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Data-driven marketing involves using customer information to optimize business advertising and marketing communications. Collect data and run it through analytics tools in CDP Altcraft Platform.

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Create a theme for the form by choosing the appropriate color scheme. Change the style and color of the text. Add photos and YouTube videos to the form. To do this, insert additional code into the required tag.

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<Img 
img="/uploads/kaskadnaya_rassylka_74a2c5b36a.png"
alt="Cascade Campaigns"
/>

Communication with customers is one of the top-priority tasks for companies. Timely notifications of promotions, order delivery or changes in plans is a must-do for businesses to have loyal customers and receive positive feedback. There's no single communication channel that all customers would use, that's why companies usually have several ones: social media, SMS, email, messaging apps, push notifications and so on.
 
According to statistics, even three communication channels instead of one [**increase sales by 287%**](https://savemycent.com/omnichannel-statistics/). Therefore, it's beneficial for businesses to use cascade campaigns — a method that increases audience reach by sending messages with the same information to several channels. It gives businesses a chance to «reach out» to all customers and save the budget.
 
In this piece, you will learn about cascade campaigns: how they work and why they are beneficial to companies.

## What are Cascade Campaigns

A **cascade campaign** is a method that involves the successive sending of identical messages to customers to different channels depending on their reaction. The next channel is activated if the previous one hasn't brought any results: the user hasn't opened the message or hasn't made a purchase. 
 
*Example. The first message is sent via push notifications. If the customer doesn't open it after a specified time, the next message is sent by email. If the message is still not opened, this customer receives a text message (SMS).*
 
Cascade campaigns can be implemented through the following channels: SMS, [**push notifications**](mobile-marketing-101-push-notifications), email, messaging apps, social media and so on. The first message is sent through the cheapest (or free) channel. 
 
If the customer opens the message (or places an order) in some channel, it's not sent to other ones. Exclude such customers from the list for cascade campaigns so as not to irritate them with your messages and not to waste the company's resources. 
 
Cascade campaigns can be used for:

- trigger messages;
- promotional offers;
- service messages;
- notifications containing useful information.
 
However, cascade campaigns are not always necessary. It's reasonable to start them only if you know for sure that your customers use different communication channels. It's also important to take their age into account. For example, you can use [**messaging apps**](messenger-marketing) if your audience is quite young. The main users of WhatsApp, for instance, are [**25-34-year-olds**](https://www.thinkimpact.com/whatsapp-statistics). If your customers are significantly older, it's better to choose some other channel.

## Advantages of cascade campaigns

### Increase in audience reach

Your message is more likely to reach the recipient. One of the channels will definitely bring the result. That's why your company should work with all the data that customers provide to you: phone numbers, email addresses and social media profiles. 
 
*Example. A message about discounts was sent to 3500 users on Facebook, only 1110 of them opened it. The company has phone numbers of these users, so the same message was sent to the remaining 2390 users on WhatsApp and Viber. 1685 users opened the message there. Then, the same message was sent to the remaining 705 customers with the help of SMS, 615 people read it. Almost 98% of users were reached.*
 
### Customer loyalty

You will show your company in a favourable light if you choose a communication channel that your customers like the most. Let's imagine that there's some user who rarely opens their email box and your company uses only an email channel. It's inconvenient for your customer, there's a risk that the information won't reach them in time. If you send this user a notification to a channel that they use the most (for example, Telegram), their loyalty will definitely increase.
 
### Saving budget 

The first message could've been sent through an SMS channel whose open rate can reach [**98%**](https://99firms.com/blog/sms-marketing-stats/#gref). However, this channel is not free and quite expensive compared to others. It will be quite pricey if you have a large customer database. That's why it's more reasonable to choose free or cheaper channels first. If you [**use an SMS channel**](sms-marketing), remember that you pay for all sent messages, not just for delivered ones. Your company definitely doesn't want to pay for sending messages to inactive numbers. On messaging apps and social media, the sender always knows whether the user has allowed texting to them and whether they read the messages. 
 
### Simplicity

Cascade campaigns only seem complicated. In reality, it's enough to set up a series of messages once, and it will work automatically further. This functionality is supported by [**Altcraft Platform**](/en). The service collects user data in a single profile and integrates with other communication channels. You only need to specify conditions and channels in a scenario.  

<Img 
img="/uploads/cascade_scenario_6b8763337d.png"
alt="Example of how to set up a cascade campaign in Altcraft Platform"
src="Example of how to set up a cascade campaign in Altcraft Platform"
/>

### Channel functionality

Each channel influences the user in its own way. Emails attract the user with their design and interactivity. Push notifications are simple and fast. Messaging apps allow you to send voice messages. If you select only one communication channel, you limit your company's possibilities to create more content and don't receive complete data on audience preferences. That's why it's important to use and test different channels.  

## How to Create a Cascade Campaign
 
**What do you need for a cascade campaign:**
 
1. Use analytics to select available and the most effective communication channels.
2. Specify the sequence of sending messages to these channels: which is the first, which are the next.
3. Think over the actions that will finish or continue the campaign. If the customer has read the messages or has purchased something, the same messages won't be sent to other channels. If there is no reaction within N hours (days), send the same message to the next channel.  
4. Set up a scenario in the selected system. 

<Note>
It's not necessary to change the channel immediately if the customer doesn't open your message right after it was sent. Especially if the company doesn't have much data about the customer. 
</Note>

*Example. The first channel that is used to inform customers about a new promotion of the online store is an email one. Three emails with different texts are sent: the first one with a general description, the second one is a reminder email and the third one contains a list of products for which the promotion is valid. Those customers who have left their phone numbers will receive messages on Viber. The final channel in this campaign is an SMS channel through which the users will receive two messages.*

If you send several messages containing the same information to one channel, slightly change the text, otherwise your customers can consider them to be spam. For example, in the first message, the marketplace simply informs the recipient about delivery to the pick-up point. Two days later, in the second message, the customer is notified about the period within which their order will be stored. These two messages are practically the same — they remind the customer to pick up the order.

## Examples of Cascade Campaigns

Cascade campaigns are suitable for marketplaces, retail stores, event organizers, clinics, beauty salons, fitness clubs and other organizations that collect customer data to send out information. Let's look at several examples.

### Abandoned cart

1. A push notification that reminds the customer about the products in the cart in two hours.
2. The next push notification is sent in six hours.
3. The customer receives an email reminder about the products in eight hours.
4. One more email that shows that the products in the customer's cart are still in stock.

<Img
img="/uploads/mango_email_reminder_8333d3abe5.png"
alt="Abandoned cart email"
/>

5. One more push notification with one product from the cart.
 
### Discount on some product 

1. Messages on Facebook to those customers who have agreed to receive them.
2. Push notifications for those users who have the company's mobile app installed.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2022_06_30_12_26_46_2_12cb60c6f1.jpg"
alt="Push notification"
/>

3. Messages on WhatsApp to the customers from the phone number database. 
4. Reminder emails with images of the products. 
5. Text messages (SMS) with information about the discount and its period. 
 
### Reminder about a webinar

1. An email that reminds the user that the webinar starts in 60 minutes. 
2. One more email reminder 10 minutes before the webinar. 
3. A message in the Telegram bot that the webinar starts in 10 minutes.
4. An email that announces the start of the broadcast. 
5. A message to the bot about the start of the webinar. 
6. A text message (SMS) that the webinar has just started in the first five minutes.
 
### Reminder about a specialist visit

1. An email containing the date and time of the appointment the day before. 
2. A message on WhatsApp the day before. 
3. A text message (SMS) two hours before.  

### Birthday promotion

1. An email with a gift (a discount) a week before the birthday.
2. A message on Facebook three days before the birthday.
3. An email on the customer's birthday. 
4. A message on Facebook on the customer's birthday
5. A text message (SMS) after the birthday that the bonuses are about to expire.

### Feedback

1. A push notification with a request to rate the purchased product in the app. 
2. One more push notification with the same request. 
3. An email with a request to rate the product. 

## Conclusion

Cascade campaigns involve sending messages to different communication channels successively to be 100% sure that the information is delivered to customers. The following channels are used for such campaigns: email, messaging apps, push notifications, SMS and so on. Cascade campaigns increase audience reach and customer loyalty, save the budget. Messages are first sent through free and cheap channels, and if the customer doesn't read them, the messages are sent through more expensive ones. 
 
Cascade campaigns are used to send trigger and service messages, inform customers about their orders and discounts, collect feedback. If you want to introduce cascade campaigns to your marketing, you should have enough customer data and access to several communication channels. Cascade campaigns are set up manually or with the help of marketing services in which scenarios are created.

In this piece, you will learn about cascade campaigns: how they work and why they are beneficial to companies. 

medium_kaskadnaya-rassylka.png

small_kaskadnaya-rassylka.png

thumbnail_kaskadnaya-rassylka.png

kaskadnaya-rassylka.png

Cascade campaigns give businesses a chance to «reach out» to all customers and save the budget.

