Tag: automation

    When NOT to Use Marketing Automation

    When NOT to Use Marketing Automation

    Marketing automation is wonderful and can really make a difference for your use of time in building your business. Not everything needs to be drip fed, though. Sometimes it is better to do things yourself or have a virtual assistant do them.

    No matter how sophisticated a Word Press plug in, or a piece of software is, it is still basically a computer program. There will be bugs, there will be updates, there will be times when customers want to talk to a human to address their issues.

    Have you ever had a problem with a company such as your internet provider or cell phone provider and when you called them, you got an automated customer service system? How frustrated did you get when you were trying to get your question answered, or trying to reach a human because you knew your problem did not fit their four selection choices? Often because they are rather large business with little or no competition in the area, they can do that to their customers. You might not want to do that though because there is probably far more competition for your customers.

    So customer service is a major area where you would not want to have a lot of marketing automation. Basic issues can be addressed by tools such as emailing a new password when someone clicks the forgot password button. If a person needs more than can be handled simply, you need to have a way for them to connect with a person. It can be you, or someone you hire to help you, but that person needs to be able to listen to the customer and figure out how to solve the problem, no matter how odd the problem is.

    Another area where you will want to have at least some human presence is in your social media. If you just rely on marketing automation to handle your social media, you will short change yourself and your customers. In some cases, you may end up getting banned from groups if you only use drip fed posts. The line between automation and spamming can be quite thin.

    An additional area where automation does not work well is in producing content. Once the content is created, you can use the tools to get the content out there, but the actual making of it needs a personal touch. Many people have tried to make software that writes well, and failed at it. Creativity is not hardwired into computers the way it is in human beings. So if you want something written, or a video made, or graphics designed, you need to do it yourself or outsource to a person, not try to use automation tools to create the content.

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    Top Biz Systemization Strategies for Any Business

    Biz systemization means automating aspects of your business so that they can run without you. This means looking at your workflow as a series of systems and then seeing how those systems can be ‘upgraded’ to positively influence your profits and to save you time and money.
    But when you read about biz systemization, it will often be in vague terms unless you’re willing to pay. It’s hard to find concrete strategies you can use to systemize your workflow, so to get you started and to give you an introduction to the subject, here are some that you can use right away

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    Flow Charts
    A flow chart is a diagram that basically says, ‘if this happens then do this’. This is perfect for diagnostics, for dealing with problems that arise and for making sure the precise same approach is used to similar situations in different contexts. Give your staff flow charts and the manager will receive far fewer questions.

    Check Lists
    Check lists meanwhile are lists that ensure nothing is being overlooked when carrying out a process. They can avoid mistakes and again they reduce questions and ‘communication overhead’.

    Software
    Many programs can automate and systemize aspects of your business. You can use something like IFTTT for instance to have e-mails added to a to-do list on Google Drive or you can use WordPress to save time when creating web designs.
    But taking this to the next level means creating custom software that can take care of the smaller jobs you find yourself repeatedly doing.

    Tools
    Similar is using tools. These include force multipliers which create more output from the same amount of input (like a hammer, computer or a forklift) and automation  which might mean digital manufacturing tools to remove the manual labor component of your business.

    Generating Passive Income
    If you’re keen to take your systemization to the next level, you can look at business models that will generate income passively. This can mean selling a digital product or working as a contractor and taking commission.

    Project Management
    Project management means approaching a project in the most efficient way possible so as to avoid complications and to prepare for any contingencies. This doesn’t just have to apply to construction, the same techniques can also be used in office work.

    Removing Communication Overhead
    Use systems to remove all the unnecessary communications that bog down workflow and slow you down.

    Training and Team Building
    Develop your team enough and show the how to deal with a crisis and eventually you can remove the need for your input in the vast majority of cases. Your objective is to make yourself obsolete!

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    3 Simple Mistakes to Avoid in Setting Up Your Marketing Automation

    Marketing automation can really help streamline your business and help you grow. It is important though, that you understand how best to use these tools so you do not make mistakes. Remember that these tools are only there to make things easier for you, not to replace the human touch.

    First and foremost, you need to make sure you keep adding fresh content that is specifically geared to your customers. For example, if you are selling to men who love dogs and want to learn how to train them better, you probably would not want content that has to do with how to help women lose weight.

    Watch out for more subtle differences as well. You can generalize to some extent, but you do not want your customers to feel like you are just throwing content at them to see what sticks. Make sure your content is not only changing, but relevant to your specific customer base. A lot of times you have more than one group of customers, though, so segmenting your list is crucial to helping you target them better with your automation. You want them to feel like even though it is automated, that you care about them and their interests.

