How Messaging Apps Can Grow Your Business
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In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray interviews Dave Gerhardt from Drift about SaaS marketing and messaging software.
Dave’s background has always been with SaaS companies, from Constant Contact to HubSpot, and now Drift. Dave brings a lot of experience from some of the biggest names in marketing. He offers some real insights for inbound marketers looking to become more efficient.
On SaaS Marketing
During his time in SaaS marketing, he’s picked up on what helps successful marketers grow. Early on, Drift has evolved as it listened to users needs and what they wanted. The founders knew they wanted to solve a problem between business and customers. They tried and adapted from the beginning, eventually evolving into a sales and marketing messaging tool. They arrived at this after watching the messaging market explode and seeing the opportunity.
Too often we don’t listen to our market and what they’re looking for.
You may find that marketing but need the right channel or message to get through to them to start testing out your service. Dave’s given a lot of freedom to test stuff like Snapchat as a tool.
You need to always be willing to put something out there and see what happens.
As long as the results of increased revenue and business for the company are there, it doesn’t matter what the channel or tool is.
Revenue and leads are among the most important metrics to determine good marketing.
He also comments on the fact everyone is trying to copy or replicate what works, which is why you have to go and test things to stay ahead and pioneered new methods.
Many marketers aren’t listening to the market.
Each situation is unique.
You have to test to see what works and if something is working, figure out why, and increase it.
Marketing is about communicating with people, and there are countless ways to connect with them. Even users looking for the same product respond entirely differently to different marketing messages. Certain features and benefits are more important during a purchase than they are to others.
To keep themselves flexible, Drift breaks things out into themes for the month, or just a few goals they want to hit. This allows them to adapt to what they’re learning and seeing. By keeping it shorter too, easier to stay intensely focused and dive deep into testing.
There’s no perfect way to market. Study your market, take the information you have, make an educated guess about what you need to be doing, and go for it.
On Drift’s Messaging Software
In agencies right now there is an increased interest in messaging apps for websites. Messaging means more than just a live chat. Messaging isn’t another customer support system but a powerful sales tool.
Drift gives you the ability to communicate with individuals who meet your ideal criteria (business, sales cycle, revenue, position, etc.) so you’re not wasting your time on unqualified leads.
It’s an easy way of gathering information as well without needing to get on the phone or have a rep involved. You can set up a bot to collect the information you need. That info will then help guide that prospect to the right point of contact.
Messaging is a missing tool for a lot of businesses. It can provide real-time selling with leads, increase efficiency and you can avoid lengthy phone calls.
It’s more efficient and faster with your team solving and answering prospects on the spot.
Listen to Your Market
The main takeaway from the interview with Dave was the key marketing piece of knowing your market. It came up when he discussed Drift’s growth and why there is a need for a messaging tool.
Businesses need to serve customers and listening to them helps you better solve their problems and uncover their needs.
Listening to your target market is the most fundamental thing you can do as an agency and business owner.
If you want to learn more about Drift or connect with Dave on Twitter!