Cascade Campaigns: What are They and How to Create Them

Everything You Need to Know About Cascade Campaigns

<Img
img="/uploads/SMS_marketing_4369f8b199.png"
alt="SMS Marketing: Advantages, Examples"
/>

Ever since sending the first SMS in 1992, the technology has grown globally and has become a marketing tool: [**five billion**](https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2018/11/44-mind-blowing-sms-marketing-and-texting-statistics/) people around the world send and receive text messages. Despite new promotion and communication channels, short text messages continue to serve its purpose. The open rate of short text messages reaches [**98%**](https://99firms.com/blog/sms-marketing-stats/#gref), when the average open rate of emails is only 20%. Such a result is a significant reason to introduce SMS into marketing. 
 
SMS marketing complements advertising campaigns, improves communication with customers: [**71% of users**](https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2018/11/44-mind-blowing-sms-marketing-and-texting-statistics/) say that they communicate effectively with businesses through an SMS channel. In this piece, you will learn about the advantages of SMS marketing, how to send SMS messages properly and see examples. 

## What is SMS Marketing 
 
SMS marketing is a promotion of a company's products or services with the help of short text messages using mobile phone operators' services.
 
**SMS campaigns build communication with customers:**

- Help to sell — show special offers, promotions and advertisements.
- Inform about the status of orders, changes in plans, remind about events.
- Engage — invite customers to participate in different events and share their opinion about the company.
 
An SMS campaign can either be a part of a marketing strategy or the only channel of communication with customers. Please note that SMS advertising shouldn't be intrusive lest you want the user to block the company number. It's more effective to combine text messages with other communication channels. 

## Advantages of SMS marketing
 
### Speed 

The user receives a text message from the company faster than any other communication channel works.  [**34% of people**](https://99firms.com/blog/sms-marketing-stats/#gref) read SMS in the first five minutes after receiving it. Email campaigns and push notifications are less effective because most people don't check their email boxes daily and usually turn off notifications. SMS won't go to spam like emails and won't disappear like a [**push notification**](mobile-marketing-101-push-notifications).
 
### Price

An SMS campaign is not expensive. Although there are alternative free tools (messaging apps), SMS remains an effective method of promotion. Reliability justifies the cost of this channel: you don't need the Internet to send a text message, so it's more likely that the recipient will receive the message quickly. Also, SMS is a common way of communication for people of different ages — not everyone uses email and [**messaging apps**](messenger-marketing) regularly. 
 
### Personalization

Use targeted short text messages for advertising campaigns — only a certain segment or specific users will receive your messages. Your customer will get an individual discount or confidential information about their order. Also, address recipients by their names. This approach is more effective than sending out impersonal text messages to all customers at once.

## How to Start an SMS Campaign in a Proper Way
 
### Comply with the legislation of the country

There are laws on advertising, according to which companies need to get subscribers' prior agreement to text messages and immediately exclude them from the list on demand. That's why it's better not to use other companies' lists of phone numbers. Sending out text messages to your database after receiving customers’ permission (preferably written) is a safe option for business. Also, you can buy phone numbers from third-parties only to find out that it's not your [**target audience**](creating-a-customer-profile).

### Make sure that your messages are easy to understand

A simple and clear text is the main rule of a good message. No one wants to read your message and try to guess what you mean. Your text messages should be short and reader-friendly. It doesn't mean that you can't be creative, just don't forget about simplicity. In the message, specify your offer and how and where to get a bonus: go to the website or to the offline store, make a call. 
 
<Note>
Make the sender's name recognizable. Here, try to be as simple as possible: an excessively creative name will make your audience think that the message is from scammers. Use a name your customers know well to send text messages. 
 </Note>

*Example. A subscriber receives a message from the mobile phone operator Verizon with information about their plan, the name of the operator is specified in the sender's field. On another day, this subscriber receives a message from a four-digit number that, on behalf of Verizon, asks them to click on the link and take a survey. The subscriber doesn't trust this message and doesn't follow the link.*

### Keep it brief

Your customers don't want to read long and complicated text messages. Be brief, stick to the topic, but always add a CTA so that your customer understands what to do next. 
 
### Don't send too many messages

If customers consider your texts intrusive, they're more likely to block your number. Don't send messages about all the promotions, all the company news and every new article in the corporate blog. Short text messages should contain only useful and urgent information. Take into account the customer's time zone: hardly anyone will be happy to receive a text message in the middle of the night. 
 
### Segment and personalize

Custom-tailored approach works. A text message in which the customer is addressed by name and offered personal discounts is more appealing than a message that is meant for everyone. Segment customers by activity and [**degree of loyalty**](customer-loyalty).
 
### Use interactive content

To keep communication with your customers, add links to the company's resources to your messages: websites with products, pages with discounts, quizzes, surveys and so on. 
 
### Don't forget about analytics

Keep track of the opening and purchase rate after sending text messages so as not to pay for messages to [**inactive customers**](how-to-reactivate-inactive-email-subscribers). Clean your database and exclude users who don't interact with your messages. Test different versions of texts and leave only effective ones. 
 
### Ask customers to confirm their numbers

Sometimes a person can specify an incorrect or inactive number. Then the company will be wasting money. Set up Opt-in — your customer will enter a code from SMS into a special field to confirm their number.

<Img
img="/uploads/sms_consent_58f5a7ccd3.png"
alt="Subscribe to SMS"
/>

### Automate the sending of short text messages

Let customers receive your text messages immediately after placing an order. Let them know that you have seen their order and will respond soon. Create an SMS welcome series for new or potential customers.

*Example. Jewelry brands have cross-promotions with other stores. Customers receive coupons for a jewelry gift together with their purchase receipts. The condition is to join the loyalty program and leave a number. A person leaves their agreement and becomes a potential customer who will automatically receive short text messages from the company.*
 
### Wish your customers happy holidays

This is a good way to remind the audience about your company and increase customer loyalty.

## Examples of SMS Campaigns

### Promotions and discounts 

Be sure to include details: a discount percentage and promotional period.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/macy_s_sms_1eb86be677.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/macy_s_sms_1eb86be677.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pura_vida_sms_6ce0609c00.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pura_vida_sms_6ce0609c00.png"
/>
</Gallery>

### Collecting feedback 

Ask your customers to leave feedback after they make a purchase or receive an order. A text message is a quicker way to [**ask your customer to leave feedback**](how-to-use-customer-feedback-to-increase-sales) than email.

<Img
img="/uploads/gamespot_sms_2_0752474091.png"
alt="SMS for feedback"
/>

### Notifications of order status

It's important for the customer to know that their order is being processed and will be delivered. If you specify the order number in your text message, and not in email, you do your customer a favor.

<Img
img="/uploads/book_maze_sms_2_c109de4f65.png"
alt="Order status SMS"
/>

### Reminders about a specialist visit 

It's a useful idea for beauty salons, clinics and educational companies. The customer receives a confirmation with appointment time and then a reminder. Now, the customer won't forget about it.

<Img
img="/uploads/dental_clinic_sms_2_de8113107c.png"
alt="SMS reminder"
/>

### Wishing happy holidays

Don't forget to wish your customers a happy birthday and so on. Customers get your attention, you receive their loyalty.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/maud_s_sms_cdae355986.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/maud_s_sms_cdae355986.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/round_table_pizza_sms_4a5bebe079.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/round_table_pizza_sms_4a5bebe079.png"
/>
</Gallery>

### Information about changes in plan 

Mobile operators and banks also use SMS messages to inform customers about changes in rates, account balance or new products.

<Img
img="/uploads/verizon_sms_2_dc87e2fd93.png"
alt="SMS from mobile operators"
/>

## Tools for SMS Campaigns
 
Companies use either a separate service for SMS campaigns or a direct integration with the provider's gateways of their marketing system. In the first case, it's usually necessary to upload the database with phone numbers to the service. In the second case, the customer's number is linked with other data in the profile. 
 
This functionality is supported by [**Altcraft Platform**](/en). Customer data is stored in a single profile and it makes it easier for you to personalize text messages, emails and push notifications.

The platform already has ready-made integrations with mobile phone operators and offers options of individual approach to each customer.

## Conclusion
 
SMS marketing is a quick way of promotion and communication with customers. Being a reliable channel of information delivery, text messages are not expensive. A message won't go to spam and will definitely reach your customer. With short text messages, you can advertise your products, inform customers about promotions, order statuses, changes in plans and tell other company news.
 
It's important to take into account the laws of the country. For example, there are laws according to which you need to receive the customer's agreement before sending out your messages. Also, it's important to check numbers using confirmation codes. Effective text messages are short and clear, always contain a call to action. Don't forget about personalization, don't send too many messages, remember about time zones (no one wants to be woken up in the middle of the night). 
 
SMS marketing is a tool that is used in combination with other marketing methods or separately. You can use special services or the functionality of all-in-one marketing platforms, like the Altcraft Platform, to send your messages.

In this piece, you will learn about the advantages of SMS marketing, how to send SMS messages properly and see examples. 

medium_SMS marketing.png

small_SMS marketing.png

thumbnail_SMS marketing.png

SMS marketing.png

The SMS open rate reaches 98%, when the email open rate is only 20%. This is a good reason to introduce SMS into marketing.

