A Round-up of Articles we came across this week about CRM and Behavioural Tools For Better Marketing

Introduction

Understanding your audience and building meaningful, authentic relationships is paramount for any successful marketing strategy. This includes adapting to the evolving paradigm of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and effectively leveraging behavioural targeting tools to communicate personalised, relevant messaging. The following articles from the Content Marketing Institute and HubSpot Blog provide valuable insights into these topics. They discuss practical strategies to foster improved brand-audience relationships, highlight key trends in content marketing, and introduce several leading behavioural targeting tools that can help marketers optimise their strategies. By exploring these resources, marketing professionals can equip themselves with the knowledge needed to navigate the rapidly changing digital marketing landscape and establish more meaningful connections with their audience.

Email Marketing for Hotels — How to Get It Right

The article on HubSpot titled "Email Marketing for Hotels — How to Get It Right" provides a comprehensive guide on how hotels can leverage email marketing to address industry challenges and seize opportunities. The article presents a robust guide for enhancing email marketing strategies within the hospitality industry. As the industry grapples with the challenge of customer retention, the piece highlights several strategies that hotels can utilise. Key among these is boosting direct sales, particularly B2B, and using email lead magnets and well-crafted landing pages to turn visitors into subscribers. The article emphasises the importance of loyalty programmes, personalisation, and integration of positive guest reviews in email campaigns. Clear calls-to-action buttons are also vital for guiding the reader's next steps. The overall message is that email marketing should form part of a comprehensive content marketing strategy to ensure consistent messaging across all channels with the ultimate aim of enhancing customer engagement and boosting bookings.

The hospitality industry faces unique hurdles in email marketing, particularly in achieving direct B2C sales due to stiff competition from online travel agencies. However, email marketing proves effective for building relationships with business travellers and travel agents, which can potentially boost direct sales.

Key Points:

1. Repeat Customers: Hotels can use targeted email marketing to engage repeat customers and stay at the forefront of their minds.
2. Content Creation: The creation of engaging and valuable content plays a pivotal role in successful email marketing.
3. Lead Magnets: Offering freebies or lead magnets can serve as an effective strategy to attract email subscribers.
4. Subscriber Acquisition: Utilizing landing pages, embedded sign-up forms, and pop-ups can help gather email addresses effectively.
5. Email Marketing Software: Selecting the right software for email marketing is crucial to ensure smooth operations and effectiveness.
6. Welcome Email Sequence: A well-crafted welcome email sequence is essential for engaging new subscribers and establishing a positive relationship from the onset.
7. Consistency and Quality: Regularly sending high-quality emails helps maintain subscriber engagement and reinforces the hotel's image.
8. Booking Windows: Pushing for sales during key booking windows can yield positive results in terms of bookings and revenue.
9. Loyalty Program: Implementing a loyalty program can incentivize repeat bookings and foster customer loyalty.
10. Personalization: Sending personalized emails based on the recipient's preferences and behaviour can significantly enhance customer engagement.
11. Storytelling and Segmentation: Incorporating storytelling elements and segmenting the email list based on various factors can improve the effectiveness of email marketing strategies.
12. Customer Reviews and CTAs: Leveraging customer reviews to showcase the hotel's credibility and including clear calls to action in emails can drive conversions.
13. Holistic Strategy: Email marketing should be integrated into the larger hotel marketing strategy to ensure consistency and effectiveness across all channels.

In conclusion, the article provides a wealth of insights on how hotels can refine their email marketing strategies to overcome industry challenges and capitalize on opportunities. By focusing on various aspects such as content creation, personalization, consistency, and strategic planning, hotels can enhance their email marketing efforts and boost their business outcomes.

(Source: HubSpot)

10 Content Promotion Strategies That Work (With Examples)

The article titled "Content Promotion Strategies: How to Get More Eyeballs on Your Content" on Copyblogger discusses various strategies for content promotion and the importance of promoting content to reach a wider audience. The article discusses the importance of content promotion in digital marketing and offers ten effective strategies for enhancing the visibility of one's content. Email marketing is touted as a powerful tool for direct, personalised engagement with the audience. Repurposing content into various formats helps reach diverse audiences and extends the content's lifespan. Paid advertising, though an investment, can yield substantial returns if properly executed. Employee advocacy and guest posting help to boost content visibility and credibility. Collaborating with influencers can broaden the content's reach while creating original data can establish a brand as a thought leader. Cross-promoting with segmented email lists increases engagement, and redirecting old blog posts to new content can improve SEO. Finally, updating and repromoting old content can attract new readers and bolster SEO. Thus, content promotion plays a crucial role in digital marketing, complementing content creation.

