Have you ever been rejected? It’s rather humbling (and by that I actually mean demoralizing).
I actually wrote over forty cover letters, followed half the advertising agencies between Boulder and Denver on Twitter and even mailed a custom-designed Valentine’s Day poster to an agency I was desperately in love with. The result? I’m still only a (not-so) secret admirer of that ad agency but I did manage to get this internship with Net-Results!
So while I’m feeling thoroughly demoralized, I now have an interesting analogy to draw from my own job application process and apply to marketing automation: tailor your marketing strategies.
Use MA to Tailor your Marketing Strategies
You see, when I was trying to find a job I applied only to positions I was qualified for as a recent graduate with two degrees. I wrote cover letters that were specific to each job, took the time to address each letter to the right person at the business, and emphasized experience relevant to each posting. I did not blindly send out my resume and a stock cover letter to every job posting I found. Instead I carefully selected the best opportunities and targeted the ones I thought I had a chance with. I was marketing myself using marketing automation techniques instead of email marketing tactics.
When I finally did get hired, it was with a company that was excited to have me, in an environment I was happy about working in, and I think I can say that both myself and Net-Results are glad I’m here.
This is how good marketing works.
Are You Using Marketing Automation?
Now let’s talk about your marketing strategies. Do you send out company email blasts to every customer contact in your database or do you tailor your emails to target certain groups of leads, focusing on those that are interested in hearing what you have to offer? Marketing Automation enables you to send relevant information to the right leads at the right time. It gives you the best chance of making a sale in a competitive industry, or of getting hired in a competitive job market.
The Bottom Line: Marketing Automation Works
Now, not every lead will buy from you, just like not every job application will get a response. Let’s get back to my elusive Valentine. Even though they had an intern position on their website and I tried to send them relevant content at the right time, they never got back to me. Sometimes finding spelling errors on the company website and designing a custom valentine doesn’t get you hired. Sometimes sending relevant content at the right time doesn’t get you the job. The key is, the contacts that do get in touch with you will be on your level, feeling loved and excited to work with you and that makes all the difference.
