Nowadays, marketers use different channels to interact with their customers:

- offline interaction: face-to-face and telephone consultations;
- online communication: email, SMS and push notifications, messengers and social networks, chatbots, mobile applications, and websites.

There may be dozens of such touchpoints, and each of them provides new data about customers. How to organize all this data?

[**Being a CDP**](/features/cdp), Altcraft Platform identifies the user through any channel of interaction and consolidates customer data in a single profile.

A digital profile is generated for each customer who enters the [**database**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/get-started/how-to-create-a-customer-database). It is a page that displays customer data and their participation in marketing campaigns.

## How to view a customer profile

Go to the «Profiles databases» section and click the icon that represents a database that contains a customer you are looking for.

<Img
img="/uploads/view_profiles2_ff07818f72.png"
alt="View profiles in a database"
/> 

You will see a list of all customers in this database. Select one of them by clicking on the first and last name.

<Img
img="/uploads/list_of_profiles_59c8ebb1f5.png"
alt="List of profiles in a database"
/> 

The customer digital profile will open:

<Img
img="/uploads/digital_profile_2_9f440fec86.png"
alt="Customer digital profile"
/> 

## How to work with a digital profile

You can upload the customer's avatar and download their personal data:

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_and_personal_data_9af5b13e5e.png"
alt="Photo and personal data"
/>

Profile data is divided into 6 tabs:

1. **Main**: the most frequently used profile information
2. **Personal**: demographic data (first name, last name, date of birth, gender)
3. **Contact details**: telephone numbers, email addresses
4. **Registration**: opt-in information confirming the legitimacy of communication (date, IP address, city, country, link, provider)
5. **Tracked**: data collected at the time of the customer's last activity (IP address, city, country, region, postcode, time zone)
6. **Additional fields**: custom database fields with business information

When you open a customer profile, the Main tab opens by default. Set up the fields displayed in it by clicking the icon in the upper right corner of the tab. You can also pin any of the tabs as the main one, or even create your own tab with information you need - just click the icon above and change the settings.

Besides, you can change the [**global status of the profile**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/manage-customer-database/customer-profile-status) manually. If you want to use this profile to test your newsletters, activate the «**Test subscriber**» option:

<Img
img="/uploads/profile_global_status2_8b37905ca8.png"
alt="Status, tab and field settings, test profile"
/> 

### Actions

This tab displays all the actions that can occur when sending a message to a subscriber:

- **Email/SMS/Push sent** (message sent to subscriber)
- **Email/SMS/Push delivered** (message successfully delivered)
- **Email/Push is opened** (subscriber opened your message)
- **Email/SMS/Push click** (subscriber clicked one of the links)
- **Email is seen** (email was opened for at least 12 seconds)
- **Email reply** (subscriber replied to your email)
 
<Img
img="/uploads/actions_b36026147a.png"
alt="Actions"
/> 

When a profile performs some action, for instance, clicks a link in your email, the corresponding icon is highlighted in colour.

Now let's look at the other sections of the digital profile interface:

<Img
img="/uploads/profile_history_da9df5fb09.png"
alt="Digital profile blocks"
/> 

### History

History represents all the company's interactions with the customer:

- how their data entered the database (import method),
- content they subscribed to,
- received newsletters,
- whether they followed the links in your email,
- participation in scenarios,
- active promo codes, etc.

<Img
img="/uploads/profile_history_2_299828db37.png"
alt="Activity history"
/> 

### Interactions

Here you can find information about the platform objects that the profile interacts with:

- segments
- triggers
- scenarios

<Img
img="/uploads/interactions_scenarios_68cd8a0c90.png"
alt="Interactions"
/> 

### Data

This tab contains the following information about the subscriber:

- promo codes
- forms
- connections
- orders

<Img
img="/uploads/data_forms_212e2e0c2c.png"
alt="Data"
/> 

### Subscriptions

This tab displays all [**profile subscriptions to resources**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/get-started/what-is-a-resource-and-how-to-configure-it). The channel, the customer's contact details for communication through this channel (email address, phone number, and so on), [**subscription status**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/manage-customer-database/customer-profile-status), priority, and other information are specified for each resource.