The author emphasizes the need to create high-quality and original content that can distinguish itself from the competition. They highlight that while SEO is essential, relying solely on it or social media algorithms is not sufficient. Active promotion is necessary to ensure that content reaches its intended audience.

Key Points:

1. Quality and Originality: The foundation of effective content promotion is creating high-quality, original content that stands out.
2. Content Promotion Strategies: The author suggests several strategies like email marketing, repurposing content, running paid ads, using employee advocacy, strategic guest posting, influencer collaborations, creating original data, cross-promoting with email lists, redirecting old blog posts, and revisiting and repromoting old content.
3. Building Networks: Engaging with other bloggers and influencers in the industry can help build a network that aids in content promotion.
4. Active Promotion: Relying solely on SEO or social media algorithms is not enough; content creators need to actively promote their content to reach a wider audience.
5. Target Audience: Identifying the right audience and targeting them with relevant content is crucial for effective content promotion.
6. Value of Non-Buying Audience Members: The concept of the "second customer," or non-buying audience members, is discussed as valuable contributors to content promotion.
7. Promoting Content: Content creators should not hesitate to promote their content and engage potential readers actively.
8. Unique Titles: Creating unique and compelling titles for content can help attract attention and increase engagement.
9. SEO and Content Promotion: While SEO plays a role in content promotion, quality content and active promotion efforts are necessary to complement SEO strategies.
10. Social Sharing and Collaboration: Using social sharing tools and collaborating with other bloggers with similar audiences can help mutually promote each other's content and encourage growth.

In conclusion, the author provides a comprehensive guide on effective strategies content creators can employ to promote their content more effectively. By focusing on quality content creation, active promotion, audience targeting, networking, and strategic collaborations, content creators can significantly enhance their content's reach and impact.

(Source: Copyblogger)

The Marketing Mandate for 2024: Build Stronger Bonds With Your Audience

The article titled "The Marketing Mandate for 2024: Build Stronger Bonds With Your Audience" by Robert Rose on the Content Marketing Institute website discusses the future of marketing and the importance of fostering stronger relationships with audiences. The article underscores the significance of nurturing a profound connection with the audience for a successful marketing strategy. It argues that knowing your audience - including their interests, values, and challenges - enables marketers to create content that genuinely resonates with them, fostering brand trust and loyalty. The article also stresses the crucial role of authenticity, consistent messaging, and audience participation in this process. Additionally, it encourages brands to offer value through high-quality and engaging content that addresses the audience's unique needs and interests. The article acknowledges the investment required in terms of time and effort but emphasizes that the resulting customer loyalty and business growth make it a valuable endeavour.

Rose emphasizes that the concept of customer relationship management (CRM) has significantly evolved over time. He argues that for brands to excel in the future, they must redefine what it means to have a relationship with their audiences.

Key Points:

1. Building Relationships: The article underscores the necessity of strengthening bonds between brands and their audiences.
2. Evolution of CRM: The author discusses the evolution of CRM and how its definition and application have changed over the years.
3. Redefining Relationships: Brands need to redefine their relationships with audiences to stay relevant and successful in the evolving marketing landscape.
4. Value of Experience: Engaging and valuable experiences are critical in creating strong bonds with audiences.
5. Case Study - Amazon Prime Video: The author uses Amazon Prime Video as an example to illustrate the impact of building strong relationships with audiences.
6. Prediction for 2024: The author forecasts that successful marketers will primarily focus on owned media to establish longer and more robust relationships with customers in 2024.
7. Role of Storytelling: The article concludes by highlighting the critical role of storytelling in developing meaningful relationships with audiences.

In conclusion, Rose provides a forward-thinking perspective on the future of marketing, underscoring the need for brands to shift their focus towards building stronger relationships with their audiences. By redefining these relationships and leveraging tools such as storytelling, brands can create engaging experiences that foster loyalty and drive success.

(Source: Content Marketing Institute)

The Emerging Trends Marketers Need to Know for 2024

The article titled "The Emerging Trends Marketers Need to Know for 2024" on the Brainlabs Digital website provides a forward-looking perspective on marketing trends that are expected to dominate in 2024. This identifies key trends that marketers should be aware of for future planning. Personalisation is growing in importance, with customers expecting tailored brand experiences. However, this must be balanced with privacy concerns. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are also transforming the industry, enabling in-depth data analysis and customer behaviour predictions. The integration of online and offline marketing is important for a seamless customer journey across all channels. The rise of social responsibility and sustainability is influencing consumer behaviour, with an increasing demand for brands to align with these values. Lastly, the continued popularity of video content requires marketers to develop high-quality, shareable videos for effective storytelling and engagement. Adapting to these changes can drive customer engagement, relationship building, and business growth.

