7 Mobile Apps to Accelerate Your Marketing Automation Success

In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s important to have a rock-solid cross-channel marketing strategy, and one of the easiest ways to execute that strategy is through your marketing automation system. As we share in our new eBook, Visions From the Future of Marketing Automation: An Explorer’s Guide to Cross-Channel Marketing, there are lots of ways to get creative in reaching your customers. Below, we’ve outlined seven types of apps that you can plug into your marketing automation system to help make your cross-channel campaigns more efficient, engaging and effective.  

1. SMS/MMS Apps

In our smart-phone co-dependent society, customers are constantly checking their phones, and sending a quick text or picture message is a great way to get in front of them with timely offers, information, announcements, and more. SMS and MMS are also great for reconnecting with “hard-to-get” people on your target list.

Tip: Make sure your messages are short, simple and focused on one point.

2. Calling Apps

Instead of sending contacts to CRMs or routing them through sales execution tools, try using a calling app that enables your team to talk to customers directly. A good calling app will enhance your workflow efficiency and enable you to identify the conversations that are delivering the best return, so you can adjust your approach accordingly.

Tip: Use talking points instead of a script to ensure you come across as authentic, not robotic.

3. Voice Message Apps

In the event you need to leave customers and prospects a message, voice messaging apps can alleviate the stress of speaking on the fly by enabling you to pre-record a personalized message based on insights and information from your contact list. Some apps even allow you to use voice prompts to make messages interactive.

Tip: Whatever you’ve got to say, do it in 30 seconds or less.

4. Payment Apps

Once customers are ready to show you the money, you can help them help you by hooking up your forms and landing pages with a secure payment app. These apps enable you to process credit card payments and track transactions for products, services, events, online stores, and more.

Tip: Always let customers choose how they want to receive their receipt (email, text, paper).

5. Geo-Targeting Apps

One of the best ways to make sure your campaigns are in the right place at the right time is to use a geo-targeting app to search and segment your contacts. Geo-targeting empowers you to personalize content for your target audience based on their location, which is especially handy when you want to make sure an event is well-attended by locals.

Tip: Start with a small radius when segmenting your target and increase it incrementally.

6. Direct Mail Apps

Sometimes our digitally dominated world leaves customers longing for something real. When that happens, use a direct mail/print-fulfillment app to send customers a physical reminder of your company that they can touch, like a postcard, catalog, or even gift items.

Tip: Sending personalized thank you notes to customers is a smart way to build brand loyalty.

7. Validation Apps

People move on, move up and make mistakes — all of which impact your database, your sales, and ultimately your bottom line. To make sure your lists are clean, use e-mail and address validation apps. Most of these apps enable you to validate emails and addresses on your landing page, before they clutter your database with misinformation. They also normalize and standardize data throughout your ecosystem, which not only makes everything look professional, it helps eliminate and consolidate duplicate addresses.

Tip: Information is constantly changing, so validate all contacts often. 

Every part of your marketing needs to go mobile, especially your marketing automation activities. The Modern Marketing Essentials Guide to Mobile Marketing will make sure that mobile is always top of mind.

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