You can edit profile subscriptions manually or create a new subscription by clicking «Add subscription».

<Img
img="/uploads/profile_subscriptions_3c904d3448.png"
alt="Profile subscriptions"
/>

### Additional information

**1. Latest activity**

Here you can see from which device and browser the profile last participated in your newsletter.

<Img
img="/uploads/latest_activity_a99e39ba63.png"
alt="Latest activity"
/> 

**2. Identifiers**

Each subscriber in Altcraft Platform receives a unique profile identifier (profile_id) for all databases. Each profile is also assigned unique MD5 and XXH identifiers.

<Img
img="/uploads/identifiers_07c4704b6b.png"
alt="Identifiers"
/> 

<Note>
The standard Email field is unique for the profile within a single database. However, this field is optional. If no email address is entered into the standard field when importing the profile, a system entry **profile_id@localhos** will be created.
</Note>

<Img
img="/uploads/localhost2_68ac38d18a.png"
alt="Localhost"
/> 

**3. UTM**

UTM tags are updated in the customer profile if it was imported into the database after the customer filled out the form. These tags will help you to get detailed information about the traffic source. Please note that UTM tags are added only when you activate the «Update UTM data in the profile» option.

## Conclusion

A digital profile is a page that displays all information about the customer and their interactions with the company. It is automatically generated for each person whose data is in the database. A digital profile will help you to see the customer journey and personalize the sales strategy.

The digital profile contains up-to-date information about your customer and his interaction with the company: activity in campaigns, presence in segments and workflows, etc.

How to Create Customer Digital Profile in Altcraft Platform

Customer digital profile

## What is profile status

Customers do not always agree to receive messages. Sometimes they unsubscribe from intrusive newsletters and even move uninformative incoming emails to a Spam folder. There are cases when marketers themselves need to stop sending emails to some subscribers.
Customer status will help you find out whether a person agreed to receive emails. The status determines whether it is possible to communicate with your customer through this or that channel.
 
## What is the difference between global status and subscription status

Each profile has several statuses: the global status and subscription statuses.

**Global status** determines the possibility of communication with your customer through any channel. Each profile that gets into the database has one:

<Img
img="/uploads/global_status2_d466d358a6.png"
alt="Global status"
/>

When a profile subscribes to a specific [**resource**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/get-started/what-is-a-resource-and-how-to-configure-it), it also gets a subscription status. Each subscription has its status:

<Img
img="/uploads/resource_subscription_status2_ae46ca94b6.png"
alt="Subscription status"
/>

Subscription statuses depend on the global status. For example, a profile may have several active subscriptions, but the global status prohibits communication. In this case, you will **not be able to send messages** to this customer.
 
<Table>
| **Status** | **Description** |
| ------ | ------ |
| **Subscribed** | You can send messages to the subscriber | 
| **Unsubscribed** | The subscriber has unsubscribed from your messages |
| **Complainer** | The recipient has [**marked the incoming email as spam**](link) or reported spam in another way, so now you cannot send emails to them. |
| **Hardbounced** | The email address to which your emails are sent does not exist. The customer may have made a mistake when entering their email address. Such addresses get into the global suppression list of the platform. |
| **Unconfirmed** | The subscriber has registered but has not agreed to receive your messages. This status is used for a [**Double Opt-In**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-double-opt-in) subscription. After confirmation, it changes to Subscribed. | 
| **Suspended** | You cannot send messages to a certain subscriber for a while. | 
| **Invalid** | You cannot send messages for any other reason. | 
</Table>

## FAQ
 
**1. What happens if I change the global profile status to «‎Unsubscribed»?**
 
Your customer will not receive your newsletters from any resource.
 
**2. I do not specify a resource when sending campaigns, I only use the database. The customer has unsubscribed from the messages. Why has the global status of their profile changed?** 

If a resource is not specified, the global profile status is used.

The status determines whether it is possible to communicate with your customer through this or that channel. You can change the subscription status for each resource.

