Lifecycle Marketing: Loyalty Through Personalization and Education

When you receive a marketing email in your inbox, what’s your gut reaction? I’m guessing it is the same as mine: delete, delete, delete. Very few emails make it through to the reading phase; I even have a separate email address I give to businesses who might try to sell me things.

Those few emails that stay out of my trash bin have one thing in common: they are personalized. That bright yellow dress I bought online two weeks ago? Well, that clothing company picked out a few more of their dresses that share similar characteristics - yellow, fun, floral - and emailed me the photos, making it easy to click those links should I decide to buy another dress. This tactic doesn’t always result in a purchase, but I appreciate the personalization and am more likely to give the company a chance in the future. They have learned what I like and are using it to tailor their marketing content to me.

And so it is with SaaS lifecycle marketing. When a potential customer is looking for something, whether it’s a new service, an addition to an existing service, or they are simply gathering information on the services you provide, lifecycle marketing is a way to ensure you are tailoring your content to each specific user in whichever phase of their relationship with your company they happen to be in.

Education  

For those potential customers who are in the information-gathering phase of their “lifecycle,” it is important to provide that information in a thorough and pressure-free format. What is their concern or problem and how could this be addressed? Your SaaS company has the solution, of course, but more generally, what is that solution?  

-What kinds of software solutions are available and how do these solutions work to address the potential customer’s concerns and problems?

-What are the steps that must be taken as your potential customer looks toward solving the issues they are encountering?

You want to give the potential customer as much information as possible, such as blog posts, ebooks, videos, outside links, and anything else that offers them a comprehensive overview of the topic. Providing a clear explanation of what solutions are out there to a user who is in the education phase of their customer lifecycle is a valuable service that they will remember as they move on to subsequent phases.

Shopping Around 

At some point, this customer will need to make a decision about which SaaS company will best meet their needs. And if you’ve already met their need for information, your company will be one they consider more seriously as they move forward. What can you offer in this decision-making phase of the customer lifecycle? Again, information in a low-pressure format is a great way to keep yourself in consideration. Stories on your website of other clients you’ve helped can be an easy and powerful way to showcase your work. Do you offer a free consultation, either in-person, over the phone, or via your website? A chat function lets your possible customer control their level of interaction as they dig a little deeper for information.

Tentative Customer

Once the customer is ready to give your company a chance, an effective low-pressure tactic for this phase of the lifecycle is to offer a free trial. This free trial is your time to shine. Checking in and offering personalized support and training are wonderful ways to make your product stick. Education is the key here, as it has been with the previous phases of the customer lifecycle. How do you best educate your new customer so that they can use your product to its absolute greatest advantage? Personalized emails, messages, and other informal methods of checking in are perfect in this scenario - make sure the customer knows that you’re there for them. A quick and simple demo keeps the customer engaged in your product. This is also a time when you can monitor any trouble the customer may be having with the software and address that trouble right away with an email or system message that lets them know you’re paying attention, you care about their experience, and you’re there to help.

Official Customer 

And now, if all has gone well, you have an official customer. This portion of the lifecycle can split off into a variety of directions - the customer may want more of your services as their business develops, or they may want to refer others to you, or they may want to customize your products as their needs change. The most important thing you can do here, as you have been doing all along, is to pay attention, educate, and offer individualized services and marketing. Your current customers are your strongest advocates and allies, and their satisfaction and happiness can help you grow both your business and theirs.

Automation

Much of these interactions can actually be automed. Especially email follow ups for free trials or product demo signups. Use marketing automation software such as HubSpot or Marketo to set up custom workflows - segmented for each of your target audiences. This allows you to still tailor the content and be personable, but frees up much of your sales team time and allows them to focus on the hottest leads. 

Curious to learn more about marketing automation and our SAAS marketing services? We help generate leads and push them through the sales cycle with inbound marketing - designing custom landing pages, offers and using channels to promote your content. Contact us to learn more.