SMS Marketing: What is It and How to Run an SMS Campaign

SMS Marketing: Advantages, Examples

<Img
img="/uploads/chto_takoe_cta_479bdd34ef.png"
alt="CTA: What is It, Why do You Need It and How to Create One"
/>

More than [**90% of users**](https://affiliatiz.com/cta-statistics-to-boost-conversion-rates/) notice a call to action (CTA) when reading a headline. The right marketing content always includes a call to action that pushes a potential customer through the sales funnel. However, according to statistics, there's no CTA on 70% of websites of small B2B businesses. It's a drawback because even a selling description of your product won't make the user purchase immediately. A CTA facilitates a customer journey to conversion and explains what to do next. 
 
Still, not all calls to action are equally effective. A CTA button works if it's simple and visible. In this piece, you will learn the rules of creating calls to action and view examples of successful ones.

## What is a CTA
 
<Note>
A call to action is a button, graphic or text element with a hyperlink that calls the user to action: purchase, subscription, registration, downloading materials, repost and so on. 
</Note>

A CTA is used on landing pages, in social media posts, in newsletters and other marketing materials. In most cases, a CTA is a button. 
 
Different types of buttons collect user data for lead generation. For example, when downloading promo materials and [**lead magnets**](what-is-a-lead-magnet), a customer needs to enter their contact details into the form. When customers make a purchase, they usually leave an email address or a phone number to receive information about delivery. A company also receives contact details when a person makes a request for consultation or wants to get preliminary calculation. Each call to action serves a different function that pursues a goal of getting a lead. 
 
**Popular examples of CTA:**
 
<Img
img="/uploads/cta_examples_3625be00aa.png"
alt="CTA examples"
/>

## What is a CTA for 

**The main task of a CTA** is to bring the user to the conversion and explain what is next. A call to action, to purchase should be in every advertising material in order to simplify a [**customer journey**](stroim-customer-journey-map) and push the user through the sales channel. 
 
*Example. All advantages of the product are described in detail on the landing page, but there is no CTA. Let's say that the user shows their interest and wants to make a purchase. When there's no button that redirects a person to the purchase, they don't know what to do: continue searching for the product on the website or try to find it in a search engine. When there's a call to action, conversion speeds up.*
 
The importance of a CTA can be explained from a psychological point of view. When the user views the advertising material, they are subconsciously waiting for a call to action. It doesn't mean that this person is ready to make a purchase immediately, but past experience tells them that there should be a CTA button on the page. . 
 
After clicking on a CTA button, a person receives a reward. When actions are repetitive, people get accustomed to them and understand that they can receive a bonus by clicking on a CTA button. Call to action buttons also stimulate curiosity. On the one hand, a person understands what will happen when they click on a button, on the other hand, they wonder what the bonus will be.

## How to Create an Effective CTA

There's no fixed formula for creating call to action buttons, but there are some rules and principles that make CTA work effectively.

### How to Create a CTA

**Correctly determine at what stage of the sales funnel your customer is and what product features are.** For example, don't place a CTA button «Buy» on the landing page of an expensive car or a country house because people aren't inclined to purchase such things spontaneously. Offer the visitors a consultation or a catalogue first. 
 
**Think over options for CTA buttons.** When there are several versions of the product, different CTA buttons for each is a good solution. 

<Img
img="/uploads/cta_different_plans_ff32f1a4a2.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**Make a CTA clear and use a verb.** The user should have an idea of what will happen if they click on the button: purchase, request, subscription and so on. 
 
*Let's imagine a bad CTA. We have a banner on the page of a travel agency. It promotes river cruises on the rivers of Russia. A CTA «You need this trip» tells the user absolutely nothing and leave them wondering what will happen after clicking on the button: a booking page will open, a request will be left, etc. In this case, it's better to use «Book a tour» or «Learn more».*

## How to Increase the Effectiveness of a CTA

**Make a CTA visible.** Just a link in the text may get lost. A small button won't bring any result either. Don't skimp on a good design and test different options of shape, colour, size, font, placement. Usually, A/B or multivariate testing is used.

<Img
img="/uploads/florence_by_mills_3f8cb8a1fd.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**Make people think that your product is limited or add a beneficial offer.** Specify that there's a limited collection, a discount or a free period.

<Img
img="/uploads/rosegal_limited_cta_20ad16879f.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**Explain what your CTA means.** Briefly tell the user what's next, show them simplicity and speed. 
 
*Example. If the user is getting a subscription to the service, the «Sign up» button can scare him away. Judging by his experience, he assumes that he will have to nter card details and pay for the first month. If you specify that registration does not require a credit card, a person is more likely to click on the link.*

<Img
img="/uploads/cta_sign_up_a0f44fbb30.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**The first person CTA.** This method will add personalization. For example, replace «Subscribe» with «I'm in». A personalized CTA converts [**42% more users**](https://affiliatiz.com/cta-statistics-to-boost-conversion-rates/) than a neutral one.

<Img
img="/uploads/i_am_in_glossier_301255ae43.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**Duplicate the buttons.** If the landing page is long and there's a lot of information, it's better to duplicate CTA buttons. Also, add different CTA options: primary and secondary. The «Purchase» button can be used for hot leads who are ready to buy immediately. Such a CTA is usually the primary one. For users in doubt, a CTA offering a consultation or promotional materials is a good option.

<Img
img="/uploads/main_and_additional_cta_hootsuite_95bf1fce0d.png"
alt="CTA"
src="Example of primary and secondary calls to action"
/>

**Additional elements for motivation.** The words «now», «bonus», «gift» on a CTA button call customers to action. Sometimes animation and tooltips are added to such buttons. 
 
**Don't lie to your customers.** If your CTA button offers a free material, a request for consultation shouldn't appear in the form after the user will click on the button. 
 
**Motivate.** Sometimes you will have to explain to the user why they need to perform a targeted action. When you offer a subscription, explain why the user needs it: to receive news and discount offers, view new products.
 
**Test the buttons.** Test how CTA buttons are displayed on different devices. For example, there is a possibility that the user won't see your button on the smartphone screen if the landing page is not adapted for mobile devices.

## CTA in Email Marketing

A CTA is an important element in newsletters because emails are a means of communication with customers. With their help you can make customers purchase something, view new products and read your content. If your emails lack a CTA, you make a customer journey more difficult since your customer will have to go on the website and search for the offer from your email themselves. Also, CTA buttons simplify analytics: you know for sure whether your emails are effective or not. Although the rules mentioned above work for creating and improving the effectiveness of CTA buttons in email marketing, there are still some differences.

### Peculiarities of a CTA in Email Newsletters:

**Don't overload emails with CTA buttons.** Email is not a landing page, that's why it's better not to duplicate buttons, so as not to be too intrusive. If you need different options of the buttons, change the text on them. For example, be more specific: not just «Sign up for a speaking club», but «Sign up for a speaking club on Wednesday».

**Placement of CTA in the email header or at the end.** Marketers' opinions on this differ, so both options are correct. Button placement depends on the context. If it's clear by the email subject that you are offering discounts, then it's okay to start your email with a CTA.

<Img
img="/uploads/CTA_email_header_a389b31f1d.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

If you need to explain your offer and persuade your customer to perform a targeted action, then it's better to place a CTA button at the end.

<Img
img="/uploads/twilio_segmet_email_cta_5c52aea703.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

**Don't be dull.** «Treat yourself» instead of the standard «Shop now» in the email of the clothing store is an example of personalization.

<Img
img="/uploads/pura_vida_treat_yourself_6c958584fa.png"
alt="CTA"
/>

<Note>
NB Test different button options (placement, design) to find effective ones.
</Note>

**CTA design in emails.** Add some free space around the button to make it more visible. Such CTA buttons increase conversion by 232%. Highlight your CTA button in colour and don't overload the design of the email. If there are a lot of unnecessary details, it will be more difficult to notice the button.

<Img
img="/uploads/pura_vida_3_offer_expires_08edbe989c.png"
alt="CTA"
/>
 
## Conclusion

A CTA (call to action) is a required element of marketing materials that leads the user to conversion and explains what will happen next.

CTA buttons offer to purchase a product, sign up for a consultation, download free material and so on. A correct call to action is easy to understand, contains a verb, corresponds with a stage of the sales funnel and sometimes is duplicated.
 
To improve the effectiveness, marketers sometimes personalize CTA buttons, make customers think that the product is limited and use interesting design to attract people. In email marketing, it is recommended not to overload emails with CTA buttons.

A CTA button works if it's simple and visible. In this piece, you will learn the rules of creating calls to action and view examples of successful ones.

medium_chto-takoe-cta.png

small_chto-takoe-cta.png

thumbnail_chto-takoe-cta.png

chto-takoe-cta.png

A call to action pushes a potential customer through the sales funnel. Learn the rules of creating CTAs.


CTA: How to Use This Button on Your Website and Email

CTA: What is It, Why do You Need It and How to Create One

<Img
img="/uploads/NFT_4dbbc2853c.png"
alt="NFT: What is It and Why is It So Popular"
/>

Today, there's a lot of buzz going around NFT. It's the [**word of 2021**](https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/get-your-crypto-at-the-ready-nfts-are-big-in-2021/) according to Collins dictionary. And the popularity of the technology will continue to grow. The [**NFT market**](https://tokenizedhq.com/nft-market-size/) size reached $25 billion in 2021. According to forecasts, this number will reach $35 billion in 2022 and will increase to $80 billion by 2025. 
 