Profile Status | Global Status and Subscription Status

Customer profile status

Get started with the marketing automation platform Altcraft. Learn how to create a client database, set up a resource, and launch your first campaign.

How to Get Started with Altcraft Platform

Get started

Learn how to manage your customer base in Altcraft Platform: segment your target audience, monitor subscription status, etc.

How to Manage Your Customer Database in Altcraft Platform

Manage customer database

Learn how to import customer data from a file, how to set up automatic scheduled imports, and what a digital profile is.

Creating Сustomer Profiles: How to Import Customer Data

Create customer profiles

Learn how to create message templates for Email, SMS and Push campaigns. Tips on HTML layout, visual editor and rich push editor.

Message Templates: How to Create Email, SMS or Push templates

Message templates

Learn how to create regular and trigger campaigns, conduct A/B test, and run a broadcast. Communicate with subscribers via Email, SMS, Push or other channels.

How to Send Email, SMS or Push campaigns in Altcraft Platform

Marketing campaigns

Automate your marketing processes with workflows such as welcome series, abandoned cart reminders, reactivation of inactive customers, etc.

Marketing Automation Workflows in Altcraft Platform

Automation Scenarios

Track user behavior on a website or mobile app using the Altcraft pixel. Learn how the pixel works and how to install it.

Customer Tracking | Tracking Pixel in Altcraft Platform

Customer tracking

Do you want to not only get new customers, but also keep existing ones? Find out how to do this with a loyalty program.

Loyalty Programs | Promo Codes in Altcraft Platform

Loyalty programs

Summary report, conversion funnel, click map, cohort report — these and other tools will help you analyze the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.

Real-time Marketing Analytics in Altcraft Platform

Analytics

Learn how to manage your Altcraft Platform account. You can create a new user, restrict access using groups and roles, and more.

Account Management: How to Create Users, Groups and Roles

Manage account

Feedback and newsletter subscription forms will expand your customer datebase. Surveys will help you get to know your customer better.

Forms: How to Create a Web Form and Place It on Your Site

Forms and surveys

Set up automatic import of data from your databases on a schedule: Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL. Connect third-party BI and CRM systems.

Integrations by Altcraft Platform: How to Get Started

Integrations

Real-time summary reports
for any channel

We have developed our own system for collecting and storing analytics. It quickly processes large amounts of data, immediately calculates and displays analytical reports. You will receive the necessary information for any time period without delay. 14 summary reports and 13 data sets are available for you.

Any audience in the platform can be automatically synchronized with the external database according to the set schedule. We have implemented this function on request from our customers. It simplifies the life of the marketing department and developers.

Interesting and useful articles about marketing, our product and online communications

Import all customer personal data in CDP Altcraft Platform. This way you will have an undeniable advantage, because there are no limits on the amount of data stored in our marketing platform. The more information you have about your customers, the more targeted your email, SMS and push notifications will be.

Get in touch with Altcraft

By continuing to use our site, you consent to the processing of cookies that ensure the proper functioning of the site.

When the software is customized for your individual needs, the job becomes easier. All the functionality your business needs will always be at your fingertips. We offer:

Personalize your content across all channels

customizing-your-content-in-all-channels-image-en.png

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.

What data can be collected:

Segment audiences according to accumulated and combined data in the platform and synchronize them with external information sources. Personalize your mailings in different channels using accumulated data and data from external sources.

Download documentation

Content is generated using data obtained from external SQL database

Your customers will be able to grow faster and earn more using the new features of Altcraft Platform. We have prepared for you favorable terms of cooperation. Contact us and find out more.

Advanced and functional HTTP API in Altcraft Marketing will satisfy the needs of developers. API supports JSON and XML formats. It is possible to use queue servers (such as RabbitMQ) to import large numbers of client profiles in real time.

Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.

Glossary

Anti-Spam policy

Blog

Contacts

Support

Partners

Pricing

Privacy Policy

Why Altcraft

Notify customers of important events

Expand your range of services and attract new customers

Try out new features in the fast-paced Altcraft Platform. We constantly communicate with our partners, exchange ideas and develop ourselves.

