A few years ago, Rachel Zanetic had a vague idea of how effective marketing was at Network Home Services.
“(It was) guessing and feelings and images and trying to plan with hypotheses of what worked and what didn't,” she said. “Does that sound crazy?”
It’s a glimpse into the challenges she faced before Network, a plumbing, HVAC and electrical staple in Sydney, ditched its outdated software in favor of ServiceTitan, the U.S.-based software platform built for the trades.
Zanetic said their previous software provided little information beyond opening rates and clicks.
“We were in this perpetual cycle of, ‘I feel like…yeah…well, could be because of that…or possibly not,’” said Zanetic, now the marketing manager.
“It was a hindrance in a lot of ways, because feelings don't really equal data. And the data was nowhere near the level or standard or accurate detail that we have experienced now with ServiceTitan.”
That’s because Network uses Marketing Pro, a ServiceTitan feature designed to help companies build hyper-targeted audiences and generate more opportunities with email marketing campaigns.
“Within a couple months (of Marketing Pro), I would pull a monthly report and I could attribute real leads and real winnings or sales tied to those leads, and then be able to understand the heritage,” Zanetic said.
Building audiences, identifying opportunities
Zanetic can rattle off a list of questions her team can now answer from the improved metrics – “Is our communication where it needs to be? What's the volume compared to what's been determined as a lead? Have the (customer service reps) determined the lead properly? Have we been able to book it?” – but her favorite Marketing Pro feature is the ability to segment audiences.
About a year ago, her team used it to identify customers who might be overdue for service. Network typically sees plumbing customers every three to five years, so Marketing Pro identified the ones the shop had not visited in at least four years and sent them an exclusive offer.
The response was fantastic.
“Because we were able to identify those people that could possibly be overdue for something that maybe is not an emergency, we were able to find them, segment them, and service their needs,” she said. “Marketing Pro enables us to see the whole business and have our hand in all of it.”
Michael Carreras, a marketing specialist at Network who focuses on email campaigns, said the metrics allow him to fine-tune emails, and the automation capabilities have helped Network push beyond the occasional newsletter.
“We can really calibrate our messaging to the type of person we want to reach out to,” he said. “And it’s not a generalized feel. (Customers) feel like, ‘Oh, they know me. They know what I'm looking for.’ That's perfect.”
Better data, better decisions
As Zanetic and Carreras hone their use of Marketing Pro, they continue to marvel at the quality of information.
“I never thought I was a data nerd or a data person, and I still 100% do not identify as that,” Zanetic said. “But I love having a goal and being able to track it, and then if I don't hit it, understand why I didn't hit it.”
Carreras said Marketing Pro can help him save an underperforming email campaign.
“We're like, ‘Oh, maybe it's just this portion of the email. Maybe we have too many calls to action. Maybe we have too many links on the page. We approach it from a different angle.”
For Zanetic, the strength of the information has added certainty to her daily decision-making and meeting presentations. She’s now able to tie sales numbers to the work her team has done.
The days of guessing and feelings are over.
“When we do our company daily huddles, I can say, ‘Hey, we're going to go down this avenue, because this report has told us da, da, da, da, da.’ and I can bring everybody along with me,” she said.
“I feel empowered.”