NFT allows one to sell and buy digital objects for cryptocurrency. Digital property prices reach thousands and millions of dollars. The core [**target audience**](creating-a-customer-profile) of NFTs are gamers, collectors and advanced investors. They tend to invest in NFTs rather than in stocks. The value of digital objects is growing, and NFT may soon replace documents in the real world. 
 
In this piece you will learn what NFTs are, how they work, what they are for, where to create, sell and buy a digital work of art or a digital object.

## What is NFT
 
**NFT (a non-fungible token)** is a technology that represents an entitlement its owner has to a digital object and confirms the uniqueness of a digital property. The concept came from the world of cryptocurrencies. Each NFT exists on a blockchain: a technology that records data in digital blocks in a certain order. Information on a blockchain can't be deleted or changed. Blocks are stored on multiple servers all over the world. It's almost impossible to hack a digital object on a blockchain. 
 
A **token** is a blockchain element or a digital record that can be compared to securities and stocks in the real world. There are fungible, partially-fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). 
 
Let's look at examples.
 
### Fungible token

If you borrow the US one-hundred-dollar bill from someone, and then recover your debt with another one of the same value, there will be no difference for the person from whom you borrowed. Although the bills are different (i.e. each one has a unique number), they are of equal value and can replace each other. Cryptocurrency works the same way in the digital world. Any bitcoin is equal to the same one because each has a fungible token. 
 
### Partially-fungible token

A train ticket you buy is not unique because other passengers have the same tickets that can be exchanged. However, each passenger has a seat number specified in their ticket. It distinguishes one ticket from another. In the digital world, this ticket would combine the characteristics of a fungible token (the passengers of this train can exchange their tickets with each other and still get to their destination) and a non-fungible one because each ticket has a unique seat number. Therefore, a train ticket with a seat number can be viewed as a partially-fungible token. 
 
### Non-fungible token (NFT)

If you buy a painting that is sold in a single copy, you can't replace it with a reproduction because it has its own characteristics. When a unique object exists only in the digital world, it is assigned a non-fungible token (NFT). 

*An example of an NFT that is adored by many people around the world is a game called [**CryptoKitties**](https://www.cryptokitties.co/). There people buy digital pets with unique tokens. People breed NFT crypto cats and get new kittens. The blockchain code here functions as a genetic one: all new cats will be unique.*

<Img
img="/uploads/Crypto_Kitties_33c6faf574.jpg"
alt="CryptoKitties"
/>

## How the NFT Technology Appeared

The technology appeared in 2017 on the basis of the Ethereum cryptocurrency smart contracts. Smart contracts are agreement codes between a buyer and a seller and a way of using an object. In the digital world, a token performs the function of a signature. 
 
Initially, the NFT technology supported blockchain art: it protected the copyright of unique content. It is difficult to find out who the real author is in the digital world. For example, a JPG image of a cat doesn't differ from its copy. When you copy an image, it loses its uniqueness and the author remains unknown unless users don't specify their name under each post. If an image has an NFT, the copying history is saved and each user knows its author and owner. 
 
The first transition of a real work of art into the digital world became a performance. Injective Protocol bought Banksy's stencil «Morons (White)» created in 2007 for 95 thousand dollars. The work was burned, and only the virtual version in the form of an NFT was left.

<Img
img="/uploads/Morons_a3a09f84f4.jpg"
alt="Morons"
/>

Now, not only paintings, but also author's images, GIFs, music, photos and videos, game items can have an NFT. Even real-world objects can have it: cars, real estate. Perhaps in the future there will be no need for paper documents because NFTs will replace even passports.  

## How to Create, Sell and Buy NFTs

### How to Buy an NFT
 
First, you need to choose a platform. NFT platforms trade digital objects in cryptocurrency, sometimes in dollars. Examples of platforms: Juggerworld, Treasureland, Blockparty, Nfty Gateway, Rarible, OpenSea, NFT STARS, NFT-X and others.  
 
A buyer receives a digital certificate with unique blockchain data and stores an object on any device: smartphone, computer, flash drive. The object itself remains in IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System). Other users will be able to download and view the object, but only one user will have the private key (certificate). The owner has the right to issue public keys to users when copying to confirm the authenticity of the object.

### How to Create an NFT and Sell It 
 
You can use one platform for creation and sale. The user needs a crypto wallet to pay the platform commission (sometimes there's no commission) and the object itself. The owner uploads the content to the platform and sets the price.
 
NFT is created in one of the blockchain formats: ERC-721, ERC-1155, ERC-998, EIP-2309 and others that NFT platforms have. 
 
**An NFT author has the right:**

- To limit the number of copies. 
- To receive royalties from each sale (sometimes this process is automated). 
- Not to prove copyright, which is registered in the blockchain. 

## What are NFTs for

### Authors can earn money from their content

Usually authors promote the platforms with their content. In return, they get advertising and virality, but not money directly. With NFT, the author will receive royalties when someone uses their content. 
 
### Copyright protection

Before NFTs, it was necessary to specify the author's name on their creations. The method worked poorly, the author's name was often lost. The creator of the object, the current owner and the resale history are recorded in the blockchain.
 
### Replacement of digital documents and tickets

With NFTs, ownership of real estate or a car is confirmed with a token instead of a paper document. The technology is also used to sell tickets to events. The difference between ordinary e-tickets and documents and NFTs is in the degree of protection: NFTs can't be forged and stolen.
 
### Content interactivity

NFTs make media content interactive allowing the user to take part in its creation. 
 
Example. Creators of comedy series The Gimmicks distributed free tokens that users use to [**vote for plot development options**](https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-tv-buy-sell-hold-nfts/). Also, users receive a unique NFT character from the series and even become assistants in the production team. 
 
### Investment

Buying digital objects is a profitable investment. NFTs are getting more expensive, digital objects are being resold for impressive amounts of money, but still it's impossible to say for sure the price of which NFT will skyrocket in the future. Not all NFTs are valuable: it depends on the author and characteristics. For example, [**Elon Musk put up for sale his tweet**](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/16/elon-musk-is-offering-to-sell-his-tweet-as-an-nft.html) in the form of an NFT. The price of the item at auction exceeded one million dollars.

<Img
img="/uploads/tvit_ilona_maska_4917169831.jpg"
alt="Elon Musk put up for sale his tweet"
/>

## Examples of NFTs 

Some NFTs become famous all over the world, not just among collectors. Such objects are sold at famous auctions Christie's and Sotheby's. Sometimes NFT art seems primitive, but even simple images can cost millions of dollars. Below you will see a few examples of digital objects that cost like millionaires' yachts.

### CryptoPunks

This is an example of a very simple but expensive NFT. Only rich collectors can afford these [**unique pixel avatars**](https://www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks).

<Img
img="/uploads/Crypto_Punks_55a6ec26df.jpg"
alt="CryptoPunks"
/>

A collection of nine rare CryptoPunks images was sold for almost [**$17 million**](https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6316969) at Christie's.

<Img
img="/uploads/Crypto_Punks2_a3ab63d3f4.jpg"
alt="CryptoPunks"
/>

### The First 5000 Days

Artist Beeple published a new work every day for 13 years and then combined all the images into a collage of 50000 thousand elements and sold as NFT at Christie's. The image is called [**The First 5000 Days**](https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/first-open-beeple/beeple-b-1981-1/112924) because the author decided to create a new picture every day for the rest of his life. The collage with the first days costs $69 million.

<Img
img="/uploads/pervye_pyat_tysyach_dnej_3eec316268.jpg"
alt="The First 5000 Days"
/>

### World Wide Web source code

English scientist Tim Berners-Lee created a token for the [**source code of the Internet**](https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/this-changed-everything-source-code-for-www-x-tim-berners-lee-an-nft/source-code-for-the-www), which he invented in 1989. The cost of this NFT at Sotheby's is $5.4 million.

<Img
img="/uploads/iskhodnyj_kod_interneta_aac87ed64d.jpg"
alt="World Wide Web source code"
/>

### Campbell's Soup Can
 
Andy Warhol's famous painting of Campbell's soup cans also turned into an NFT. The work called «Untitled (Campbell's Soup Can)» was sold at Christie's for [**$1.1 million**](https://onlineonly.christies.com/country-restricted/2051).

<Img
img="/uploads/banka_supa_campbell_s_73d98ef1bc.png"
alt="Campbell's Soup Can"
/>

### Transition by Pokras Lampas

Calligrapher Pokras Lampas digitized and sold for [**$29,000**](https://foundation.app/@pokraslampas/foundation/5441) an NFT photo depicting a projection of his work at the Chirkeyskaya hydropower plant.

<Img
img="/uploads/Transition_pokrasa_lampasa_e67041ca23.jpg"
alt="Transition by Pokras Lampas"
/>

### Nyan Cat

Creator of Nyan Cat meme Chris Torres made a token out of the [**Internet-famous cat**](https://foundation.app/@NyanCat/foundation/219) and sold it for more than $560 thousand dollars.