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About company

Altcraft Blog | Digital Marketing, Sales and Customer Success Case 

Contact Altcraft and we'll find a better solution for your business

Real-Time Analytics

Customer Data Platform (CDP)

Email template designer

Integration and Webhooks

MVT and A/B tests

Omnichannel marketing

Personalized marketing

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.

Design to your taste

Find out what your customers want through questionnaires and surveys. Getting feedback on time will work in favor of your business. If you respond quickly to customer feedback, you will increase their trust and brand loyalty.

High-quality customer feedback

You can customize the logic of the form so that respondents go to different pages depending on which answer they select. This will make your survey or questionnaire more targeted. Before submitting the form, select the «Actions» tab. If the form is completed successfully, the data are automatically imported into your database.

Flexible form settings

Create forms and surveys in minutes

Questionnaires, customer satisfaction surveys, feedback forms — in Altcraft Platform you can design both simple and complex forms. Any form element can be made mandatory, so you can be sure that the user fills in the required fields.

Work in an easy-to-use visual form builder

The builder is intuitive, so you don't need professional knowledge to work with it. Add different types of questions to the form — short or long answers, one or multiple-choice questions, rating scales.

User-friendly interface

Response statistics are provided in the form of a line graph and chart. It is also possible to download data in MS Excel and CSV format. Analyze the information received and make your business even more successful.

Results and analytics

Forms in Altcraft Platform: create surveys, questionnaires and tests.

Help Center | Guides and Marketing Tips | Altcraft Platform

Messaging apps

Partners with Altcraft

Personal data policy

Pricing and Service Plans: On-premise or SaaS | Altcraft

Privacy Policy
and personal data policy

Request a Demo | Fill Out the Form | Altcraft Platform

Get Started With Altcraft's Software

Why business chooses Altcraft

SaaS or On-Premise - all functions are available

processing of personal data

How to set up a tracking pixel

What is a loyalty program

How to create a customer database

How to manually import customer data

You may be interested

An event registered on the platform can be redirected to an external system. This provides endless opportunities for integration. Connect external BI, DMP, CRM and other tools.

In Altcraft Platform, you can set up any scenarios for sending messages through various delivery channels. By analyzing the actions of customers, you can anticipate events many steps ahead. Here are examples of scenarios that can be implemented in our marketing automation service:


Email marketing is one of the most important customer communication channels. Four out of five marketers are more likely to give up social media marketing than email marketing. Here are illustrative examples of the email marketing strategy:


Build messages dynamically based on customer data and specified conditions in the template. This data can be obtained from an external SQL database. Substitute data from an external HTTP service via API or based on data from any web page.

<Img
img="/uploads/how_to_send_an_email_blast_665202bc02.jpg"
alt="How to Send an Email Blast"
/>

Wondering how to send an email blast? Need to know what an email blast is? Trying to figure out how to create an email blast?

If you want to make the most of email blast marketing, you’re in the right place! Mail blasting is a proven way to get your message to potential customers quickly. Once you know how to do email blast, you’ll find mail blasting an easy and effective email marketing approach.

Whether you know it or not, you have probably seen an email blast example in your own inbox. Now, let’s explore how to leverage them for your business.

## What is an Email Blast?

An email blast is an email marketing tactic also known as an email broadcast.

When you send email blast, you’re sending a message to a large group of contacts at once. For example, if you have an existing email list with three segments – leads, customers, and past customers – an email blast would reach all of them. However, you would still [**personalize**](dynamic-content) the message with custom fields.

Some email blast examples include announcing a new product, a new feature, or a limited-time offer.

## When to Use Email Blast?

The best time to use an email blast is when you need to get the word out about a new business or offering fast.

If you can commit to doing A/B/n testing but you still need to make contact with potential buyers quickly, the email blast is the way to go. You can make the most of your customer data platform and get fresh eyes on your message right away, when it is at the peak of its relevance.

It is important not to overuse the email blast. If you send out an email broadcast for every little thing, you might lose subscribers. Plus, an email blast should only be sent to people you already have a relationship with.

