It is important that every marketing process is looked at through the eyes of the life cycle, the new marketing model. Each individual being recruited (or captured) through the marketing process whether you are using billboards, direct mail, email, or social should be taken through the process of education and community involvement. Let’s break down the five steps to the new customer/donor life cycle.
Capture – In order to capture an individual, or recruit, it is important that you are using integrated approaches to sending/distributing information. This could be in the form of content marketing through a blog, email, direct mail, landing pages, social media, mobile, or any other marketing tool in the box. But, the key term in this discussion is capture. Are you actually capturing the information from the individual? Remember that an increase in website traffic is great, but a name and address is better.
Promote – This is all about education. Can you create content and an experience (event) to education and promote your expertise as a company? Are you creating content that inspires users to share information and become involved in the process. A quick tip to promotion and education: if you are still paying a web designer to make changes to your website content you may have a problem. Creating content that inspires is about telling stories, not giving an individual another brochure to read.
Join – Invite the individual to join a community of their peers. This could be a Facebook Page or a community page created by you, the organization, or business. It could also be a group where your clients discuss different ways you have helped them. If you become a resource and allow the individual to interact with other people who view you as a resource, the bond will strengthen between brand and individual.
Purchase – Ask for the sale. Pretty simple. If you are terrible at closing the sales read The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.
Advocate – This is the most important aspect of this entire process but is not possible if the necessary steps have not been taken. In order for an individual to be a “true” advocate for your brand, you must educate and allow them to be involved in a community of people who care about your mission. On top of all this, if they are educated and understand what you do, they are going to be a better advocate for your brand.
Good first step? Remember to always give people the ability to share your information with their peers. If you are not sending emails and asking about their experience or putting a share button on your website, you need to do it now. Literally, stop reading and go do it.
People are becoming accustomed to a personalized process. I have an entire bookshelf catered solely to my recommended readings from Amazon.com. It is important that we, as professionals, start shifting our focus from tools to strategy.
How can you take each individual through a process that creates advocacy on the other side of the sale?
Recruit. Educate. Community. Sale. Advocacy.