The author discusses several emergent trends, including the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the importance of personalization, and the need for brands to take a stand on social issues. The article emphasizes the necessity for marketers to stay updated and adapt to these trends to ensure their strategies remain effective and relevant.

Key Points:

1. Rise of AI: The article predicts that AI will play an even more significant role in marketing by 2024, helping brands optimize their strategies and deliver personalized experiences.
2. Personalization: Personalized marketing is expected to become even more critical, with consumers demanding tailored experiences across all touchpoints.
3. Brands Taking a Stand: The trend of brands taking a stand on social issues is expected to continue, with consumers increasingly supporting companies that align with their values.
4. Voice Search: The article suggests that voice search will become more prevalent, requiring marketers to optimize their content for voice search.
5. Data Privacy: The importance of data privacy is expected to increase, with brands needing to ensure they handle customer data responsibly and transparently.
6. Influencer Marketing: Influencer marketing is predicted to evolve, with a shift towards micro-influencers who engage with niche audiences.
7. Omnichannel Marketing: The article anticipates that omnichannel marketing will become the norm, with brands needing to provide consistent experiences across all channels.
8. Interactive Content: Consumers are expected to demand more interactive content, creating opportunities for brands to engage audiences in innovative ways.

In conclusion, the article provides valuable insights into the emerging trends that are expected to shape the marketing landscape in 2024. By staying abreast of these trends and adapting their strategies accordingly, marketers can ensure their brands remain competitive and relevant in the evolving market.

(Source: Brainlabs Digital)

10 Challenges Marketers Face When Implementing AI in 2023 [New Data + Tips]

The article titled "12 Challenges of AI in Marketing (and How to Overcome Them)" on HubSpot's blog discusses the challenges marketers face when implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in their roles and provides practical tips on how to overcome these hurdles. This article highlights the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the field of marketing, whilst also underscoring the challenges it poses. Despite AI's proven efficacy in automating tasks, improving productivity, and offering valuable insights through data analysis, only approximately 35% of marketers are currently leveraging it. The inhibitions concerning AI span multiple dimensions, including stifling creativity, dependence, team acceptance, data privacy, job security, and inadvertent biases. The article puts forth 12 recommendations for successful AI implementation, encompassing thorough understanding, starting small, right tool selection, team training, and continuous evaluations among others. However, it concludes on a positive note, asserting that the intrinsic benefits of AI surpass the associated challenges, and marketers can effectively exploit AI by tackling these challenges and staying abreast of industry updates.

The author emphasizes that while 35% of marketers currently use AI, there are several barriers to its wider adoption. These include concerns about hampering creativity, over-reliance on AI tools, time constraints, process creation, potential inaccuracies, and privacy and data analysis concerns. However, the author also offers a roadmap for successful AI implementation in marketing.

Key Points:

1. Limited Use of AI: Only 35% of marketers currently utilize AI in their roles, indicating room for growth and adoption.
2. Challenges of AI Implementation: Marketers face multiple challenges when implementing AI, including potential threats to creativity, over-reliance on AI tools, time constraints, process creation difficulties, inaccurate information, poor quality content, privacy and data analysis concerns, fear of job replacement, AI bias, and keeping up with new trends and technologies.
3. Overcoming Challenges: The article offers 12 tips to overcome these challenges, including enforcing AI policies, starting with low-risk AI implementations, leveraging AI alongside existing tech stack, discussing with the team, testing AI with the team, locking down processes, finding areas where AI is most effective, experimenting carefully, monitoring quality and accuracy, refining data sources, staying competitive, and overcoming data integrity and change management issues.
4. AI and Creativity: The author suggests that AI can enhance creativity if used correctly, and warns against becoming overly reliant on AI.
5. Addressing Concerns: It's crucial to address fears about job security and AI bias when implementing AI in marketing.
6. Staying Updated: The article highlights the importance of staying abreast of the latest trends and technologies in AI.

In conclusion, the author provides a comprehensive guide on the challenges faced when implementing AI in marketing and offers practical solutions to overcome these hurdles. By adopting these strategies, marketers can leverage AI more effectively, driving greater efficiency and success in their roles.