The best email blast examples are enticing and add a lot of value even though they aren’t hyper-targeted!

## How to Create Email Blast

Here are the seven steps to create an email blast:

**1. Make Sure Your Email Database Is Clean**

Before any email blast, check your deliverability statistics and your [**email database**](how-to-build-an-email-database). Get rid of outdated entries that are causing emails to bounce. Also make note of any recent email messages with low deliverability so you know what to avoid in your email blast. These steps help you avoid being marked as spam in the future.

**2. Warm Up Your IP**

Warming up your IP establishes a good seller reputation and makes it less likely ISPs will automatically block your email messages. It is essential to warm up your IP if it is new or if you have not used it for an email campaign in the last 30 days. You must gradually increase the volume of emails you send over a period of several days. You can learn more about how to [**warm up your IP**](how-to-inbox) successfully.

**3. Determine Your Message Goals**

What do you plan to accomplish and what are the key metrics you need to monitor over time? Do you have a specific target for sign-ups or sales? Do you need to drive traffic to a particular page? This guides messaging and helps you set a baseline to know whether subsequent emails are trending in the right direction.

**4. Find the Right Marketing Automation Software**

The goal of your campaign, the size of your email list, and the messaging features you want to use will all come together to influence which [**marketing automation software**](https://altcraft.com/en) meets your needs best. Be certain whatever suite you select [**integrates**](/features/integration) with your Customer Relationship Management so you can keep all data in one place.

In Altcraft Platform, you can send a broadcast in a few clicks. Just choose your target audience, message content, and launch day:

<Img
img="/uploads/how_to_send_email_broadcast_in_altcraft_platform_4153415a62.png"
alt="How to send email broadcast in Altcraft Platform"
/>

**5. Create the Email Message**

On the surface, an email message seems simple enough: It’s a subject line, body, images, and a call-to-action. But each element must be fine-tuned to your intended audience. Craft the subject line with care, as well as the first 30 characters of the message, which are visible in the preview used by most mobile email clients. Altcraft Platform comes complete with its own [**drag-and-drop email builder**](/features/email-template-editor) to make this process easier.

<Img
img="/uploads/Visual_editor_96859a19ed.gif"
alt="HTML Drag-and-Drop Builder"
src="HTML Drag-and-Drop Builder in Altcraft Platform"
/>

**6. Embed Personalization in Your Message**

The cardinal rule of email marketing is this: No matter how many people you’re really talking to, your message should read like one-to-one communication. [**Use the data**](data-driven-marketing) you already have on your subscribers to build out custom fields with relevant content. First name personalization is a terrific place to start.

<Img
img="/uploads/facts_about_personalization_eecce752f8.jpg"
alt="Why personalization is important"
src="Facts About Personalization"
/>

**7. Use Your Subscriber Data to Improve Your Results**

By using audience segmentation, you can send a more personalized message even though you may be talking to thousands of people at once. The thrust of your message may be the same for everyone, but you might tweak the wording for leads, current customers, and past customers.

**8. Conduct A/B/N Testing to Refine Your Messaging**

Rome wasn’t built in one email. After 3-5 days, take a look at your [**data**](/features/analytics) so you’re equipped with lessons learned for the next email blast. Open rate, click-through rate, and unsubscribes are especially important to keep an eye on. If you’ve been [**split testing**](/features/mvt) so far, determine your winner and document the results.

<Img
img="/uploads/how_to_do_an_email_blast_the_right_way_1f71ed0166.jpg"
alt="How to do an email blast"
/>

## Conclusion

Done right, an email blast accelerates results from any promotion. With the tips above, you’ll be ready to create an email blast whenever your marketing plans call for it.

If you have any questions about how to send a broadcast, please [**contact us**](mailto:sales@altkraft.com).

Once you know how to do email blast, you’ll find mail blasting an easy and effective email marketing approach.

medium_how-to-send-an-email-blast.jpg

small_how-to-send-an-email-blast.jpg

thumbnail_how-to-send-an-email-blast.jpg

how-to-send-an-email-blast.jpg

Mail blasting is a proven way to get your message to potential customers quickly. Once you know how to do email blast, you’ll find mail blasting an easy and effective email marketing approach.