<Img
img="/uploads/Nyan_Cat_afdc9a304c.jpg"
alt="Nyan Cat"
/>

## Conclusion

NFT (a non-fungible token) is a blockchain-based technology that confirms the uniqueness of a digital object, protects copyright and keeps the history of changes and resales. 
 
It's impossible to support NFT, but it's easy to create one. A digital object is uploaded to one of the NFT platforms and the price is indicated in cryptocurrency (sometimes in dollars). With the technology, people sell works of art, images, music, GIFs and even game items. NFTs even replace paper documents when buying real estate or a car. 
 
This technology allows content creators to receive royalties. NFTs are also an alternative to conventional investment. Digital objects are growing in price and are often sold at auctions for thousands and millions of dollars.

In this piece, we will tell you what NFTs are, how they work and what they are for, where to create, sell or buy a digital work of art or a digital object.

medium_NFT.png

small_NFT.png

thumbnail_NFT.png

NFT.png

NFT allows one to sell and buy digital objects for cryptocurrency. It may soon replace documents in the real world. 

NFT: What It Is, How It Appeared, What It Is For

NFT: What is It and Why is It So Popular

<Img
img="/uploads/1st_2nd_i_3rd_party_data_0a6be87456.png"
alt="First, Second and Third-Party Data"
/>

Data is the backbone of marketing. [**54% of marketers**](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/data-driven-marketing/) claim that success of advertising campaigns depends on data. Lack of necessary information about target audience results in loss of money. Businesses that personalize communication with their customers using data have ROI 5-8 times higher. That's why companies are switching to a [**data-driven approach**](data-driven-marketing).
 
Information obtained from several channels gives a more detailed picture of your audience, helps to personalize and scale your business and makes it possible to predict user behavior. There are several different types of data used for different tasks. By the way of obtaining and uniqueness, there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd party data. In this article, we will take a closer look at these types of data, learn how to use them in marketing and how to collect information about customers without violating confidentiality.

## What is 1st Party Data 

**1st party data** is data that companies receive directly from customers through registrations, [**pixels**](ak-pixel), cookies, CRM and other services. There are no restrictions on collecting information when it comes to this type of data. The only thing you need is user permission. Customers can refuse to provide data, although leaving a name, phone number or email address is usually not a problem.

<Img
img="/uploads/1st_party_data_89096760bb.png"
alt="First party data"
/>
 
**1st party data that companies collect:**

- user behavior and time spent on websites and in apps;
- results of email and SMS newsletters (open rate, clicks);
- contact details: email address, phone number;
- information about customer orders;
- feedback;
- demographic data;
- user survey results;
- behavior in social networks;
- interests.
 
**Advantages of first-party data:** it's free of charge and reliable, you have full ownership of it because your competitors don't have access to company information. 

**Disadvantage of first-party data:** it's not enough to scale your business.
 
<Note>
Data collection is a priority for companies. 
</Note>

**Why do businesses need first-party data:**

- It helps to learn about the needs of customers in detail and offer them products that they will definitely purchase. 
- It [**personalizes offers and content**](/features/personalization) for customers. 
- It helps to launch advertising and retargeting campaigns. 
- It makes it possible to predict customer behavior. 
 
*Example. A customer purchased T-shirts of a certain brand in an online store. Six months later they visited the website and added the same ones to the cart. So we can conclude that a purchase is possible in the future. The company «anticipates» actions and pushes the customer: it offers them special conditions, a discount and reminds them about the product in a newsletter.*

## What is 2nd Party Data

**2nd party data** is the 1st party data collected by another company from its sources. Second-party data is bought from partners or third-party companies with a relevant audience. 

<Img
img="/uploads/2nd_party_data_34d23b8721.png"
alt="Second party data"
/>
 
**Why do businesses need 2nd party data:**

- It helps to scale your business. It's difficult to broaden your audience only with 1st party data. If you don't have 2nd party data, you can make a mistake and take wrong actions when working with a new audience. With second-party data, it's easier to launch the first advertising campaigns.
 
*Example. Let's imagine a company that specializes on women's clothing for fitness. The company made a decision to diversify the range and start selling men's clothing. The business doesn't have data on the new audience. But they have partners who are engaged in sports nutrition and work with their potential customers. Information obtained from this company is 2nd party data.*

- It serves as an addition to first-party data. With 2nd party data, you will see problems in the sales funnel.
- It helps to track trends. Your conclusions will lack objectivity if you have only first-party data. 
- It [**strengthens partnership**](/partners). When you exchange data, you increase trust between businesses.
- It brings unexpected ideas to creative companies.
 
*Example. A travel agency buys 2nd party data from an online store that sells suitcases and travel bags. According to the online store, 30% of their customers purchase dog carriers for airline travels. So the agency makes a decision to launch a new product and advertising campaign for travelers with pets.*
 
**Disadvantage of 2nd party data:** you can't be sure that the data your company receives is 100% accurate and relevant. You don't know how and when this information was collected. If you buy 2nd party data, you should trust the seller and their data collection methods. 

## What is 3rd Party Data

**3rd party data** is data from multiple sources collected by aggregators. This includes 1st party data that were bought by outside sources and/or data collected through surveys, studies, interviews and so on. Examples of aggregators: Nielsen, eXelate, Acxiom, OnAudience, BlueKai, Oracle Data Cloud, Peer39, Google services, payment systems, etc. Social networks are also data aggregators that sell companies ready-made audiences for advertising. Third-party data sellers collect information and [**segment it into categories**](how-to-build-an-email-database) for searching by industry, by interests and so on. 

<Img
img="/uploads/3rd_party_data_63efa184d4.png"
alt="Third party data"
/>

**Third-party data includes:**

- gender data;
- interests;
- income level;
- geographic data;
- professions.
 
**How to use 3rd party data in marketing:**

- Use it to expand 1st party data, study your audience in detail and increase personalization. 
- Study and get ideas for business development. 3rd party data provides you with a larger audience reach that 1st and 2nd party data. 
- Launch targeted advertising for a potential audience. 
- Track global trends. 
 
**Advantages**: third-party data is often collected automatically, so this information is always up-to-date and can be used for a quick change of marketing strategy.

**Disadvantages**: you can't be sure of the data accuracy; the same information is available to competitors.  
 
<Note>
It's important to work with all types of data because they complement each other. 
</Note>
 
*Let's go back to the example of the company selling women's fitness clothing (see above), which decided to diversify their range and add men's sportswear. 2nd party data is the basis for the first campaign but the audience reach is not large enough. The company buys 3rd party data to supplement customer information and widen the audience.*
 
If you have all three types of data, you have a comprehensive picture of your audience. The more you know about your customer, the easier it is to reach them and sell your product faster.

## How to Collect Data

The current tendency in the world is to increase the privacy of personal information. Data collection is limited by legislation and by companies that collect data. 
 
[**GDPR**](customer-data-privacy-issues-in-digital-marketing) (General Data Protection Regulation) is a regulation that protects personal data of EU users and is valid for companies that work with EU citizens. A person can request personal data, correct and even delete it, revoke permission to its processing.
 
The Russian Federal Law on Personal Data prohibits disclosing user data to third parties without consent.
 
Google restricts cookies for 3rd party data in the Chrome browser. The company is planning to get rid of third-party cookies during 2022 to enhance user privacy. This approach is the obstacle to tracking customers’ interests and journey to conversion. It will become difficult or impossible for end-to-end analytics to find out customer journey through cross-devices. 
 
Apple restricts third-party cookies (Intelligent Tracking Prevention) for Safari browser (from 13.1). The browser restricts the collection of data from third-party services. IOS 14.5 now requests confirmation to collect information via IDFA (The Identifier for Advertisers). If the user doesn't confirm, the accuracy of data decreases. Apple offers an alternative — anonymous aggregated data. However, it won't be enough to cover all marketing needs with such information.

### Data Collection Rules

- Prioritize 1st party data, collect 2nd party data to [**build your own data system**](ways-to-address-customer-data-privacy-issues-in-digital-marketing) and be less dependent on 3rd party data.
- Notify users about data collection and ask their permission for its processing. You can't consider people whose data is collected secretly your target audience.
- Follow the legislation on user data protection and the rules of the information market.

## Conclusion

Marketing can't function properly without data. However, not all types of data are equally useful. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd party data. First-party data is obtained directly from users. Second-party data is the 1st party data that companies buy from partners and businesses with a similar target audience. Third-party data is obtained from aggregators that buy information from companies or collect it themselves. 

1st party data is reliable and easy to collect, but not suitable for scaling your business. 2nd party data expands your audience, but it’s difficult to test its validity. 3rd party data contains a lot of information, but you can't be sure of its reliability. Third-party data is also available to competitors. 

Regulations of aggregators and state laws slow down the collection of information. Companies should monitor changes, create their own data collection and storage systems so as not to depend on third-parties.

In this article, we will learn how to use different types of data in marketing and how to collect information about customers without violating confidentiality.

large_1st-2nd-i-3rd-party-data.png

medium_1st-2nd-i-3rd-party-data.png

small_1st-2nd-i-3rd-party-data.png

thumbnail_1st-2nd-i-3rd-party-data.png

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Data is the backbone of marketing. 54% of marketers claim that success of advertising campaigns depends on data.

