Marketing departments and agencies are known for placing a lot of emphasis on the general aesthetics of things. However, the right metrics are just as important. You can use measurable values to increase your marketing efficiency, leading to a better conversion rate and CPM, the price per thousand contacts. After all, keeping costs per customer to a minimum should be the primary goal of any decent marketing department and agency.
But what is actually meant by marketing efficiency? It is the interplay between the success of marketing strategies and the costs spent on them. By increasing marketing efficiency, you can save a lot of money, which in turn can be invested in the growth of the agency. Below you will find 8 effective tips on how to improve marketing efficiency.
No. 1: Communicate mainly through beneficial channels.
For every marketing department, the efficient channels look different as well. To determine the best communication channels for your project, it helps to ask yourself where your target group frequents the most. At best, one already has experience with the said customers and can use this data. Data from current market research can also be of good help here. Another promising method is to try out different channels. In this way, you can see which communication channels are most promising or where the most success can be achieved with the least amount of time – that is the essence of efficiency.
No. 2: Use KPIs to constantly improve marketing measures
Many advertisers and agencies still want to give KPIs a wide berth. Wrongly so, because even the best of ideas needs KPIs. This is the only way to consistently optimize ads, landing pages, social media content, etc. The interaction rate plays an important role here, as it functions independently of the size of the reach and is related to it. So you can use it effectively even if you have just launched a new channel. To determine the interaction rate, every interaction with the advertising medium is recorded. Social media is always suitable for generating reach afterward. A well-designed post that many interact with is more likely to be spread by the algorithm.
Regarding goal compliance, one should eliminate marketing efforts and activities that are not on-target for the strategic priorities. So, to boost brand awareness, you should eliminate any actions that do not work towards the strategic goal, even if they have a positive impact.
No. 3: Automated workflows
With the right tools, you have the ability to automate processes and work more cost-effectively. For example, the Sendinblue tool can send automated emails to users. The tool must be connected to the respective platform via the API to do this. Whether standardized welcome emails or individualized birthday emails, Sendinblue automates email traffic. An exciting tool for lead generation optimization is HubSpot Marketing Hub. This all-in-one solution manages several important areas, such as landing page, CRM system, newsletter client, and many more, including reliable analysis with constant reporting.
Social media workflows can also be made more efficient, for example, by correctly preparing all essential posts for the next few weeks. Hootsuite is the best way to do this. The tool links all the company’s important channels and then creates meaningful reports with all the necessary analytics. To carry out influencer campaigns, the German tool Leadnow is suitable. With Leadnow, you can automate the entire production of user-generated content, manage influencer marketing, and make it measurable. The last point also benefits the KPI analysis!
No. 4: Courage to try things out
Just going for it is usually more efficient than spending too long in the planning phase, as long as you don’t unnecessarily waste resources. But it is important to try out many variations to see if they might work. And if something doesn’t work, you shouldn’t do superficial detective work but really go into depth. Why didn’t it work, and how could you effectively change the measure? In the case of a newsletter, for example, you could send out various test versions based on a previous optimization analysis. In this way, you know at the end which variant is effective and use it for the channel.
No. 5: Pay attention to the landing page
A competent and converting landing page is indispensable; creating such a page is no longer witchcraft. In the meantime, many useful tools on the market can help you create a good landing page. A selection of them are Unbounce, Trbo, Google Optimize, and NOSTO. Another small tip is the use of SEO measures. Good search engine optimization is the be-all and end-all for attracting new customers.
No. 6: Social media made easy
Just scheduling posts in advance is not everything. The content has to be designed and created, after all. Here, it all depends on who is at the helm and how many skills the person has in social media. If staffed internally, the person should definitely be familiar with visuals and editorial tasks. A good support for this can be the tool Canva Pro. This offers a lush selection of pre-made elements, shapes, and icons. However, bringing a social media agency on board is always worthwhile. This ensures that the channel looks professional and complies with the guidelines immediately.
No. 7: Use ERP interfaces that make sense
ERP stands for enterprise resource planning. It is a software solution that enables efficient resource planning by pulling all the data a company needs for customer relationship management from all the important channels and combining it into a uniform database. This database can then be used to produce cross-channel analyses. One popular ERP software is Xentral ERP. The tool, made for e-commerce, has an accounting integration and can be directly connected to online stores, payment providers, shipping service providers, and marketplaces via an interface. This means that all important data can be reliably bundled in one place and efficiently handled by anyone given access.
No. 8: Don’t forget to be human
Unfortunately, the latest and most efficient technology is worth nothing if there is no proper communication behind it. Nowadays, it is important for companies to be approachable and to meet customers at eye level. People often see communicating at a cold distance as inauthentic and cause customers to be lost. To be successful and efficient in the long term, it is therefore worthwhile for a company to be transparent digitally. Use digital channels to communicate honestly and directly.
In conclusion, marketing is also data-driven. So why not take advantage of efficient methods? Marketing efficiency ensures that you can look to the future in the most resource-efficient and innovative way possible by prioritizing goals, defining KPIs, and creating effective content and channels.