Email Blast: What Is It and How to Send It

How to Send an Email Blast

<Img
img="/uploads/blog_8746406d02.jpg"
alt="How to Use Customer Feedback to Increase Sales"
/>

A customer review is a feedback from customers on your products or services and an obligatory attribute of the business. However, companies do not always understand its significance: they do not collect, they only react to positive reviews and do not work with negative ones. This approach is a mistake. Reviews build customer loyalty, inform users about the product smoothly, help identify flaws, improve the product and drive sales. We are about to tell you why customer feedback is important and how to get it correctly.

## Why customer feedback is important

[**89%**](https://www.oberlo.com/blog/online-review-statistics) of buyers read reviews before a purchase, so ignoring customer reviews is a bad idea. 

**Reviews build customer trust.** A product without reviews is suspicious, as the one that has only positive comments. Companies are afraid of criticism, so they often publish good impressions on their websites. However, users do not believe such "sterile" responses and go to third-party sources: Google Maps, [**Tripadvisor**](https://www.tripadvisor.com/), [**Yelp**](https://www.yelp.com/). Another way to get to the truth is to check out social networks.

Unscrupulous companies ignore and remove negative reviews, but this approach cannot do anything but annoys customers. Don’t be afraid of bad reviews, react to such feedback. 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews.

<Img
img="/uploads/examples_responding_negative_reviews_1b1e2d5a3b.webp"
alt="Example of how to respond to negative reviews"
src="Example of how to respond to bad reviews correctly"
/>

**Customer feedback** is also an increase in sales. Nine out of ten online orders are made by people after reading reviews. A good, detailed commentary is more convincing than any ad campaign. It helps customers understand if a product is right for them. Research from "AliExpress Russia" showed that 65% of buyers turn to someone else's opinion for this purpose. People read user stories and find information that is not in the standard description. For example, you can find out that shoes are small in size only from the reviews in the product card on the company's website or marketplace.

Reviews are the basis of Booking and Airbnb services for booking hotels and daily accommodation. No descriptions and beautiful photos will help you if someone writes about cockroaches in the room.

<Img
img="/uploads/Screenshot_from_2021_07_30_17_36_18_c4c4ef6294.png"
alt="Reviews on Airbnb"
src="Reviews on Airbnb"
/>

## How to get customer feedback

The best way to get feedback is to ask. People don't always write them by themselves. Some of them don't think it's important, others just forget. They are also more likely to leave bad feedback and not share positive impressions.

The feedback formats:

- **Text reviews** — a description of the product or service by the client. It can be an opinion or a detailed review.
- **Photo reviews** — photos describing a product or service. Sometimes buyers even take pictures of the unpacking process and pay attention to the packaging.
- **Video reviews** — in the format of a "talking head" or professional reviews, for example, in blogs on Youtube.
- **Audio reviews** are not the most popular, but easy, because the user does not need to formulate the text or waste time shooting a video.


### How to ask for feedback

**Send an email asking to describe the buying experience.** This is what sellers on Amazon often do when a buyer has received an order.

<Img
img="/uploads/amazon_message_template_96a0b225ae.webp"
alt="Amazon seller request for review"
src="Amazon seller request for review"
/>

**Use website pop-ups or special forms.** Sometimes a user wants to capture his impression but does not understand how to do it on your website. Make it easy for the customer — don't hide the feedback form. If the feedback is negative, your managers should see and process it than wait until users leave such a review on popular platforms.

**Call the customer once he makes a purchase.** For example, banks and Internet providers ask clients to rate a consultation as soon as they help them deal with a problem. With modern tools, a call from a living person is not even required, a robot will do everything for you.

**Conduct a survey on social media**. Ask a series of questions, either short-answer or multiple choice.
 
**Ask for a review in person** at the moment of receiving the purchase. In this case, you can take a photo of the customer with the product, record a video, or just conduct a quick survey. However, don't insist if the client doesn't want to film or leave feedback. Everything should be voluntary and honest.
 