What Are 1st, 2nd and 3rd Party Data and How to Collect Them

First, Second and Third-Party Data

<Img
img="/uploads/marketing_automation_for_education_f5808fc978.png"
alt="Marketing Automation for Education"
/>

The Internet has given marketers a variety of tools to attract new customers and retain old ones. One of the most powerful among them is marketing automation software. The advent of [**CDP**](/features/cdp) has brought the work with client data to a new level. Of course, this cannot but affect the fast-evolving industry of EdTech.

In this post, we will explain why the educational industry needs marketing automation. We will also share with you five effective automation strategies in this industry.

## Why the Education Sector Needs Marketing Automation

The EdTech industry saw explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, EdTech investment amounted to [**$18.7 billion**](https://www.mishcon.com/news/the-growing-edtech-sector-amidst-the-pandemic) worldwide. In 2020, they almost doubled and reached $36.4 billion. In 2021, this sector strengthened its position. People from all over the world appreciated the convenience of online learning. After all, even under lockdown conditions, they still had the opportunity to take interesting courses, master popular professions and improve their skills.

Let's take a look at statistics. Sitecore collected the following [**data on the benefits of marketing automation**](https://moosend.com/blog/10-marketing-automation-statistics-need-know/) in business:

- **36% of marketers** have time for meaningful and interesting projects;
- sales productivity **increases by 14.5%**;
- the number of [**qualified leads**](what-is-a-lead-magnet) increases by 451%;
- subscribers open **triggered emails 70.5% more often** than routine newsletters;
- **63% of companies** outperform competitors due to marketing automation.

The point is, online education services also need marketing automation. A single platform will provide the education technology industry with the following benefits:

- attraction of new clients;
- consolidation of data on prospects and existing students from all channels, which will allow you to segment the client database into audiences for targeting;
- personalized offerings;
- generation of quality leads;
- improvement of training formats;
- advanced analytics to evaluate results.

## Five Marketing Automation Strategies for Education

Here are five marketing automation strategies for the education technology industry.

### 1. Selling a course

Now people do not need to sign up for courses and go to college at the appointed time to get additional knowledge. Clients can simply choose the topic they are interested in on an online platform they like and listen to lectures when and where it is convenient. It doesn't matter if you're sitting at home, walking in the park, or just having a coffee break at work.

So how do you get people to buy? Let’s say a visitor gets interested in a course and leaves his contacts for more information. What is your move? Send him a course description and give him the first lesson for free. In this way, a potential student will quickly understand whether he wants to become your client or not. One introductory lecture will not bring losses, but it will attract only interested people.

Such a scenario is easy to implement through the [**CDP Altcraft Platform**](/en). It will make it easier for you to work with clients, because you no longer have to send emails manually — the platform will do everything for you. By the way, more complex automation chains also can be implemented in Altcraft Platform.

<Img
img="/uploads/selling_a_course_eng_fa9c136b25.png"
alt="Scenario «Selling a course»"
src="Scenario «Selling a course»"
/>

### 2. Selling a webinar

Professionals do not always need to take a whole 3-month course to improve their skills. They often look for one quality webinar that contains not empty chatter, but the maximum amount of useful information. In this case, lecturers need to hold a really productive event so that listeners want to return to the educational platform.

Your task is to take clients from the application for the webinar to the webinar itself. Up to 1,000 people can be in a virtual classroom at the same time. Sometimes even more. Are you really going to send each of them an individual message manually? Unlikely. Well, this is where marketing automation comes in handy again.

You can automate the process of sending emails to remind participants of the upcoming event. Just set up a regular campaign. This way you will forget about the routine and your clients will not forget about the webinar.

<Img
img="/uploads/selling_a_webinar_eng_a4592d325f.png"
alt="Scenario «Selling a webinar»"
src="Scenario «Selling a webinar»"
/>

### 3. Signing up for an online intensive course + cross-selling

The goal of the free intensive course is the same as the introductory lecture — to encourage the client to buy the course. However, while a lecture is just a small piece of the whole material, an online intensive is a complete immersion of a person in a topic. Students know in advance how the training will take place and determine whether this format suits them or not. During an intensive course, students usually complete practical tasks to consolidate their knowledge, and this is another advantage of the course.

You should accompany your potential client throughout the intensive course. For example, send him a schedule, notify him of lessons and remind him when a period of study is over. All this will highlight the positive aspects of your educational platform. The student will think: "If they take such good care of me during the brief course, then what awaits me during the full one?"

Help customers make a choice in favor of education. For example, give students [**promo codes**](how-to-use-promo-codes-for-business) and discounts after completing an intensive course. You can also ask students to take a survey to gauge their satisfaction with the event. Don't forget that it's important to take both positive and negative feedback into account.

In Altcraft Platform, you do not have to use third-party services to create surveys. We have our own built-in service. This tool is called [**Forms**](/features/forms-and-surveys). The form builder is intuitive, so you can create surveys, questionnaires and tests even without professional knowledge.

The student may not enroll in the course after the free training, but he can tell you about the topics of interest in the survey. In this case, do not let him forget about you and regularly send useful materials. We will discuss this strategy in the next paragraph.

<Img
img="/uploads/sign_up_for_intensive_and_cross_selling_eng_2fc7c302b4.png"
alt="Scenario «Signing up for an online intensive course + cross-selling»"
src="Scenario «Signing up for an online intensive course + cross-selling»"
/>

### 4. Useful newsletters from your educational platform

Today you will not interest people in your product by imposing it. However, marketers and sellers have found a way out.

You've probably heard the word "warming up" on social media more than once. For example, warm up your leads, warm up your cold audience, etc. Usually this method is used by bloggers with an already gained loyal audience. They warm up their subscribers by gently, without being intrusive, telling them about a product or service for some time.

Let's take an example. Jane runs a lifestyle blog. Her posts are read by several thousand people. One of the her hobbies is dancing. She dances for herself. Jane regularly tells her audience about her favorite hobby and shows rehearsals from the studio. Christina, who works as a trainer, notices Jane. She plans to start a personal stretching course, so she offers Jane access to the course for free in exchange for Jane showing her progress to the public. The options for the contract can be different. The point is that Jane, without changing her communication style, will tell subscribers about the classes in a way that encourages them to buy the course.

Useful newsletters work the same way. You don’t need to offer discounts in every email, give promotional codes or sell two webinars for the price of one. Send messages with valuable information without a hint of a sale. Subscribers will read those emails with interest and when you offer to buy an educational product, they will be ready.

<Img
img="/uploads/newsletter_from_an_educational_platform_eng_0e825c643a.png"
alt="Scenario «Useful newsletters from your educational platform»"
src="Scenario «Useful newsletters from your educational platform»"
/>

### 5. Communication in messaging apps

The [**messaging app**](messenger-marketing) is a useful tool for working with clients. The functionality of these apps is not limited to direct sales, announcements of new products and notifications of long-awaited promotions. You can send personalized offers to a chat with a potential client or even run a full-fledged course using a chatbot.

For example, a user takes an English test on your site to find out his vocabulary and get the first lesson for free. He leaves contact details (email address and phone number) to get the result and arrange a trial lesson. After that, the user receives an email with the test results. At the same time, he receives a message in the messaging app — he is asked where and when it is convenient for him to discuss a trial lesson. 

Nowdays people often receive spam calls, so a message in the messaging app is a real way to get a loyal attitude towards the brand.

Another example. Today many experts have their own trainings. It can be courses on personal growth, copywriting, SMM or in any other field. Now it is not necessary to send lessons by email or ask a person to sign up on the website to listen to lectures in their personal account. It is enough to create a channel in Telegram and teach there. In the channel, you can organize a relaxed atmosphere, open comments and sometimes send off-topic messages. If you want a more strict format, use a chatbot.

In Altcraft Platform, you can connect a Telegram bot and a Telegram group. Create a campaign for your bot and set up the scenario once. After that, students will receive lessons according to the schedule: on the right day and at the right time.

<Img
img="/uploads/communication_in_messenger_eng_a0afaa1133.png"
alt="Scenario «Communication in messaging apps»"
src="Scenario «Communication in messaging apps»"
/>

## Conclusion

On the one hand, marketing for online education is gaining momentum. On the other hand, it is difficult for marketers in this industry to stand out from competitors and simultaneously develop an individual approach to clients. That’s why, it is important to find a solution that will allow you to quickly and flexibly automate the strategy and communicate with customers without restrictions.

Altcraft Platform can become such a solution for you. Our marketing automation software will replace several marketing tools at once. You can use it to:

- set up effective customer data management;
- automate communications with customers in different Internet channels and build a customer journey
- experiment, analyze the results and find the best solutions in marketing;
- protect the personal data of customers in accordance with the requirements of the law.

In this post, we will explain why the educational industry needs marketing automation and share with you five effective automation strategies in this area.

medium_marketing automation for education.png

small_marketing automation for education.png

thumbnail_marketing automation for education.png

marketing automation for education.png

Here are a few examples of how a good marketing automation strategy can be applied to the education sector.

