Which marketing technique is more critical: automation or the human touch? The truth is relationship marketers need both approaches to navigate the 2021 landscape. This article will explore the ways automation and human-driven strategies can complement each other.
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Nothing can replace the personal approach
Customers are the lifeblood of a business, and they are now, and always will be, humans. Humans want to feel like they’re receiving special treatment, a sensation chatbots and algorithms can’t provide (at least not yet). Customer retention will depend in no small part on the human element of your overall customer success plan, so make sure you’ve thought it through.
Even if you rely on automated methods for much of your marketing infrastructure – more on that later – having real human beings involved at key points can be the difference in 2021. Reacting to a customer’s needs with empathy is always valuable, but even more so after a year of such extreme emotional turmoil. A customer success representative authentically asking, “How are you doing?” at the right time can overcome almost any pain point or complaint a customer might have.
Your human team will also be able to understand recent customer behavior in a way that algorithms can’t. Raw data can’t factor in the sudden need to spin up remote working abilities or the unique financial strains of the past 12 months. The compassion and humor necessary to weather the past year are something no algorithm could ever surpass.
But you still need really good automation
Your people are your most valuable asset, but some aspects of your business are better served by software. Email automation, social media posts, lead nurturing, and maintenance — these are laborious, repetitive tasks that should be automated as much as possible. Marketing software can also make sense of data, providing valuable insight via campaign analytics.
Investing in automation can be a huge advantage for your company, but only if you fit the tools to the purpose. It’s tempting to go for the “all in one” approach to marketing automation, but depending on your unique needs, going that route may lead to you paying for more than you’ll use.
But what was best relegated to automation in 2020 may be something that needs more human interaction in 2021. A chatbot that got the job done last year may be insufficient this year, for example. Take some time to evaluate your entire process to confirm the validity of your strategy in the current clime.
Best of both worlds
A strong customer success approach should marry the best of both human interaction and efficient automation. While that may not be a revelation in and of itself, it’s a good reminder that efficiency and ROI will be more carefully scrutinized in the coming year than they were in 2020.
Last year was about simple survival; riding out the chaos of the unknown and coming out the other side. In 2021, however, simply hanging on isn’t enough – your business needs to grow. Now is the time to make smart choices about where to leverage your team and where to let software take over.