    Do not use marketing automation when you should be connecting with your customers manually. For example, many tools work with drip feeding content and posts to various forms of social media. You can use these tools to make sure your social media stays active, by tweeting, sharing, posting, when you are not able to because you are asleep, or working on other projects.

    Make sure, though, that you also post manually so people can hear what you have to say. If you are a member of a group on sites like Facebook, use good social manners. A few automated posts now and again that are very relevant to the group may be alright as long as you clear it first, but if you drip feed a lot of posts, many unrelated, the group may ban you.

    Set it and forget it can lead you into issues. You do need to monitor your marketing automation and test it and tweak it. Make sure you are offering targeted information that helps your customers as well as sales pitches. Check on things like how much interaction you are getting with social media posts and blog posts. Analyze your stats on emails to make sure you are really maximizing your benefits from using automated tools to grow your business.

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    The Power of Flow Charts and Checklists for Business Systemization

    In one study looking at the effectiveness of doctors and nurses, it was found that doctors would be far less liable to make serious mistakes (as would surgeons) when presented with a checklist by the nurses. This was an idea that many doctors were resistant to at first seeing it as them being ‘checked up on’ and constantly monitored when they considered themselves capable of working alone. In fact though, even the most experienced doctors were found to make fewer mistakes when following precise checklists which forced them to pay attention to the smaller details.

    Flow charts have exactly the same power. A flow chart is a fantastic tool for very quickly outlining a situation and then providing the very best course of action to get the preferred solution.
    In many ways a manager or a business owner will often work as a checklist and as a flow chart. Staff will come to them with problems and challenges and they will then reel off solutions and checklists that the team can follow.
    What this basically means then is that a boss can often systemize their business better and remove themselves as an integral part of the workflow, simply by using check lists and flow charts.

    Flow Charts for Dealing With Problems
    An example of how this might work could be in a car garage. If you ran an auto repair company, then often you would be using a mental flow chart to diagnose and solve car problems. You’d ask yourself, does this car have ‘X’ problem? Is it making ‘Y’ noise? Is it ‘N’ make and model?
    By writing this down as a flow chart, all you are effectively doing is giving lesser experienced staff the ability to come to the same conclusions you would. Likewise, checklists can ensure that as they are working on the problem, they will be able to avoid small mistakes.

    This way flow charts and checklists mean that you get asked more questions and are better able to work on your business rather than in your business. What’s more, it means that the process from start to finish will be systemized meaning that every customer will get the same level of care and attention and the same great treatment.

    What if your flow charts and checklists can’t do the job?
    Then you look into dealing with the problem. Otherwise though, you’ll be bothered much less and your business will practically run itself!

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    The First Step to Systemizing a Business

    What do you think when you hear the term ‘biz systemization’? This is one of those ‘buzz words’ that’s flying around a lot at the moment, but what does it really mean?
    Ultimately, business systemization means making your business more efficient to the point where it is capable of running without your input and where it will be better designed to deal with challenges and obstacles. Biz systemization then allows you to either step back and loosen the reigns, or it allows you to expand and take on more challenges.
    So what does business systemization look like? How do you begin? It all begins with a single step.

    Analysis and Reflection
    The first step towards biz systemization is to analyze and assess your current systems and how they are working. You will be powerless to make any effective change to the way your business runs if you don’t recognize the systems that are already in place and if you aren’t able to find the stress points that are slowing your business down.
    This initially requires something of a shift in the way you are thinking about your business. Here, your organization itself can be thought of as a kind of ‘master system’ which is made up of much smaller parts.
    You can demonstrate this as a flow chart. So say your business deals with web design, you might have a simple flow chart for your main input > output system that represents your business as a whole.

    This might look as follows:
    Client Gives Instruction > Time Invested in Site Design > Profit > Marketing

    A good business model like this should ultimately loop back to the start so that you are perpetually gaining new clients and customers and starting new projects for more profits.
    But each of these systems can be broken down into smaller systems and contingencies.

    For instance, ‘time invested in site design’ might mean another flow chart, like this:
    Initial Meeting and Discussion > Moodboard > Second Meeting > Wireframes > Initial Construction > Feedback > Refinement > Launch

    You could then break down the ‘Initial Meeting and Discussion’ further and on and on.