(Source: HubSpot)

How to Improve Your Marketing Agency’s Reputation With Live Events

The article titled "How to Improve Your Marketing Agency's Reputation With Live Events" on Social Media Examiner details how hosting live events can enhance a marketing agency's reputation. The author uses the case study of Flyte New Media, owned by Rich Brooks, which hosts an annual conference called Agents of Change (AOC). This article highlights the potential of live events as a strategy for marketing agencies aiming to boost their reputation and stand out in a competitive market. The piece takes its cues from the success of Rich Brooks, owner of Flyte New Media, who effectively utilised his annual Agents of Change conference to generate leads and attract new clientele. The article underscores the importance of relationships, partnerships, and sponsorships in enhancing an agency's prestige and value. Practical advice for hosting successful events includes starting small, optimising the attendee journey, and creating memorable experiences. The article concludes that live events, when executed effectively, can be a potent tool for fostering community, offering valuable insights, and creating unforgettable experiences, ultimately leading to business growth and client success.

The AOC conference has been instrumental in boosting Flyte's business, establishing its thought leadership, and unifying Maine's marketing community. The conference significantly contributes to Flyte's marketing strategy, with a notable percentage of new clients discovering the agency through this event.

Key Points:

1. Importance of Live Events: The article emphasizes the role live events can play in improving a marketing agency's reputation and attracting new clients.
2. Case Study - Flyte New Media: The owner of Flyte New Media, Rich Brooks, hosts an annual conference, AOC, which has become an integral part of the company's marketing strategy.
3. Client Acquisition: Around 25-50% of Flyte's new clients find the agency through the AOC conference, highlighting the event's effectiveness as a lead generation tool.
4. Separating from Competitors: The conference helps Flyte differentiate itself from other agencies and nurtures leads over extended periods.
5. Access to Executive Suites: Hosting the conference allows Flyte to reach decision-makers in companies and encourages existing clients to expand their contracts.
6. Investment: Organizing and hosting the AOC conference requires substantial time, effort, and financial resources.
7. Measurement of Success: The success of the conference is gauged based on community energy, testimonials, and recovery of hard costs, rather than meticulous attribution of each new client to the event.
8. Recommendations for Hosting Events: Rich advises starting small during the first year and aligning programming and logistics with goals. As the event grows, it's vital to optimize the attendee journey and incorporate experiential elements.

In conclusion, the article provides valuable insights into how live events can enhance a marketing agency's reputation and facilitate client acquisition. By leveraging the strategies outlined in this article, other agencies can also host successful events that boost their brand visibility and reputation.

(Source: Social Media Examiner)

The Head Of Marketing

The article titled "The Head of Marketing" by Seth Godin, published on his blog on December 5, 2023 offers a deep dive into the multifaceted nature of marketing roles. Godin emphasizes that understanding and executing a marketing job requires one to juggle at least three different roles: Marketing Strategy, Promotion, and Sales Support. Organisations must grasp the intricate nature of the marketing head's role to capitalise on its potential fully. Recognising that this position is not monolithic but comprises various responsibilities - strategic, promotional, sales support, project management, and aesthetic elements - is vital. Such comprehension can lead to more informed decision-making, more effective resource allocation and ultimately, a more robust and successful marketing function. It's also essential to understand that these roles, while distinctive, are not independent silos but interrelated components of a holistic marketing approach. By appreciating this complexity, organisations can set realistic expectations, foster better collaboration among teams, and chart a path towards sustainable growth and success.

Key Points:

1. Marketing Strategy: This is the foundation of marketing work, involving positioning, storytelling, status, affiliation, understanding network effects, user experience, and the change the company seeks to make. A good marketing strategy can overcome most other challenges.
2. Promotion: This is a more tactical aspect of marketing. It includes activities like offering coupons, conducting PR, advertising, implementing steady permission marketing, creating thoughtful content strategies, and consistently telling the company's story in a generous manner.
3. Sales Support: In many organizations, marketing's primary role is to support the sales team's efforts. This integrated role differs significantly from the typical brand marketer's job.
4. Project Management: The marketing function often involves managing time, money, and effort, requiring consistent and insightful leadership. It entails handling numerous constituents, moving parts, and making critical decisions.
5. Prettiness: This refers to aspects like logo design and discussions about look and feel, which, according to Godin, are not as crucial as the other roles of marketing.

Godin suggests that when CEOs say they need marketing help, they often mean they need help with promotion. However, he emphasizes that without a marketing strategy and sales support, promotional efforts alone won't yield much success.

In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive understanding of the various roles encompassed within a marketing job and highlights the importance of balancing these roles for effective marketing.