5 Marketing Automation Strategies for Online Education

Marketing Automation for Online Education

<Img
img="/uploads/types_of_marketing_efad892e65.png"
alt="The Complete List of Types of Marketing"
/>

Marketing is a broad field that includes a variety of directions, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Due to the active development of the field, there is always something to add to the list that already includes dozens of types of marketing.

## Types of Marketing

Types of marketing that have proven effective in different fields are the most popular ones. They are usually combined to achieve the best results.

### Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing is the basis for the other types. Traditional marketing analyzes the audience, identifies its needs and interests, searches for its sore points and forms a unified concept for promoting products, services or an entire company.

The main concepts here are «segmentation», «positioning», «competitive advantages».

Traditional marketing is effective when it comes to promoting products familiar to the buyer, but it almost doesn't work on new ones. It helps to increase sales and profits, but has little or no effect on a company's image.

### Inbound Marketing

[**Inbound marketing**](inbound-marketing) is based on the creation of interesting and useful content to build a loyal audience. It can be a thematic blog, a newsletter, a set of guides, checklists and templates, presentations. It works in the following way: people search for the necessary information on the Internet, see your content and thus find out about your company.

If the person finds your material useful, they will be grateful for it and will remember the author. Next time they need some product or service, they are more likely to turn to a familiar company rather than to a new one. That's why this type of marketing is called «inbound» — customers turn to the company not because of your offer but because they need your help.
This approach won't bear fruit immediately, but it's an excellent way to improve the company's image.

### Outbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is the opposite of incoming: it is intended to resonate with the audience immediately. Talk with the audience about issues that bother them and offer a solution right away.

Here, marketers themselves implement a strategy, search for a target audience and come up with ways to influence it. For example, they set up targeted advertising, create email newsletters and even make calls. The main thing is to identify a potential customer and offer them your service directly. There are two scenarios: a person either ignores the offer and even blocks the brand's number, social media page or email address, or places an order. Statistically, people tend to ignore the brand's offers. That's why this type of marketing is rarely used independently. However, its effectiveness increases when the audience has already been warmed up in another way. Marketers often include elements of outbound marketing in hybrid strategies.

### Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is a set of marketing channels and tools in the digital environment. This includes search engine and email marketing, SEO optimization, any type of advertising on the Internet, infographics and so on.

One comes across digital marketing when they read [**push notifications**](in-depth-guide-on-web-push-notifications), watch a commercial in a mobile game, see an advertising post on a social network or a native advertising in an influencer's blog.

### Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing is a promotion strategy based on the consideration of search engine algorithms. The task of a marketer is to ensure that a company's or brand's website is brought to the top of search results.

The main tools of this type of marketing are SEO and contextual advertising.

### Video Marketing

Video marketing involves the use of video materials of any type: lectures, educational and informational videos, blogs, lifestyle videos.

The main difference from other types of promotion is the use of video content to solve marketing tasks.

**According to MarketingCharts, watch time of business-related videos increased in 2020. In 2019, people had watched such videos for about 4 minutes and in 2020 it started to take a little more than 6 minutes to watch videos about business.**

<Img
img="/uploads/Business_video_completion_rate_d65a10f5ef.png"
alt="Business videos completion rate in 2020"
/>

### Content Marketing

Content marketing is similar to inbound marketing. The main difference is that the content marketing materials tend to persuade people to purchase a product or service, while inbound marketing provides «pure» information.

Another difference is that there are more ways of spreading information in content marketing. In addition to blogs, newsletters and useful materials of different formats, information can be spread through educational events, the media, news sources, etc.

### Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Social media marketers [**use social networks to promote**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media) products and services. They manage brands' pages on different social networks, interact with the audience, answer questions in the comment section or personal messages, post useful and entertaining content to get more followers. Their main tasks:

- attracting the audience and increasing audience reach;
- increasing brand awareness and improving its reputation;
- warming up the audience and converting subscribers into hot leads.

### Voice Marketing

A company representative calls a potential customer to

- conduct a survey;
- get feedback about the product;
- tell about product benefits or offer to purchase it;
- inform about promotions and special offers.

### Conversational Marketing

Conversational marketing is akin to voice marketing, but it involves a more personalized approach to customers. A company representative not only calls potential customers but also communicates with them in messaging apps, chats on the website and other channels. During the conversation, both sides benefit:

- the company gets an accurate idea about its audience and understands how to interact with it, collects a database of hot leads;
- the customer has an opportunity to get answers to their questions and feel important.

### Email Marketing

Email marketing specialists use email to interact with the audience. Marketers [**collect a database of email addresses**](how-to-build-an-email-database) of potential customers and make a content plan that includes interesting information, surveys and offers.

The main task is to consider both recipients' comfort and the brand's benefit.

**According to Statista, by 2025, the number of emails per day will reach 376 billion.**

<Img
img="/uploads/Number_of_sent_and_received_emails_per_day_ce52895c8c.png"
alt="The number of sent and received emails per day globally from 2017 to 2025"
/>

### Buzz Marketing

Buzz marketing is based on creating rumors about brands and their products. They are usually presented as information leakage or scandalous theories.

The point is to spur conversations, to get people to argue with each other and build theories to increase brand awareness.

### Influencer Marketing

[**Influencer marketing**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy) is a type of marketing that uses product and brand mentions from influencers: bloggers, actors, singers and other celebrities. People tend to trust advertisements if they involve someone they know. For example, a person is more likely to purchase a product if it is advertised by a beauty blogger they subscribed to rather than after watching a TV commercial.

### Personalized Marketing

Personalized marketing is the same as targeted advertising but in a broader sense. Marketers work with available information about users that can be collected on the Internet. After that, they create a database of potential customers, segment them and send each of them a «personalized offer». It can be a personal discount, a special gift, a promo code and so on.
Marketers often use a person's first name in their emails and other tricks to create the effect of communicating with a friend.

### Brand Marketing

Brand marketing is a set of actions aimed at making people purchase products of a particular brand. This type of marketing involves not only the creation of a logo and slogan. It also involves:

- social media style (friendly, serious, on behalf of the character);
- recognizable employee uniform;
- increasing opportunities (e.g. not just a coffee shop chain, but a cozy workspace for freelancers and students);
- ideology (careful attitude to nature, donating part of the profit to charity).

### Guerilla Marketing

Guerilla marketing requires the fewest resources. It involves distribution of leaflets and booklets, leaving comments on forums and social networks, publications in the media with the right caption.

This method is suitable for small companies (it slightly increases their awareness and doesn't require a lot of money on advertising). However, it's absolutely ineffective for medium and large businesses.

### Affiliate Marketing

[**Affiliate marketing**](affiliate-marketing-for-beginners) is a way of promotion in which a company concludes a contract on special terms with a third-party. For example:

- a blogger receives a personalized promo code and shares it with the audience. The more customers came from the blogger the more benefit this blogger gets. For example, they will receive a higher award or discount.
- the partner website contains a link to the website of the company. Benefits can be different: partners place links to each other on their websites, one partner gets a reward for promotion or service in return.
- referral links.

<Img
img="/uploads/Referal_link_of_Jarrod_Tech_fc9101cddc.png"
alt="referral links"
/>

### Account-Based Marketing and Customer Marketing

Account-based marketing involves identifying a separate target group from the whole audience and working with it. For example, VIP customers are the most promising and valuable buyers who deserve a special approach and personalization.

In this case, marketers don't waste time on a large number of potential customers, but concentrate on those who are more likely to provide benefits on an ongoing basis.
Customer marketing works in a similar way, but the key difference is that it is aimed at increasing the loyalty of existing customers rather than at attracting new ones.

### Word of Mouth Marketing

Word of mouth marketing is a type of marketing in which people mention a product in a dialogue with others (e.g. with family and friends). For example, they share interesting facts about this product or life hacks involving it, explain how to use it and so on. In this way, the product becomes recognizable among buyers.

### Relationship Marketing and Interactive Marketing

Relationship marketing and interactive marketing are almost the same because both types involve constant contact with the audience (surveys, events, interactive games, giveaways). As a result, people have a friendly attitude towards the brand and are most likely to choose it over competitors.

Customer reviews play a great role in these two types of marketing.

### Event Marketing

Event marketing involves the use of events (concerts, festivals, conferences and so on) to promote brands, their products and services. A company can be a sponsor of an event and thus become likable, or organize it itself. If people have a positive experience and receive useful information at this event, they will remember the brand.

### Global Marketing

Brands with a worldwide reputation use global marketing. Here, marketers need to take into consideration a lot of things: interests and needs of residents of different countries, their solvency, local peculiarities, laws and other factors.

A marketer's task is to come up with a strategy and implement it for different countries, taking into account their peculiarities and differences.

### Neuromarketing

[**Neuromarketing**](neuroscience-in-marketing) is based on the study of the reaction of neurotransmitters to certain advertising objects: banners, native advertising, special offers, friendly recommendations and so on. A further strategy is based on the data received during studies. It includes methods that have received the most positive unconscious responses, methods that cause irritation are rejected. This allows marketers to make advertising campaigns enjoyable and unobtrusive.

## Conclusion

There are lots of marketing types. However, it's impossible to achieve the desired result if you don't know the characteristics of your audience. A competent marketer can make a psychological portrait of the customer, choose the best way to work with them based on it and effectively put into practice marketing tools.

