Marketing is the heartbeat of any successful business. But it’s so much more than just flashy ads and catchy slogans. It’s about using smart systems that work together to help your business grow, engage customers, and keep them coming back for more.
In this blog, we’re diving into five crucial marketing systems that every business needs to achieve sustainable growth and long-term success. I’ll explain exactly what they are, using real-life examples and explore how you can use them to make your own business thrive!
Understanding Funnels
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of those five systems, let’s talk about the backbone of all marketing systems: funnels. Funnels are like roadmaps that guide people from first hearing about your business all the way to becoming loyal customers. And there are two main types we need to know about: the marketing funnel and the sales funnel.
Marketing Funnel: Nurturing the Journey
The marketing funnel is like a journey that people take from not knowing anything about your business to becoming a paying customer, and all the way to a raving fan. It includes running paid ads, sending follow-up emails, search engine optimization, and really everything in between that helps people learn about your business and eventually decide to buy from you.
Sales Funnel: Catalyzing Conversions
The sales funnel is all about converting interested people into paying customers. Every business has a sales funnel, whether they know it or not. It’s the process that takes someone from just being curious about your product to actually buying it. And it’s not just about landing pages; it’s about guiding customers through every step of the buying process, whether it’s online or in a physical store.
Harnessing Marketing Systems for Success
Your marketing system should be like a well-oiled machine, with strategies and tools designed to attract, keep, and make customers happy. And it’s not just about getting new customers; it’s about making sure they stick around and keep coming back.
One important metric to keep track of (if you’re not already!) is something called customer lifetime value (CLV). This is how much money a customer is expected to spend with your business over their entire relationship with you. It’s important to look at the big picture and realize that sometimes spending money to get a customer can pay off big time in the long run.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the five must-have marketing systems for your business!
1. Lead Systems
In business, it’s vital to keep finding new customers to keep growing. Studies say if you’re not growing by at least 9% each year, you’re falling behind. But you might be wondering, “What’s wrong with staying where I am?” Well, when things get tough, just maintaining isn’t enough. You need to keep growing to stay in the game for the long haul.
The lead system is all about getting more people interested in your business and turning them into customers. It’s like guiding someone who’s never heard of you before to the point where they’re excited to buy from you.
Attracting Leads: Getting People Interested
So, how do you get these new customers? Luckily, there are lots of ways! You could offer a free trial, share helpful e-books, or host workshops and webinars. Loyalty programs, giveaways, and special discounts can also grab people’s attention. The trick is to offer something valuable that makes them want to learn more about your business.
Once you have something to draw people in, you need to get the word out. This might mean using ads on platforms like Facebook or Google to get more people to notice your business. And don’t forget about traditional methods like handing out flyers or sending out mailers—they can still work well alongside digital strategies.
Boosting Visibility: Using SEO
Online, making sure your website shows up when people search for things related to your business is crucial. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. It involves using the right words on your website and keeping track of how high up your site appears in search results. Tools like Moz and SEMrush can help you do this better.
Keeping Track of Leads: Making Smart Choices
Once you start getting leads, it’s important to keep track of where they’re coming from and how many you’re getting. Depending on how you’re marketing, you might need to check this every day or every month. Then, it’s not just about collecting data—it’s about looking at it to see what’s working and what’s not. This helps you make smarter decisions about how to get more customers in the future.
In short, the lead system is all about finding new customers and keeping them interested. By using effective strategies to attract leads, boosting your visibility, and making smart choices based on data, you can keep growing your business and set yourself up for long-term success.
2. Nurture Systems
A nurture system is all about building relationships with potential customers over time by giving them useful information they care about. It’s like planting seeds and watching them grow into fruitful connections. With a nurture marketing system, you can do this on a bigger scale, reaching more people without losing that personal touch.
Connecting with Customers: Providing the Right Info at the Right Time
Ever heard that saying that customers need to hear a marketing message at least seven times before they decide to buy? Well, in today’s world, with phones always buzzing and ads everywhere, it’s probably more like double or triple that. So, when it comes to nurturing leads, I’m all about speeding things up by giving people the info they need, when they need it.
For example, if I’m trying to get people to buy my Facebook ads course, I’d start by asking potential customers what they struggle with most—targeting the right audience, writing compelling ad copy, or understanding analytics. Based on their answers, I’d send them specific emails tailored to their needs. That way, they’re more likely to stick around and engage with my content.