(Source: Seth's Blog)

The Marketing Mandate for 2024: Build Stronger Bonds With Your Audience

The article titled "The Marketing Mandate for 2024: Build Stronger Bonds With Your Audience" by Robert Rose delves into the importance of fostering stronger relationships between brands and their audiences. It highlights the evolution of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and emphasizes the need for a redefined understanding of audience-brand relationships. The article from the Content Marketing Institute underscores the significance of nurturing a profound connection with the audience for a successful marketing strategy. It argues that knowing your audience - including their interests, values, and challenges - enables marketers to create content that genuinely resonates with them, fostering brand trust and loyalty. The article also stresses the crucial role of authenticity, consistent messaging, and audience participation in this process. Additionally, it encourages brands to offer value through high-quality and engaging content that addresses the audience's unique needs and interests. The article acknowledges the investment required in terms of time and effort but emphasizes that the resulting customer loyalty and business growth make it a valuable endeavour.

Key Points:

1. Evolving CRM: The piece discusses how CRM has evolved over time, underscoring the importance of this shift for brands seeking to establish stronger bonds with their audiences.
2. Redefining Relationships: Rose emphasizes that brands need to redefine what it means to have a relationship with their customers, focusing on creating value and experiences that bolster this bond.
3. The Role of Content Marketing: The article identifies content marketing as a strategic business function, pivotal in fostering brand-audience relationships.
4. Case Study - Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video is cited as an example of how a brand can cultivate a strong and continuous relationship with its audience.
5. Focus on Owned Media: The author predicts that successful marketers in 2024 will zero in on owned media, producing content that helps forge longer and more robust relationships with customers.
6. Emerging Trends in Content Marketing: The article outlines several trends set to shape content marketing in 2024, including the importance of personal content over personalized content based on demographics, and the declining trust in digital content.
7. The Power of Storytelling: The piece concludes by stressing the role of storytelling in building meaningful relationships with audiences, keeping them engaged with the brand for extended periods.

In conclusion, the article provides insightful strategies for brands to adapt to the changing landscape of CRM and build stronger bonds with their audiences. It also unveils key trends that are likely to influence content marketing in 2024.

(Source: Content Marketing Institute)

Top Behavioural Targeting Tools Marketers Should Know About

The article titled "Top Behavioural Targeting Tools for Marketers" provides an overview of several top behavioural targeting tools that marketers can leverage, including HubSpot Behavioural Targeting, Omnisend, Klaviyo, and Segment. These tools enable marketers to deliver personalized and targeted messaging based on customer behaviour, which can resonate with and convert individuals into customers. This article discussed the importance of behavioural targeting in the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape, focusing on four key tools: HubSpot Behavioural Targeting, Omnisend, Klaviyo, and Segment. These tools allow for the curation of segmented lists based on personas, engagement, interests, and activities, with the ability to personalize messaging across various channels. They enable marketers to understand their audience better, tailor strategies to each customer's unique needs, and deliver engaging and effective messaging. As the digital space becomes increasingly crowded, these tools provide a solution by allowing for precise audience segmentation, leading to more targeted and unique messaging. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of behavioural targeting in successful marketing strategies, suggesting these tools as resources for marketers to consider in their endeavours.

Key Points:

1. HubSpot Behavioural Targeting: This tool allows marketers to create segmented lists based on persona and level of engagement. It also enables personalization of site content, tailoring of marketing emails, and running of automated campaigns.
2. Omnisend: Omnisend organizes users into groups based on their engagement, interests, and activities. It also allows monitoring of interactions with promotional campaigns and web tracking.
3. Klaviyo: Klaviyo enables automation and personalized messaging based on customer behaviour. It includes features like welcome messages, abandoned cart reminders, and cross-sell campaigns.
4. Segment: Segment is a customer data platform that allows for personalized messaging based on various factors such as audience, time, channel, and behaviour. It also provides real-time customer profiles.
5. Importance of Behavioural Targeting Tools: The article emphasizes the importance of leveraging behavioural targeting tools to deliver personalized and targeted messaging that resonates with and converts individuals.

In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive understanding of several top behavioural targeting tools for marketers. These tools can help marketers create more personalized and effective marketing strategies by understanding and leveraging customer behaviour.

(Source: HubSpot Blog)

Conclusion

In summary, the world of marketing is continually evolving, with technologies and strategies constantly emerging to better align with consumer behaviour. It is clear from the highlighted articles that building authentic relationships with customers and understanding their behaviours are more crucial than ever. By utilising tools such as HubSpot Behavioural Targeting, Omnisend, Klaviyo, and Segment, marketers can deliver personalised messages that truly resonate. As we move forward, marketers should remain adaptable and willing to invest in these innovative tools and strategies to forge stronger relationships with customers and ultimately drive growth and success.