    Once you’ve done this, you can then assess each of the miniature systems and look at how much time they’re taking and whether they could and/or should be more efficient. What is taking longer than it should do? What is taking up too many resources? And what other systems are in place as contingencies should everything not go to plan?

    Once you find yourself asking these questions, you have truly begun the process of biz systemization!

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    How to Have an Entirely Automated Business Model

    Biz systemization is the process of systemizing a business such that it can run more efficiently and such that you can take a step back and allow it to operate more independently. This then means that you as the business owner or manager will have more time to either take out of work, or more time to spend getting new clients, marketing and expanding the company.
    But some entrepreneurs take this much further. In some cases, businesses can be entirely 100% automated to the point where they completely run themselves and you actually just sit back and watch the money role in. This is what’s known as ‘passive income’ and for many people it represents the ultimate business achievement. But how is this possible and how can you get a slice of the action?

    What is Passive Income?
    Passive income is money you make while you’re sleeping or on holiday. This doesn’t mean that you didn’t work for that money but what it does mean is that you are no longer trading time directly for money.
    An example of such a business model is selling any kind of digital product. This is a product like an eBook or an app that is entirely digital and has no physical form. Thus these products have no overheads and if you have a site where customers can buy them and download them, then you will have no need to do anything to generate income once you have the site up and running and you have marketed it sufficiently.
    Add an app to the app store with a name that people are searching for and it will get downloads indefinitely once it has been uploaded. Of course extra marketing and improving the app will aid your profits  but they are not necessary.
    This is basically like creating one system that can generate you income without your input at all. The best thing about this type of business model is that it allows you to spend your time however you want to and even better, you can create as many of these business models as you like.

    More Examples of Passive Income Business Models

    Other examples of passive income business models include:

    • Letting affiliates sell your product
    • Setting up a website to sell an affiliate’s product
    • Making money from advertising on a website, app or video
    • Being a contractor and getting commission on work that others do for clients you find
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    Business Systemization and Project Management

    Project management is one of the ‘Chandler Bing’ jobs that many of us don’t really understand. We nod when people tell us that they’re in project management, but what does it actually mean? Is it really a necessary job?
    In this article we’re going to look at what project management is and why you should sit up and take notice. If you’re interested in biz systemization to help your workflow operate more smoothly and effectively, then there are some principles here that can apply to your business and save you a lot of time and money.

    What is Project Management?
    Essentially, project management means planning any project in such a way that it will be more efficiently completed and that it will be more resilient against unexpected contingencies. Often this will be a simple matter of switching jobs around and defining the order that those tasks will be completed and it most often is found in physical construction projects and the like.
    Say a house was being built for instance. It would be a project manager’s job to decide what got completed first, when supplies were ordered and who would work when. For instance, a project manager would likely decide that ‘weather dependent’ jobs be completed first. Why? Because that way, when it rained, other jobs could be done instead. Do the weather dependent jobs last and then if it rains on those days you won’t have any work to do  meaning that the entire project takes more time.
    ‘Critical chain’ project management meanwhile focuses more on the time, the people and the materials necessary for a job and aims to ensure that everything is ready at the time it’s needed.

    Applying This to Your Business
    When using biz systemization meanwhile, you will be likely looking at ways you can remove problems from going wrong and ways that you can thus remove yourself from the equation. Using ‘project management’ style techniques when approaching any new project can do this.
    For instance, if you have a job for a client that consists of lots of smaller tasks, then which task will you do first? And when will staff order supplies?
    The better you handle the initial project management and the more you analyze risk, the less involvement you’ll need to have. Sometimes better business systemization is as simple as switching two tasks around.
    Do more research into project management and you should find it has a lot to offer for your business!

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    How to Determine Your Budget for Marketing Automation

    How to Determine Your Budget for Marketing Automation

    Determining a budget for a new segment of your business can be tough, if not almost impossible. There are many unknowns when stepping into areas or processes in which you have no direct experience, and this can lead to a feeling of bewilderment. The first step in creating any budget is to outline your goals and objectives. Why do you want to automate your marketing? Are you even in a place where marketing automation makes sense for your business? How soon will you be ready to begin? When would you like the process completely in place (be realistic)? Do you have sufficient staff currently to handle the process, or will you have to hire and train additional staff? These and other questions must be answered prior to creating an automation budget.

    The important thing, when setting up a budget, is to avoid the tendency to overspend. On the other hand, you should not cut corners and spend too little you have to get a feel for what is the appropriate initial investment, as well as ongoing, monthly and annual, expenses.

