Our world is increasingly automated, and marketing is no exception. But the simple fact of automation doesn’t necessarily mean that your automation is working.

Take your contacts, for example.

If you haven’t done any real contact management in some time, there’s a good chance that your list is dragging you down as much as helping you. Here are three tips to help you get your contacts back on track.

Divide, Develop and Dominate Data

Your data is only as good as your capacity to understand it. Here’s the problem: if your data isn’t segmented, you may not be getting the benefits of the data you already have.

Think of it this way: you don’t target your marketing at every customer indiscriminately. You target your efforts at specific groups that meet predetermined parameters.

But if your database isn’t organized by any set of parameters, you won’t know whether a contact meets certain criteria unless you go through contacts individually. And let’s be honest: there’s not enough time in the day for that.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the task of organizing your data, especially if it’s pouring in from multiple entry points. But if you tackle the task, it’s a lot easier to keep the process going once you’ve started.

Treat Each Step as Part of the Strategy

It’s easy to put off organizing because you think that you have more important things to attend to, like your marketing strategies. However, this involves a critical misunderstanding of what your contact list is.

Your contact list isn’t an end product. It’s an evolving solution for your marketing strategies. If you treat it like an end product, you’re not taking advantage of everything your database can offer you.

Instead of thinking of your database like an end product, treat each step as part of your larger strategy. This will make it easier to incorporate seemingly mundane (but vital) tasks into your larger strategy.

Scrub (and Then Keep Scrubbing)

Finally, if you’re in the process of revamping your database, it’s time to start scrubbing.

And keep scrubbing. And scrub a bit more.

This is part of a process called email scrubbing, which is when you remove people who are never going to see, open, or interact with your emails. This is a painful process for many marketers because they all ask the same question, “What if this is the time they convert?”

Let’s be realistic. If a contact isn’t interacting with your marketing at all, are they really going to interact in the future? Probably not. And if they do decide to come back, you can add them back to your list at a later date when they’re actually ready to buy from you.

Making Contact Management Easy

Content management systems should be your go-to tool for keeping your contacts in hand, not a detriment to your marketing capabilities. If your system feels more like a handicap than an aid, it’s time to upgrade to a system that actually works.

We know what goes into great marketing automation, and we’re here to show you how good your automation can really be. Want to find out more? Click here to schedule a demo.

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