Staying Top of Mind: Keeping Your Brand Fresh
Ever sign up for something and then forget all about it? That’s where staying top of mind comes in. By running targeted ads or sending out emails to people who’ve shown interest in your content, you remind them of what they signed up for. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Google, staying in front of your audience keeps them engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
Retargeting: Getting Back in Front of Interested Customers
Ever look at something online and then see ads for it everywhere? That’s retargeting in action. It’s like when I got a facial using a certain machine and wanted to buy one for myself. Once I started looking it up, I started seeing ads for similar products all over the place. It’s a great way to discover new options you might not have known about otherwise.
Email Marketing: Guiding Leads Toward Action
When you’re nurturing leads, especially ones from a lead magnet like a free e-book or webinar, your email sequence should have one clear call to action. I once had a client whose email sequence was all over the place, sending people to different places without a clear focus. Your goal should be to guide people back to what you’re selling, whether it’s a webinar, a product, or a service.
3. Sales System
A sales system is like the engine of your business, driving it forward by turning leads into paying customers and maximizing revenue. The goal is to streamline the sales process and optimize every step of the customer journey.
Smart marketers recognize the overlap between sales and marketing. They understand that customers often research and educate themselves before making a purchase. But many sales reps miss this, failing to see that prospects are often ready to buy by the time they reach them. Marketing plays a crucial role in priming customers for sales success.
Sales and marketing should work together seamlessly, rather than being seen as separate entities. And until you start to see marketing as one of the drivers of revenue, you will be left behind.
There’s no denying salespeople play an important role, but it’s often marketing that lays the groundwork for a sale. A strong sales system requires the right tools for tracking leads, deep product knowledge among team members, and effective communication between sales and marketing teams.
In essence, a solid sales system aligns sales AND marketing efforts, empowers teams, and creates a seamless customer experience from lead to sale, driving growth and success for your business.
A retention system is all about keeping your customers engaged, satisfied, and coming back for more. The ultimate goal? Creating loyal customers who stick around for the long haul and sing your praises to anyone who will listen.
At its core, a retention system aims to maximize the lifetime value of your customers while minimizing churn—that’s when customers stop doing business with you over time. To keep customers around, you need to encourage repeat purchases and ensure they’re happy with their experience.
Think of effective onboarding as rolling out the red carpet for your new customers. It’s about giving them a warm welcome, clear instructions, and all the support they need to dive into your product or service with confidence. Keep it simple and easy to follow to avoid overwhelming them right out of the gate.
Setting up touchpoints along the way—like emails or check-ins—helps guide your customers through their journey with you. It’s like having a friendly guide by their side, making sure they’re on track and addressing any hiccups before they become big issues.
Segmenting your customers based on their needs and preferences allows you to tailor your communication to speak directly to them. Whether they’re newbies just getting started or seasoned pros looking for advanced tips, you can deliver the right message at the right time.
And don’t forget to keep your finger on the pulse by regularly checking in with your customers. Gathering feedback helps you understand what’s working and what’s not, so you can continuously improve and provide the best possible experience.
A referral system is like having your existing customers become your biggest cheerleaders, spreading the word about your business to everyone they know. The goal is to generate new leads and customers through the power of word-of-mouth marketing, which is super effective.
Do you have a solid referral system in place, or is it just an afterthought? You should be asking for referrals early on in the customer journey, not waiting until the end. For example, right after an amazing onboarding call for a program I signed up to recently, they asked me for a referral and testimonial because they knew I was already excited about the value I was getting.
Another great example is the Faster Way to Fat Loss program. They strategically ask for referrals around week four, when customers have likely seen some progress and are feeling positive about their experience. Based on their response, they’re funneled into a referral system designed to capitalize on their enthusiasm.
So think about where you can weave in referral requests early on in your customer interactions—it could make a huge difference in growing your business through word of mouth!
So how can you make all of this work for your business? Well, here’s a secret system number six: You need ONE platform to house all of your systems. And our team has been hard at work creating the ultimate all-in-one growth solution for your business: OptimaFunnels.
OptimaFunnels provides the tools and support you need to boost your bottom line while saving you time and money. Imagine setting everything on autopilot and seamlessly transitioning from one system to the next—all within a single unified platform. No more patching together multiple solutions or dealing with limitations from other platforms.
With OptimaFunnels, you’ll have access to essential tools like unlimited email subscribers, team members, courses, funnels, websites, domains, sales pipelines, calendars, and so much more—all for just $97 a month with our unlimited plan!
But, you’ll need to act fast…Once we reach 1,000 members, the price will increase–so don’t wait around! Head over to optimafunnels.com, watch the demo, and get started today. It’s time to put all of these systems into action and supercharge your business!
