Make your website Content Management System (CMS) work with your customer and prospect relationship management system (CRM). Trying to maintain your site, blog, social media and smart phone apps in four different places is impossible. There are many applications that can integrate them. Some recommended applications that help pull all of these pieces of your marketing mix together: Wordpress, Hubspot and Marketo.

Forefinger – Make Your Website Personal

These days, people expect to have a personal experience when they visit a website, whether it’s to get information or to purchase a product. Either way, it’s up to you to make your site as pleasant an experience as possible. This can work just as well if your business is serious or highly technical. By learning what customers like most, you can adjust your site to cater to your customer. This kind of updating is never a one-time deal where you set it and forget it. This is not how you run your business, so why would you run your website that way? Take time to think about what motivates your customers and integrate those aspects into the content of your site.

Middle finger – Don’t Automate Your Social Media Marketing

But do organize it to be personal and focused on prospects needs. Remember to listen 80% of the time and speak 20%. Segment your prospects and customize your communications. This means very personal small segments and unique data they want. Don’t worry if its not too frequent. When it comes to content, quality is always better than quantity. The secret to internet marketing is hosting great content and having that content linked to your site by the best sites on the interent for the topic you want to rank for. That topic might be “green building marketing,” one we wnat to rank for. In 2013 we collaborated with a government official and a green home expert and made a presentation to the regional USGBC conference. We work to have that content referred to on our site as much as possible. Universities, goverment agencies and other important sites want to and will include excellent content on their site with link text of “green building marketing”

Ring finger – Host a Meetup

Your customers want to “see” you from time to time, so why not go virtual? Call it your “Customer Appreciation Virtual Lunch” and deliver pizza to their site. Setting up a video conference online where you can demonstrate new technology, products or services that might otherwise be found in sales literature is an excellent touch point with customers. You’ll be surprised at how getting in front of customers virtually on their laptops put you top of mind when they’re ready to do business. Just kidding, virtual really isn’t here yet for industrial marketing. Better to schedule and make presenations to industry associations, chambers of commerse and networking groups.

Little finger – Take Your Marketing Communications Personally

They are a reflection of yourself, your company and your beliefs. Improve on the best things about yourself and work on your faults. This can be one of the most challenging exercises for your business. By honestly looking internally and focusing on your strengths, you are saving time and money by eliminating extraneous and time and efforts. Good luck, look your customer in the eye and listen.