    Your initial investment into marketing automation may or may not include the services of a consultant. If you decide to consult with a professional, they may draw up a budget for you based on your objectives. However, if you decide not to enlist a consultant, you’ll have to determine your budget on your own. Major components of a marketing automation budget may be software licenses, training for existing staff, and additional staff and training, among other things.

    If you find that you don’t have quite the budget necessary to implement marketing automation, there are ways to still get closer to full automation without actually spending the big money that most full marketing automation solutions require.

    Marketing automation falls roughly into three categories:

    Sales Force Automation,

    Drip Marketing Automation, and

    Content Marketing Automation.

    For each of these categories, there are several free and inexpensive solutions, aimed at the smaller business owner.

    Even if you opt to go the free/inexpensive route, you will surely need to hire one or more individuals to implement and maintain this new department. Even though you already have a Marketing Department, marketing automation is a separate function (arguably within Marketing, yes) that should not be lumped together with Marketing. Each area has subtle, but distinct, differences in their objectives and operations.

    The need for a comprehensive and detailed budget is crucial, especially if you decide to take the free or inexpensive route. When your overall business financial picture is relatively small, errors in projection or budgeting can be devastating.

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    Biz Systemization for the Sole Trader

    Biz systemization is big news right now with every manager and business owner thinking they need to apply these processes to their organization in order to get more out of them, increase profits and improve resiliency.
    And they’re not wrong. Biz systemization is simply the smart application of various strategies that can enable a business to run itself or at least to run more effectively in the absence of a manager or company owner.
    But surely this doesn’t apply to the sole trader? How can a gardener or a freelance writer apply biz systemization and stand to benefit?

    Why Biz Systemization Matters for Sole Traders
    Even if you have a business consisting of a single person and the service or product you provide is supremely simple, it’s important to recognize that biz systemization still applies to you. The reason for this is simply that what you do will still be based on systems. Even if your system is just to cut hair, this will consist of multiple little procedures and processes that help you to get clients, to get to your customers and to provide them with the best and quickest cut.
    In the case of sole traders, the objective isn’t to create a business that could run without you as that is going to be impossible in many cases. However, simply by running your business in a more effective manner, you will be able to expand. And actually this is even more important when there’s just one of you because it’s the only way you can expand your business and increase turnover and sales.
    You aren’t taking more staff and so the only way to make more money is to work faster and to work better.

    How to Apply Biz Systemization to Your Trade
    So how do you apply biz systemization to your trade if you work independently?
    One option is to use tools and software. There are programs and apps out there for instance that exist to take over whole aspects of your business. If you’re a web designer for instance, then using the right software to create templates can save you a ton of time.
    Likewise, just using checklists and flowcharts can help you to avoid making mistakes and to work more quickly and effectively. Even if you know your job inside out, these prevent complacency from leading to mistakes and they ensure you are working in the most effective way possible.

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    A Beginner’s Guide to Marketing Automation

    Marketing automation sounds rather complex. Basically, it is simply tools and software you use to do things for your business without having to manually do them. For example, you probably have heard of an autoresponder. That is a basic form of marketing automation and one every business should have, even if they are a standard brick and mortar business. Collecting emails and building a list the right way is crucial to any business.

    An autoresponder allows you to collect emails from people who opt in and want to be on your list. You can then separate the list based on interest, or which optin form they used. You can set up emails to drip feed automatically to the list. You can send to some or all of the list as needed. This kind of automation frees you up to work on other projects and allows your customers to get what they opted in for, or products they buy immediately without having to wait for you do to something.

    There are other tools for marketing automation as well. For example, there are several tools that allow you to set up posts for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, reddit, and others, to post for you at specific times. Use these sparingly and wisely because people do not appreciate not hearing directly from you. Especially in Facebook groups, you may find yourself banned if you keep posting only automated posts to the group. Remember that a big part of social media is about being social and communicating directly. However, if you use automated posts correctly, they can help you brand yourself and have more of a voice on the sites.

    Another type of marketing automation is used with blogs. Word Press has this built in, plus there are many free and low cost plug-ins for Word Press that can add more features to the marketing automation for your blog. The basic one that Word Press has built in, is the ability to drip feed your blog posts. For example if you know that next week you will not have time to post on your blog, you can spend the weekend writing the posts ahead of time and set it up to drip feed the content on your regular posting schedule. A lot of marketers do this on a regular basis.

    These are just a few of the examples of marketing automation out there that can help your business. Whatever methods you end up using, be sure to remember that automation is just a tool, and not a magic pill, to running your business.

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