Did you know 50% of marketing leads go untouched by sales? That sounds like a crazy high number. Like, what are they doing with our amazing leads?! When you ask the sales team they offer a thoughtful response, “Those leads sucked.” Hmmmm…maybe they’re right. That’s where marketing with intent comes in.
Find The Right Audience
Sometimes we’re on autopilot as marketers. We’re letting our programs and communications run without taking a deep dive into ways they can be improved. And by that, I mean not just collecting leads, but collecting quality leads sales can actually work with.
I get it, things can get busy. But losing track of your audience is the first step towards wasting money. It’s important to remember we need to be mindful of the messages we are presenting to our audience and how we are communicating with them on their journey.
A good first step is to look through your email list.
Are they segmented into different groups depending on where they are in the buying process and what their role is (e.g. end-user, holder of the purse strings, implementer of the product, etc.)?
Are you communicating differently with non-purchases vs. purchases?
Marketing with intent means keeping these details high on the list of importance to create a lasting and loyal customer base.
Educate The Customer
Another question we should ask around intent is, did we help educate our prospects and properly set expectations?The language we use in our marketing channels should change depending on the product. Plus, the journey a customer takes should vary depending on which part of the sales funnel they are in. If someone is a brand new customer, they should receive more education on the product, whereas someone further into the sales funnel may just need a clear call to action.
User Interface
It’s also important to remember, customers have high standards when it comes to user experience. This means you need to be mindful of what you are creating and why. Think about your website. Is it easy to navigate? Is there a clear path for visitors to follow, regardless of where they are in the buying process? Does the language used on the website reflect your outside marketing efforts? Making sure each of your customer touchpoints are easy to use, visually appealing and representative of the audience you’re speaking to will help to create a stronger connection with each customer.
Creating Proactive Programs
As we get busy, it’s easy to fall into a more reactive state to keep up with demand. However, this habit is the opposite of what we want to do when we’re focused on marketing with intent. Rather than developing one-time use ad hoc campaigns, focus on developing strategic programs and content that can be slightly tweaked for different parts of the sales funnel. This will be more successful in the long term and save you time.
Staying focused on your audience, messaging, and interface will help you create a system for converting the right customers. Remember, being intentional with your marketing programs will lead to more qualified leads, higher conversion, and more overall impact.
Understanding the customer journey ensures your marketing plans align with customer needs. Lucky for you, I have a worksheet that will help you do this. Enter your email here and I’ll send you the worksheet to help you get started.
