We’re excited to share that there has been a number of improvements to existing integrations and features, as well as new features and integrations that have been added in the 2.9.0 release of Mautic.

Integrations:

Systems Connectivity:

• Zapier: A new integration with Zapier has been created which is available through the Zapier interface. This integration allows a you to create workflows in Zapier based on data from Mautic. These workflows can be triggered based on form submission data, email open data, page hit data, point change data and contact creation or updated data. So many opportunities to provide information across your organization, making each customer experience more relevant and valuable.
• Connectwise: Similarly, a bi-directional sync with Connectwise is now available as a standard plugin. Leads can be created in Connectwise from form or campaign actions in Mautic. Data from Connectwise can be brought back to the contact and company records in Mautic. There is also a full sync option available where any changes made or new contacts created in Mautic can be pushed to Connectwise on a periodic basis.

CRM:

• • CRM Integrations: With this release we are announcing a number of standard CRM plugins to Mautic. With each one of these plugins, a bi-directional sync is standard. Leads can be created in each of these CRM’s from form or campaign actions in Mautic. Data from the CRM’s can be brought back to the contact and company records in Mautic as well. There is also a full sync option available where any changes made in Mautic can be pushed to the CRM’s on a periodic basis. (NOTE: Although each plugin exhibits similar functionality, each will require unique configuration, so be on the lookout for further instruction.) These CRM’s include:
    • SugarCRM (v6.x and v7.x will be supported.)
    • Zoho
    • MS Dynamics
    • PipeDrive

• Salesforce optimization: Along with these standard CRM plugins, the Salesforce plugin has been refactored for performance improvements and scalability. We have also fixed the issue where boolean fields did not sync properly in some cases.

In addition to the exciting integration updates, there has also been work done on one of the most powerful aspects of Mautic, reporting. We all recognize that the ability to review the information that is being gathered is critical to the success of any given effort. These new filters and bug fixes will equip you with better data, making engagement with your audiences more effective.

Reporting

• Reporting filters: You can now specify And/Or conditions at the same level between multiple filters on a report. Additional operators have also been added – these include:
  • contains (e.g you can have a filter of last name contains “lbe” to pull in all contacts that match %lbe%)
  • starts with (e.g. you can have a filter of last name starts with “Gil” to pull in all contacts that match Gil%)
  • ends with (e.g. you can have a filter of last name ends with “bert” to pull in all contacts that match %bert)
• Device filters: You can now create segments based on what device type, brand, OS and model the contact has accessed a marketing communication from.
• Metric alignment: A number of issues regarding report inconsistencies in different areas of the product specifically around emails have been resolved.

Functionality

• Focus Items Formatting: You can now format the content for focus items! A new section called ‘content’ has been added to the builder for focus items that enables you to format content in basic, editor or html mode. This opens the door for even more creativity when engaging visitors to your site.

Infrastructure And Performance

• List upload speed improvement: The list upload speed has been significantly improved. Lists now take ⅙ of the time they did before this enhancement – meaning, if a file took 60 seconds to upload it now takes 10! From a UI perspective, for fields with more than 1000 records, the import process will now run in the background and notify you when complete. It will automatically switch to this background process for files that have over 1000 records so that you are free to leave the page and work in other areas of Mautic. Now there’s even more time to accomplish what you set out to do.

We’re grateful for the those of you who made the effort to load the beta release of 2.9.0 and test the variety of features, functionality and fixes that were part of this release. Mautic would not be where it is today without the incredible community that we have.

For more detailed information on this release, you can find the release notes here. If you have any questions, please be sure to reach out to us via the Community Forums, Slack or our social channels (Facebook & Twitter) and we will do our best to help.

Links to Tutorial Videos

• SugarCRM Integration Setup
• Microsoft Dynamics Integration Setup
• Pipedrive Integration Setup
• Zapier Integration Setup

Before we get started I fully recognize that there are a number of different individuals from different industries who are reading this. So when we talk about communication channels, I want to be clear that the channels represented here, cover the basics of marketing communication. There will likely be other channels that are not included in this list, that are relevant to your industry that you will want to consider.

It is critical when we talk about automating our marketing channels, that we understand why we are automating, what we are automating and how we are automating. Each channel will have it’s own unique goals and approach related to the why, what and how. This will become apparent as we begin to unpack the different channels and how your customers are using them.

At a high level we’d like to outline the following channels;

• Social Media
• Google & SEO
• Corporate Website
• Customer Communication
• Mobile Applications
• Customer Communities
• Brick & Mortar
• Feedback

Understanding Omni Channel

As we look at the holistic customer journey, one of the terms that you will see is omni channel. This term simply indicates all the marketing channels along your customers journey to your organization. The typical sales funnel is being uprooted by new channels and processes everyday. Your customer may learn about your product or service by walking down the street, seeing a Facebook post and browsing Instagram, among a variety of other ways. Understanding this will help you see your communications differently.

Let’s remember that as you evaluate all of these different channels, consider how automation can assist you in connecting with your audience, gathering data about your customer, but more importantly bringing value to them. This omni channel approach should help you see your marketing differently. It’s time we begin looking at marketing not as campaigns or headlines, but as value creation.

“It’s time we begin looking at marketing not as campaigns or headlines, but as value creation.”

Now that we’ve defined our communication channels, we need to determine how each channel fits into the broader goals of our strategy. As we discussed in the scorecard post, what are the critical metrics that you are trying to move and what are the levers (or channels) that will help you move them?

This activity should be done with each channel. Remember, engage your team! As you begin to outline which metrics are impacted by which channel, you will begin to see how each channel can be utilized to gain the traction you’re looking for.

For starters

Let’s take a look at a quick example. Imagine one of the metrics on your scorecard is to increase awareness, and add leads to your CRM system at a trade show. As we review all of the channels you are currently communicating through, there are definitely a few that would be relevant. Social Media, Google & SEO, and your corporate website. These channels could all be used to drive awareness (among others) for your involvement at the show. The key is to now review all of customer touch-points and see if there may be an opportunity to drive awareness through them as well.

Now let’s consider how automation could help us achieve this goal. Here are just a few ideas to get you started;

• Prizes: Determine a “conference only” prize that when visitors visit a website landing page, they will automatically be entered in the drawing. Then share the landing page on social media to gather more leads. Be sure to note they must be present to win.
• Deliver: Bring value to your customers from the booth. What can you deliver at the conference? Think about your product or service. Are there things you can do to help them overcome their challenges in small doses? Be sure to scan their conference card in order to receive it.
• Promote: Determine what the conference #hashtag is and begin developing blog posts prior to the conference related to the topics that will be highlighted. Share these posts via social media and include the conference #hashtag and then direct visitors to visit the booth. You can gather their contact information and provide the value you positioned in your marketing efforts.

This example represents the front end of the customer buying journey. It is a relationship generator. What happens when you get that email address is critical. If you truly want to develop a deeper customer relationship, don’t keep asking for the sale, add value. When you add value, the process of marketing automation will feel invisible and you’ll develop trust.

Over the last week or so we’ve covered a large area with a couple of high altitude posts. First we outlined customer touchpoints. Then we discussed the scorecard. And then we highlighted the initial stages of automation. In our final post of the series, we will be reviewing the entire cycle in a visual that will assist you in continuing the dialogue with your colleagues.

Is there a specific example you would like us to cover? Comment below and we can provide a case study that is specific to your needs.