4 Ways To Plan For The Future Of Marketing Communications

The way businesses communicate with their contacts is changing rapidly. Until recently, businesses have been able to create one message and distribute it to a large group of recipients. But that strategy seldom nets positive results any more, as recipients have become accustomed to a more personalized approach and expect marketing messages that meet their expectations.

Businesses must deliver the right message at the right time in the right channel. ?

Highly individualized, two way conversations in multiple channels are becoming the norm. Businesses need to adapt to this approach and prepare themselves to operate quickly, strategically and be able to gauge their success.

So how does a business start preparing?

1. Gather the right data

Start by determining what data you need to be able to segment, personalize and communicate effectively. This may mean rounding out user?s profiles with social network and mobile information, collecting additional data for personalization and incorporating data you may have in other areas (CRM systems, email tracking results, sales history, etc.).

Data architecture setup is critical. A centralized database is absolutely necessary, and setting up methods to populate this data via API or other automated processes will enable businesses to work off that data quickly and efficiently.

2. Put your recipients in control

Allow your recipients to establish their choice of message topics, the time and frequency at which they receive them and in the channel they want. Creating a preference center where this can occur will not only provide marketers with the ability to deliver better communications, but also provide a wealth of data that can be used to better understand the wants and needs of their audience.

Remember that access to the inbox is earned. Allowing recipients to manage their preferences will give marketers an advantage as recipients can control the messaging the receive.

3. Centralize your content, use it everywhere

Many businesses prepare content for a particular communication and don?t consider how that content can be used in other channels. Marketers should plan an approach where content can be centralized and used for multiple purposes, including creating a content archive that can be accessed after publication.

Email is a good example of this. For many businesses, once an email is sent the content it includes exists no where else. If a recipient loses the email, the content is no longer accessible. Marketers may want to consider storing the content in a content database, tagging it with keywords, and then publishing it not only via email, but also to social channels and allow it to be accessible via the web or mobile. That way their employees and business contacts can always find all the original content the business has created.

4. Operate in real-time

Businesses require real-time data management in order to make real-time decisions. Accessibility to data that is always up-to-date will be imperative to react properly to changes in the business environment. With social media channels generating content in real time and news/press being proliferated so quickly, being able to react, generate content/responses and distribute/publish content quickly and efficiently is the new norm.

If the people within your organization are not able to operate in real-time, then your business will suffer. Employees must inherently understand the culture of the business and be able to communicate on its behalf in order to be successful. Businesses must educate and support employees and provide an environment where real time communication is encouraged.

What other ways will businesses need to prepare themselves for the upcoming changes in marketing communications? What steps are you taking to establish new protocols in your organization?

Image: gfktechtalk.com

Tags: channel, communications, content marketing, Email, future, marketing, message, Mobile, real-time, social marketing, social media

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Source: http://masstransmit.com/broadcast_blog/4-ways-to-plan-for-the-future-of-marketing-communications/

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