WEBSITE MARKETING

For decades, computer technology has tried to make sales and marketing more systemized, more fluid, more automated. We've watched the gradual, painful evolution of CRM (customer relationship management), e-mail marketing and digital marketing. At Distant Horizon, we've always tried to be not first to market, but first to market when the technology is finally financially viable. We are proud to say that "Marketing Automation" as a concept has recently hit a tipping point where it should probably be used by nearly every sales organization. But that said, it has to be done very carefully.

We are an implementation consultant, not a middleman. You will pay the CRM/MA provider directly and you will own your account. After the initial project we can help you on an hourly or project basis as needed, but the point of all DH projects is to "teach you how to fish" so you are not beholden to an agency. When choosing a marketing automation solution for our clients, we keep the following concepts paramount:

Unified System

We strive to use one system for both CRM and marketing automation. When you have multiple systems, integration issues can dramatically complicate the work flow.

Subscription Based

We like working with monthly subscriptions, not annual payment providers. Who wants to pay for a year in advance while the system is still unproven?

Informative Tracking

We integrate tracking code on all pages of all your web sites, blogs and broadcast e-mails so these pages constantly talk back to the CRM to tell you what your contacts are doing, where and when.

GETTING STARTED

We can give an educational presentation to your sales staff to get them pumped up on how the system works and how to import/enter contacts into the CRM so they can hit the ground running. If you want your sales team to buy in to CRM and marketing automation, it has to be sold to them by one of them - a passionate salesperson that can explain in their terms how it will help them make more money.

Our projects include:

  • Full broadcast e-mail capability
  • Unsubscribe feature
  • Custom-designed HTML e-mail template(s)
  • Tracking code that talks back to CRM to indicate that messages were opened, links clicked etc.

CONTACT MANAGEMENT

Thorough use of existing available contact lists is the bedrock of your new marketing automation system. We can help you import your Outlook contacts, Quickbooks vendor and customer lists, spreadsheets or a dump from your ERP system or existing CRM software.

Your phone-in leads can be entered into the CRM via your web site by receptionist or salesperson. All web contact forms and general e-mail boxes (sales@ info@ etc.) get integrated directly into the CRM. This prevents the "post-it note" problem of scribbled down hot leads. We can also integrate dialing software or inbound call tracking software if needed.

CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION

It is essential to have a fast, easy to use interface that will make your sales people enjoy entering leads/contacts because they will know that as soon as they hit submit, the marketing automation takes over the mundane task of keeping in touch.

When properly set up, a marketing automation system isn't a crutch, it's a coach. It constantly guides your sales team along, helping them be better at their job.

We will set up a standard trickle campaign that puts all contacts on a track of receiving regular communication at a pre-set interval (such as every 18 or 30 days). We will guide you through creating custom campaigns to supplement your primary trickle campaign.

Interested? Fill out this brief form to see how our own marketing automation works!