Types of marketing that have proven effective in different fields are the most popular ones. They are usually combined to achieve the best results.

medium_types of marketing.png

small_types of marketing.png

thumbnail_types of marketing.png

types of marketing.png

23 Main Types of Marketing: Complete List for 2022

The Complete List of Types of Marketing

<Img
img="/uploads/10_Myths_About_Marketing_Automation_8ccf452df8.png"
alt="Myths About Marketing Automation"
/>

There are dozens of stereotypes about marketing automation. One of them is that it will make your business flourish without much effort from marketers. The main misconception about marketing automation is that it will launch a system that will do everything by itself and bring in leads effortlessly. But computers cannot do business for people: come up with strategies, build marketing communications and sell. 
 
Automated marketing really is a step forward for businesses. However, it will benefit only if you have a comprehensive approach and a deliberate strategy. Let's debunk popular myths about marketing automation. 

## What is Marketing Automation

Marketing automation is a special software that carries out a marketer's tasks automatically. Computers perform repetitive tasks wholly or partially, giving marketers more time to think about strategy and creative part. Automation is suitable for any sphere. 
 
[**Modern marketing automation platform**](/en) includes newsletters, advertising campaigns, tracking user activity on the website and reaction to it, conversion of visitors to leads with pop-ups, analysis of competitors' articles SEO, bidders in contextual advertising, audience parsing, data collection for analytics, content posting.

<Note>
[**Marketing automation**](what-is-marketing-automation-and-how-it-affects-business-development) is a set of actions and a marketing management system. An automated email newsletter is not equal to automated marketing.
</Note>
 
Automation ensures:

- Personalization of communication with minimal effort from marketers.
- More accurate data-based advertising. 
- Reduced workload for staff. You won’t have to hire more professionals when scaling the business. 
- Coordination of marketing with other departments. Joint automation of marketing and sales: all actions follow the same plan.
- Tracking user engagement.
- Control of the sales funnel from the beginning to the end. 
- That weak spots in the strategy are found.

## Myths About Marketing Automation 

### Myth 1. It's just an automated newsletter

The system will send newsletters and save marketers’ time. Still, without a plan and a systematic approach, it's just automation of a separate action. The sales funnel links several channels that the marketing automation service tracks. The system reacts to customer actions — it starts newsletters when triggers are activated. It also collects data for analytics, controls advertising campaigns and publishes content. 

<Note>
Do not confuse automated newsletters with spam. [**Spam is an unsolicited newsletter**](how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters) sent to users. Proper business automation personalizes offers and sends the client only relevant newsletters.
</Note>

### Myth 2. Automated marketing will replace marketers

It won't work that way. Even advanced systems can't work without human supervision. They can track user activity and provide data, but they can't draw conclusions and think through strategies on their own. Campaign planning can't be done without the human element. Only marketers see the whole picture and know how marketing is connected with other channels. They are always aware of the situation on the market and in the world.
 
Automated marketing will increase the number of actions per unit of time, but these actions need to be monitored and adjusted. It requires special skills and the manager's time. The system will show which campaign has brought more/less conversions, the person will answer why. 

### Myth 3. Marketing automation is only for email

[**Email campaign**](how-to-build-an-email-database) is a part of marketing automation. Modern digital marketing is omnichannel: your client can learn about your company from a social network advertisement, continue to search for your product in the search engine, subscribe to your newsletter and eventually purchase the product after an SMS message with a discount offer. We see that automation is a set of interconnected actions with a single strategy.
 
*Example. The client has been viewing the product on your website for a long time. The system «understands» it and shows an advertisement for this product and sends a promo code for it by email, but the client doesn't open it. If the user is logged in to the website and the company has their phone number, the system sends an SMS about the special offer. Eventually, the client makes a purchase.*

### Myth 4. Marketing automation is only for big businesses

Sales and marketing automation will pay off only if you have a large corporation with a large volume of tasks. It is a popular myth that was recently true. There was a time when marketing automation providers almost didn't specialize on small and medium-sized businesses. Small companies couldn't afford software for large ones. 
 
Nowadays, there are enough automation systems for small and medium-sized businesses. [**Cloud resources**](ways-to-address-customer-data-privacy-issues-in-digital-marketing) simplify implementation — businesses do not need additional resources: equipment and new specialists. However, it's important to remember that cloud solutions are not the most reliable today. It is easier to implement automation for a small company than for a large one: there are no dozens of departments with different data, fewer people will have to be trained than in a business with thousands of employees. 
 
Marketing automation is a chance to grow for middle-sized and small businesses. 

### Myth 5. Automated marketing is impersonal and soulless
 
Actually, it's the other way round. Automated newsletters and communication with the client in marketing channels customize offers and responses. The system tracks user activity in different channels and collects data to get a complete picture of user behaviour. The service sends out personalized offers because it knows the habits and interests of customers, segments the audience and selects which advertisement to show at a certain moment.
 
Without an automation system, a marketer needs more time to monitor all the data about the user: collect and process it. People are more likely to make a mistake due to inattention, e.g. call the user by a different name. An automated system will simply substitute the data from the database.

### Myth 6. Automated marketing is a trend that everyone will soon ditch

Our reality is constant information noise. Attention is a new currency, and you need to be faster than others to get it: respond instantly, personalize offers. Marketers are constantly learning new skills, mastering innovative services for Internet marketing and taking on more than they did a few years ago. Without automation, they will simply «drown» in routine and businesses they work for will become irrelevant. 
 
Communication channels are increasing in number and complexity. Only automation will be able to manage marketing without data loss. 

<Note>
On average, 51% of businesses are already [using marketing automation](https://www.emailmonday.com/marketing-automation-statistics-overview/), and another 58% of B2B companies are planning to implement it. This trend will last long.
</Note>

### Myth 7. Automation will solve marketing problems and make it stronger
 
Yes, automation will increase marketers' efficiency and facilitate the marketing process. But it won't magically make marketing work better. Automated marketing is like a car: it will speed up the movement from point A to point B if you know how to use it and choose a route without traffic jams.
 
Marketing automation is an ineffective tool without a strategy. Even with automated marketing, marketers and the sales department need to [**identify the target audience**](creating-a-customer-profile), create content for it and work with leads. Don't overestimate machines.

### Myth 8. Automation ends with the sale

After conversion, there can be additional sales and work with [**customer retention and engagement**](customer-loyalty-program-trends-for-2022). The system will wish a happy birthday, send a discount for a product that the client likes ([**based on collected data**](data-driven-marketing)), start a reactivation programme if the user hasn't purchased for a long time. Automation works to build relationships with customers: increases loyalty, takes care of customer needs and accepts feedback. An automated system won't miss a message from the client and won't forget to reply, as an overworked employee can do. Good relationships with customers create [**loyal users**](customer-loyalty).

### Myth 9. Automation requires technical skills

Any system requires resources: development of a [**CDP platform**](/why-altcraft) or CRM service for automation requires a lot of effort and skills. There was a time when such systems were really difficult to use, one needed to undergo long-term training to work with them. Modern services are intuitive and offer templates for work and require minimal technical knowledge.

Technical support solves the difficulties quickly. Products that are difficult to develop become easy to use.

<Note>
Test marketing automation with the [Altcraft Platform](/features/cdp). A friendly team, which accompanies you during implementation and integration, works for you. A staff member from the personal support chat will answer your questions during the process. It's easy to automate marketing with us.
</Note>

### Myth 10. Automation is only for B2C businesses

Automation is for any type of business: B2C, B2B and even for the service sector. Automation platforms take on repetitive actions that exist in every field. For example, sending out special offers from an online store via [**Push notification**](mobile-marketing-101-push-notifications) or an email reminder to a potential B2B client. In the B2B field, it takes longer to warm up leads than in B2C where spontaneous purchases are possible. So, a system that builds relationships and «warms up"» customers is useful for such a business.

## Conclusion

Marketing automation takes on routine tasks and facilitates the work of a marketer, but it won't solve all marketing problems and won't replace people. Specialists are still needed to develop strategies.
 
Marketing automation includes not only email newsletters. It also includes data collection for analytics, advertising personalization, content publishing, work with engagement and building relationships with the client. Automated marketing is a set of actions and a strategy.
 
Marketing automation is suitable for all businesses. Modern systems are affordable even for small businesses. Their implementation doesn't always require additional resources and new technical skills. 
 
To implement marketing automation is to take a step forward in business development and gain a competitive advantage. Automation is the future.

Marketing automation is only for big businesses. Automated marketing is impersonal and soulless. Let's debunk popular myths about marketing automation.

medium_10 Myths About Marketing Automation.png

small_10 Myths About Marketing Automation.png

thumbnail_10 Myths About Marketing Automation.png

10 Myths About Marketing Automation.png

Let's take a look at popular myths about marketing automation. It's time to stop believing in them.

Customer Data Platform

Omnichannel Marketing

Loyalty programs

Drag-and-drop email designer

Personalized mailings

MVT and A/B testing

Real-time analytics

Integration and WebHooks

Forms and Surveys

Messaging apps

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