Whenever I work with a new client, I first start diving into their tracking fundamentals by finding out how they track their marketing, it is the first question I ask because of its importance, “how do you track your current marketing”?
Almost 75% of the time the answer is, “no we do not track”.
The other 25% of clients tell me they track and when I dive into the specifics, I find that tracking is not consistent, or they cannot differentiate a lead coming from Facebook vs. their Website. The client is lacking the foundation of taking the marketing from the cost to pay for the individual platform to following it along the marketing flow to the end, ROI. And that is due to a lack of a consistent process that ensures tracking is always being done in the correct order and correct line. Even more key, the client has not set up their employee with proper training, so they have confidence and direction in the tracking process.
I want to help you through with a quick user guide to ensuring you always know what your marketing is doing, and you are not wasting money or more importantly, know what is working so you can build upon that success.
Tracking takes having a fundamental understanding of the marketing channel used, how that channel flows from the potential client seeing the ad or post to what happens when that potential client reaches your business. That is called the marketing flow and can be standard for each marketing platform.
I also find this is not happening when I dive into finding out what has been successful for clients in the past. The lack of marketing flow process is out, and this is where we can assist the client with more control of their marketing.
Generally, I get that things did not work in the past or that it’s unclear what a previous vendor did, but I know based on their answer of tracking, why it really didn’t work, and it simply boils down to not having a tracking procedure in place to see the results firsthand.
Each campaign we sell has a flow from conception to end result that we give to our customers and an agreement that this is known and used in the business during the campaign.
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We utilize call tracking numbers and online tracking but that is our control. For the business, tracking walk-ins, referrals and call-ins that do not use the call tracking number is within their control. The process then ensures those walk-ins, referrals and non-call tracking calls can be looked at for what helped produce those results.
Creative Growth Services ensures this is a coordinated effort, the tracking fundamentals are in and include the marketing flow in every marketing campaign.
Having our client understand that we first and foremost are doing the marketing work, then, secondary, to ensure growth, success and correct monetary implementation results from this coordinated effort, tracking on their end is vital to the overall success.
Here are three ways that tracking fundamentals should be in:
1) Training for tracking – If you have an employee who answers the phone or receives your emails then having an exact standard operating procedure on tracking needs to be included in that employees training. I would even go as far as doing a ½ hour practice session daily and really impinge the validity of this action.
This action alone could save you thousands of dollars every month and tens of thousands in a year, depending on the product you sell.
2) Call tracking and a promo code – The next phase of good tracking is to have a call tracking number or promo code so that every marketing piece is independent from the other.
Call tracking numbers are inexpensive and readily available, some call tracking numbers even come with recordings so you can listen to the calls anytime and learn more about who is calling your business. Today AI can be included to get around HIPPA laws and ensure the recorded call is being handled as best it can by the employee.
With promo codes, these allow you to further differentiate your marketing campaigns and with the correct training of tracking, you can know why the person is contacting your business.
3) Analytics reports – Online marketing can be tracked using Google Analytics, social media Insights, AdWords tracking and email marketing tracking through lead generation software.
These reports are a vital tool in the understanding of your marketing efforts and as a business owner, you should be fully briefed by your marketing company or marketing manager as to what those statistics are weekly/monthly.
Being proactive in the knowledge of what is being produced and the results you get will allow you as a business owner the control you need to grow your business quickly, not in 6 months but within a month, and the value of that control will show in your bank account, as well as your ability to hire more employees and build a brand recognized around your area.
Tracking itself gets overlooked when business owners are too busy or do not have an adequate training process implemented when onboarding new employees.
At Creative Growth Services, we ensure this first and as a vital step with tracking fundamentals, get this acknowledged and confronted so our coordinated marketing efforts bring about the desired result and you as a business owner can feel confident you are seeing the results you want when it comes to spending your marketing dollars.
Tracking has another benefit that tends to be overlooked, that benefit is the understanding of customer satisfaction or allow you to improve the customer’s experience and that can increase referrals.
For example, Text messaging is a great way to directly contact your clients, I recently read an article on this by wpmanageninja, check it out.
In the end our company’s goals are to help directly communicate our customers message to potential clients and clients.
We do that through various marketing channels that only utilize analytics to show results.
If you want more info contact Creative Growth Services today and get a FREE website audit to find out how to get started correctly controlling your marketing online
