Success Stories“I Use Marketing Automation to Optimize Client Service”
A short time ago, we had the opportunity to talk to Andy, a Registered Investment Advisor running his own solo operation out of Massachusetts.
He’s been using the Snappy Kraken platform for a while, and it made sense to touch base and ask him about his experience.
As we provide you with Andy’s story, we’ll examine his services, pain points, and the moment he realized Snappy Kraken was the automated marketing platform for his firm.
Introducing: Andy
Andy runs a solo operation. He focuses on comprehensive planning, tax-efficient distributions, IRAs, and other consultation services for pre-retirees.
Andy’s focus is on helping his clients avoid many of the problems many retirees run into, such as paying extra taxes.
What Challenges Was Andy Facing?
Initially, we asked Andy about the pain points he was experiencing with his business, and how it gave him the impetus to seek out Snappy Kraken.
First and foremost, as a one-person operation, Andy is responsible for everything…including marketing.
The problem with that?
Andy’s busy.
Andy’s not a marketing guy.
That isn’t to say he doesn’t have a keen eye for a solidly executed campaign – there’s just a lack of marketing expertise that makes those efforts challenging.
“As I mentioned, I am an engineer. I never got the “creative gene”, only the analytical one. Marketing has always frustrated me. But thanks to Snappy Kraken, I am finally being helped.”
He explained to us during our chat that – before Snappy Kraken – his approach to marketing was pieced together and ad hoc.
He had a website and some content put together by another company. But the design was clunky, and the writing wasn’t up to his standards.
There was also another issue: Andy wasn’t in love with his own writing.
He pointed out – with a smile – that he could talk for days. However, WRITING marketing copy is a whole different beast (we agree! It’s an entire specialty.)
Another critical issue Andy faced was with his small mailing list.
While he does lots of work on social media – especially on LinkedIn – his email contacts list was comparatively small. Of around 100 contacts, there was a near split between clients and prospects.
Andy also struggled at finding the sweet spot with how often he should be touching base with his email contacts.
He felt with some clients, they would get the same email multiple times and grow frustrated.
At the same time, he needed to ensure his email campaigns were reaching prospects who needed more intensive levels of follow-up.
What Was Andy’s “Ah-Ha” Moment?
Andy was sure to point out the simplicity with which he put together his first campaign.
It had always been arduous and time-consuming for him to embark on marketing efforts beforehand, so this was a tremendous positive.
Something else that stood out significantly for Andy was the email campaign we released at the onset of the pandemic.
His clients loved the emails, raving about them in their feedback.
With that COVID-19 campaign, it was both the messaging and the timing that stood out to Andy.
The messages were sent once a week, right as the mass shutdowns were taking place.
These weren’t marketing messages that arrived too late. Andy appreciated that Snappy Kraken had their finger on the pulse and the instincts to execute.
Through that campaign, Andy was able to nurture current clients and keep top of mind, which is crucial to any business.
He further mentioned his appreciation for not having to spend hours crafting those emails to reap their rewards.
More specifically, it was a matter of hitting a few buttons to execute an engaging email campaign that positively impacted his client-base.
What Part of Snappy Kraken Does Andy Appreciate the Most?
It was hard to come down to one choice.
For him, it’s all about the potent blend of engaging content, eye-catching graphics, and landing pages that convert.
Plus, Andy enjoys the comprehensive nature of the marketing—in that we operate with client-facing and prospect-facing approaches.
What Benefits has Andy Experienced since Being Part of our Platform?
A distinct benefit Andy noticed since signing up with Snappy Kraken, was that clients actually responded to his emails.
At first, he couldn’t quite grasp the reason why this had never happened before.
Then, Andy realized what a difference calls-to-action can make.
This is the kind of client engagement that cultivates lifelong business relationships.
That kind of connection with clientele is also conducive to referrals – which will open Andy up to a significantly more extensive network of prospects in the long run.
How Has Snappy Kraken Changed Andy’s Business?
Providing the best possible financial services means Andy can’t spend countless hours working on marketing campaigns.
He needs the bulk of his time to revolve around financial matters and developing strategies that offer his clients optimal security once they retire.
Before Snappy Kraken, Andy was overextending himself. He’d spend long hours on marketing campaigns that didn’t convert enough to justify the time he was dedicating to things that weren’t finances. This, he exclaimed, makes it harder to serve current clients optimally.
As a one-man operation, Andy also didn’t have the budget to spend on a dedicated marketing team of researchers, writers, designers, and developers.
But with Snappy Kraken, he’s proactively presented with ideas catered to his advising business. Meaning that he can give it the thumbs up and be ready to execute a campaign quickly.
Alternatively, if any one campaign doesn’t work for him, there are plenty to choose from–with fresh campaigns added every month.
Knowing and Doing
Stephen Covey said: “to learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.”
Andy’s day-to-day business operations needed a reliable marketing system in place. He knew that.
The “doing” part, as he stated above, was the hard part…until he found Snappy Kraken.
Now ongoing marketing is much easier.
We’re happy to be a part of that.
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