waste. This is where a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system proves invaluable. A CRM system allows businesses to record, measure, and track every interaction with any given lead. This in turn allows businesses to gain valuable insights into how leads interact with their content and outbound marketing efforts. Customer knowledge at this stage is priceless.
You can see which emails your leads open, which links they click on, and how much time they spend on various pages of your website.
Email Automation and CRM
Some CRM systems also include email automation features. Email automation is a game-changer in the world of CRM, especially for businesses striving to deliver quality and personalized interactions without working themselves to death. Imagine having a system that not only tracks which emails your leads open but also tailors follow-up actions based on their engagement.
A CRM with email automation capabilities does exactly that. If a lead opens an email and clicks a link, the CRM can automatically send a follow-up email with more relevant content or trigger a task for your sales team to make a personalized call. Conversely, if an email goes unopened, the CRM can adjust the strategy, perhaps by sending a different message or offering a special promotion to re-engage the lead.
Everything today is about quality and personalization, and email automation within a CRM ensures that each lead receives the attention they need at just the right time. This not only boosts engagement rates but also increases the chances of converting leads into loyal customers.
Automations handle repetitive tasks, allowing you and your team to focus on more strategic activities, ensuring that no opportunity slips through the cracks. Automations not only enhance efficiency but also allow you to scale your marketing efforts without compromising on the personal touch that builds lasting customer relationships.
Ultimately, all of this data helps you understand your leads' interests and behaviors, allowing you to continue tailoring your marketing efforts to meet their needs.
Moving Leads Down the Sales Pipeline
Think of your leads as seedlings—they need regular watering and sunlight to grow.
Once leads start engaging with your content, it's crucial to have a system in place to move them further down the pipeline.
A CRM enables you to automate follow-up emails, schedule calls, and assign tasks to your sales team. You can also segment leads based on their behavior and stage in the sales cycle, ensuring that each lead receives personalized attention.
A CRM can also help you find trends that can lead to behavioral predictions. It can help you see patterns about your customers allowing you to personalize their experiences even further. For example, you'll learn how best to approach your top of the funnel leads vs bottom of the funnel by seeing what type of content and information each customer group is interested in and what makes them convert, where.
Nurturing Leads into Loyal Customers
Just remember, converting a lead into a customer doesn't stop there.
Converting= customers in into loyal customers and brand ambassadors requires consistent and meaningful communication, just think about all of your favorite brands and their social accounts and advertising campaigns. Why do you love your favorite brand so much? Is it because you like their content? Is it because they send you special offers on items you like? Is it because they send you messages and/or special offers on your birthday? Maybe it's even all of the above!
A CRM helps you keep track of customer interactions, preferences, and feedback with a full 360 degree customer view which you can use to make your business stand out by providing exceptional customer service, offering personalized recommendations, and addressing issues promptly.
You can set reminders for follow-ups, send personalized messages, and provide relevant content that addresses your customers' pain points.
By staying engaged with your customers, you increase the chances of converting them into loyal customers, and even as referring customers. And by making your customers feel heard and valued, you increase their loyalty and reduce churn.
A Full-Bodied Customer Platform
A full-bodied CRM system goes beyond just managing leads, sales, and operations - it provides a comprehensive view of your customer relationships, helping you deliver a seamless and personalized experience at every touchpoint.
These systems centralize customer data, automate routine tasks, and provide real-time insights, leading to improved customer relationships, increased efficiency, and better decision-making. In 2024, CRM systems are projected to generate over $80 billion globally, with businesses seeing an average ROI of $8.71 for every dollar spent (FounderJar). As businesses grow, a customizable and scalable CRM becomes essential, ensuring resources are used efficiently and marketing efforts yield high returns.
The Statistics Speak
The importance of CRM systems in modern marketing is backed by data.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global CRM market size was valued at $58.82 billion in 2023 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9% from 2024 to 2030. This growth is driven by the increasing need for businesses to manage and analyze customer interactions effectively.
Moreover, a study by HubSpot found that businesses using CRM systems saw an average return on investment (ROI) of $8.71 for every dollar spent.
Additionally, the Salesforce State of Sales report from 2024 revealed that 79% of business buyers say it's absolutely critical or very important to interact with a salesperson who is a trusted advisor—not just a sales rep—highlighting the importance of nurturing leads and building trust through CRM systems.
Conclusion
In the competitive business landscape, clicks alone won't drive growth - it's what you do after the click that makes all the difference.
By integrating a CRM system into your marketing strategy, you can effectively measure, track, and nurture leads, converting them into loyal customers. A full-bodied customer platform ensures that your hard-earned leads feel heard and valued, paving the way for long-term success.
Investing in a CRM is not just about managing customer relationships; it's about building a foundation for sustainable growth. So, the next time you focus on getting more clicks, remember to also invest in a system that helps you turn those clicks into lasting customer relationships.
Sources
1. Grand View Research. (2024). "Customer Relationship Management Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Deployment, By Enterprise Size, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030."
2. HubSpot. (2024). "CRM and Sales Impact Report."
3. Salesforce. (2024). "State of Sales Report."
4.FounderJar. (2023). "Inbound Marketing Statistics 2024 – ROI, Tools, Strategies"
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