Marketing Relationships Q&A: The Importance of Onboarding

While onboarding is not a marketing strategy, because it occurs after you bring on a new client, it is vital to establishing a successful marketing relationship, as well as enhancing your professional reputation.

B2B focuses a lot on targeting and converting prospects, and while that’s important, what are you going to do once you reel in that big fish? Because if you don’t have an organized and efficient means of onboarding that new client, guess what? You are going to dissatisfy that client from the outset, and that could mean they jump ship and give you a negative review that could dent your credibility in the industry.

I deliver a lot of content for my clients, so I always make sure that I fully understand each client’s culture, purpose, and goal for the content. I also make sure I understand their target audience, because content means nothing if it’s not aimed at a group most likely to be receptive to the message. Every detail of onboarding new clients is important, from contact information, to setting up quality-control meetings, to delivery schedule. Onboarding is a big part of your marketing relationships, because it is where you set up the expectations for the relationship that you better make sure you meet down the road.