Back in 2014, I wrote a blog post on why organizations should refocus on lifecycle marketing. Two years later and I’m still singing the same song — not because it’s the only one I know but because lifecycle marketing is a strategy any organization can (and should) implement as campaigns become more complex and tactics continue to diversify. You need lifecycle marketing, plain and simple.
In today’s highly connected, less is more, I-want-it-right-now society, consumers expect top-notch customer service and quality products as quickly as they can tweet 140 characters or less. Text messages are preferred over email, social media is preferred over websites, and online reviews hold more weight than case studies. Marketing has changed… but has your organization?
Lifecycle marketing is the next phase or evolution of the traditional marketing funnel; however, instead of focusing solely on leads or prospective customer development, lifecycle marketing focuses on moving all prospects and customers through a brand’s lifecycle from anonymous website lead to repeat customer and customer advocate. It connects social media marketing to landing pages and site views, email click-throughs to phone calls and purchasing information. It provides a 360-degree view of how prospective and current customers engage with a brand – not just another tactic for marketing.
Lifecycle marketing makes the marketer’s and the salesperson’s job easier. It provides direction, which is something no business development professional will ever take for granted!
Marketers who focus solely on winning new business are missing opportunities that are going widely unnoticed – the opportunities that exist within a customer database. After all, customers are more likely to open and actually read emails from the organizations they do business with!
Marketing is no longer a couple of print ads a quarter, a few email marketing messages here or there, or a Facebook page. It’s all of that and then some. Marketing is complicated, integrated, and [unfortunately] time consuming for many folks. It’s time to simplify and magnify your marketing approach and switch to a lifecycle marketing strategy now.
Still not convinced you need lifecycle marketing? Check out this infographic on how lifecycle marketing can impact four diverse businesses, available for free download.
