Marketing is like anything else we do. Depending on what’s trending, one strategy or idea takes the limelight, leaving everything else in the shadows.
So depending on who you’re following, it may look like content marketing or conversion rate optimization (CRO) or storytelling is THE way to get results.
The trouble is, each of these elements is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. Unless you use every puzzle piece, your end results will have noticeable gaps.
For instance, Jeffrey and Bryan Eisenberg, pioneers of CRO, aren’t solely focused on data and testing.
I recently asked them about their work in CRO and here’s what they said.
“It was in Austin that we shifted our focus away from traditional CRO. We pioneered CRO as a study of tactics to increase conversions. Unlike Austin’s “Keep Austin Weird” campaign, our early efforts lacked the ‘soul’ that became apparent to us over the years—the key to conversion has always been delighted customers.”
I love that last sentence. Our goal as marketers is to delight customers.
These guys are known for their focus on CRO. Yet here they are talking about the soul of marketing. Likewise, great content marketers understand that the final step in content creation is measuring results. Crafting better content isn’t possible unless you know how many people are engaging with what you’ve already put out there.
You need both sides of the equation to succeed
Both the soft tactics of marketing, the ones that create attention and engagement, and the technical tactics, like data collection and measurement, are critical to true marketing success.
That’s why, after a recent chat with Art Trevethan, Director of Marketing at ProCial, I wanted to share some of the things we talked about.
If anyone can help us merge the relational and technical aspects of marketing, it’s Art.
He’s been doing startups for 20+ years—everything from artificial intelligence to software testing. But he’s also the guy his partners send to conferences and put on the stage. He says that nothing energizes him as much as interacting with an audience.
As you might guess, relationship is a priority in his marketing plans.
“My goal is to physically shake hands with every customer. It’s about building relationship with them: what they like, what they don’t like, what we do that we could do better.
“That’s the crux of what my marketing focus is.
“I want to have those conversations so I can build those points of data. But I’m not into building data for the purpose of helping our salespeople. I want our salespeople to engage with customers every month so we can serve them better. I want to know that someone had dinner with them and knows their kids’ names. It’s about deep relationship.”
Art doesn’t necessarily consider himself a data-driven marketing guy, but he’s on a list of top CROs in Austin, Texas, so it’s clear that people see him as a numbers guy.
After talking to him, I’d say he’s the guy who bridges the gap between data and relationship marketing.
“Data is the relationship”
Remember, I told you that Art comes alive in front of an audience. This is the guy who is happiest when dealing face-to-face with customers. But he’s just as comfortable working with code.
With such a varied skill set, he can see the connections many others miss. And he makes a strong case for merging two approaches to marketing that are often perceived as mutually exclusive : measurement and relationship.
Data alone lacks “soul,” according to the Eisenbergs. But relationship alone doesn’t give you feedback for optimization. The merging of these two approaches is the perfect way to improve your marketing over time while maintaining your customer focus.
According to Art, face-to-face marketing is the best way to know what your customers want and need from you. By spending time with your customers, you can easily collect important “data” about their interests, fears, etc.
He told me that his ideal would be to have a face-to-face meeting with every customer at least once a month. Trouble is, you can only manage that up to about 100 customers. After that, you need to scale.
That’s where data comes into play: How often are they visiting your website? How do they work their way through your site? Do they respond to your messaging?
Data gives you this insight and more, so you can continue to make personal touches as your business grows.
Make data an outgrowth of relationship
I enjoyed Art’s down-to-earth approach to marketing. According to him, data isn’t valuable in and of itself. It’s merely an extension of relationship.
“The way I approach it, data is an outgrowth of relationship marketing. When you can’t do one-on-one, you do one-to-many. That involves watching behavior, picking up on trends and reacting to them quickly.
“The challenge is to continue building relationship since you aren’t doing one-on-one anymore.
“The onus is on the marketer to ensure your customers feel that they know you. This can only be done by analyzing the data, seeing what’s working and turning it into positive action for the organization.”
Too often we try to separate the two side of marketing. One person may identify themselves as a data marketer and another as a relationship marketer. To win the game, though, you probably need to identify yourself as both.
Tips for one-to-many marketing
You’ve heard it before. We need to create marketing that feels like a one-on-one touch, even if it isn’t. That’s how you turn one-to-one into one-to-many, and it’s where a great content creator really shines.
Art recommends ongoing outreach such as newsletters, email marketing, videos, seminars and trade shows. But he’s quick to mention that none of these things should be focused on selling.
“Your newsletter should be focused on providing value, not sales. The guy saying we have this or that feature is annoying. Instead, share a useful tool you just found, even if it isn’t something you sell.”
Your newsletter should be a resource for your followers, something they look forward to each month. Otherwise, you’ll lose subscribers.
“When you engage with customers, you’re asking them to invest in you. The time to open your emails, the time to read them, the time to take action—all of these are costs.
“Those costs have to be justified. Most marketers deliver value to get people on their list. But then they start selling. Continuing to deliver value is more critical.
“I can convince people to come in with one email; if I don’t continue to deliver value, they’ll leave.”
That’s the key: continually adding value.
“Be the guy they know they can call on”
When I asked about his focus on continually adding value, here’s what Art said.
“My goal is to be the guy my customers know they can call on to find the best information. A continuous feed of valuable information is critical to being that guy. The key is to deliver information without it devolving into a sales pitch. That’s the relationship.
“I’ve often found, talking to CEOs, they have a rolodex with 1000 people in it. But they have two cards next to their phone. These are the two people they trust to give them honest, timely advice.
“I always want to be one of those cards.
“But to do that, you can never let a customer/prospect forget that you’re the one they can turn to. Even if they’re not a customer.
“My approach builds out of a networking philosophy. In networking, you’re told to give value first. I believe you should do that in your marketing too. Only then will you get value back out of it.”
Smart marketing focuses on people first
In The Marketing Game Plan, I made the #1 priority “knowing your market.” The #2 priority is “creating solutions they’re already asking for.” Art not only seems to support that approach, he gives you a good way to achieve it.
To know your market, you need to spend time with them. You can do that digitally or face-to-face. The key is to spend time with them.
Once you know what they define as “value,” the onus is on you to begin delivering it. That’s how you engage your ideal market. It’s how you build (and maintain) relationship with them. It’s also how you sell more.
Of course, if you’re smart, you’ll take that extra step that Art takes—making yourself the go-to guy whose name is next to your customer’s phone.
Delight your customers. Build relationship with them. Use the deep knowledge you develop to craft your messaging and offers.
That will put the soul back into your marketing.
Then use traditional CRO to measure results and figure out how to deliver even more value.
What are you doing to delight your customers? Have you found a way to effectively merge relationship and data-driven marketing?
A special thank you goes to Art Trevethan for taking time to chat on the phone. You can follow him at @ygthb
