marketing-automation
Data-based marketing is nothing new. All marketing is based on some data. Before you reach out to any audience, you have to know a little about what makes them tick.
And everything you know counts as data. Their likes, their dislikes, their needs, their preferences. Their goals and the obstacles to their goals. All of these are data points that will help you produce a targeted, effective method.
We all know that every crisis is an opportunity, but there are some crises that are so vast that it’s hard to see a silver lining.
2020 has offered a once-in-a-generation crisis, with a tragic pandemic leading to global economic uncertainty. It’s a tough time for professionals and a tough time for businesses, which is why associations are more important now than ever.
Many associations approach marketing automation (MA) from a purely cost-savings perspective. These associations look at the time and resources that go into their current marketing efforts, and they calculate what they could save if some marketing tasks were automated.
These associations are not wrong. If you use MA to handle some everyday marketing tasks, you will see some cost savings.
But if you don’t use MA as a springboard to greater transformation, you’re leaving money on the table.
When you switch to marketing automation, you’re also adopting a whole new marketing culture.
This culture change can be a big shift for your team. Instead of thinking about products, they’re now thinking about personas. Rather than thinking about the needs of the association, their focus is now on the needs of the member. This affects all day-to-day operations, requiring a more strategic and data-driven approach to lead acquisition.
And if that’s not happening, then something’s gone wrong.
When it comes to IT investment, association management teams tend to be subject to a lot more scrutiny than their counterparts in the for-profit world. With good reason too – you’re spending members’ money, so you need to make sure you’re spending it wisely.