**Collect feedback from customer chats** when they write to you personally about their problem. It's also a good way to deal with negative customer experience before it goes public.

**Look for reviews on social media — on the accounts of users or in the comments.** Do it using requests or special services: YouScan, SemanticForce, IQBuzz and others. They show mentions of the company by keywords. You can also process negative reviews and respond to user questions.

## How to encourage customers to write reviews about a company, products and services

You can ask for feedback over and over again. There’s no point. Users stuck in a rut forget about you, or they just do not want to waste time on a review. This is where thanks for the feedback as a bonus comes in handy.

What should be offered to customers for feedback:

- Discount for the next order or gift. If there is a discount for a related product, then you will also make an upsell.
- Bonus for a recommendation on social media or to a friend. If a client publishes a review on his account or tells a friend about you (for example, sends a promo code or a referral link), he will receive a discount, points to a bonus account, or a freebie. In our marketing automation platform [**Altcraft Marketing**](https://altcraft.com/en), it’s easy to generate personal promotional codes and award points for a referred friend in the loyalty program management [**module**](https://altcraft.com/features/loyalty-programs).
- Competition for the best, detailed, creative product review, for example, in the form of a review.

You can also show reviews of other clients. The principle of social proof works here — people often make decisions or do something because they look at others.

## What matters when collecting feedback

**Leaving a review should be as simple and fast as sending a message on Facebook.** For example, you cannot fail to notice the section for rating the film on Netflix. All you need to do is to tap a star. And it doesn't matter if you watch a movie on the website or in a mobile app.

<Img
img="/uploads/netflix_5a0bd5d5cb.webp"
alt="Reviews on Netflix"
src="An example of collecting ratings for movies on Netflix"
/>

**Make sure to thank your customers for their feedback.** They have spent their time on you, so appreciate it and you will get their loyalty in return.

**Don't write puff pieces.** If you buy a review, people will notice this, and it will cause only negative emotions. Especially if you recently received bad comments and immediately decided to cover them with a few positive ones. Hundreds of reviews about a young company that has just appeared on the market will be suspicious as well.

**Explain what you want to get from the customer in the review**: product photo or detailed description. General phrases in the response are not credible; they are useless for the company.

"I liked everything. I recommend it.” — this is a poor choice of words for a review. Why did you like it? What are the features of a product or service? Likewise with "I didn't like it." What exactly? To get detailed answers, the client needs to be given a hint through questions. You can ask the following questions:
- Why did you choose our product?
- What problem did you want to solve with our product? What was the result?
- What expectations did you have from the product and did it live up to them?
- Would you recommend our product?
- What would you like to change?
-  What did you like the most?

## Benefits of collecting customer feedback

A product that makes the customer happy sells well. Solve the user problem, address his needs and you will make him happy. The only way to find out if your product has worked is to ask consumers. Therefore, customer reviews are the key to increase sales.

What’s your profit from collecting and analyzing customer feedback?

- **Feedback will help you improve your product or service.** You will find out what your customers like and what annoys them, what prevents them from using your product. Reviews will give unexpected insights.

- **Increased customer loyalty.** Asking for and responding to feedback is a way to show that you hear the customer and care about them. Bad responses should be responded to constructively, not ignored. The correct answer and analysis of the situation can turn a disgruntled client into a brand advocate. Other users will see the answer and make a mental note: “This company is not indifferent to customer problems”.

- **Reviews find "breaches" in a product or service and seal them off.** When launching a product, you rely on [**marketing research**](how-to-do-market-research), and this is reviews that complement them in the process. Through them, you will study consumer behavior in reality, and not in a simulated situation.

- **Returning customers and increasing revenue.** If the buyer is disappointed in the product, received a poor-quality service and writes about it, then the answer will not only reduce the negative, but also bring the client back. How? Offer to fix everything and do it 100%. Then the client will buy from you again. He may even recommend your product to his friends and acquaintances.

- **Building future strategies of the company based on feedback from customers** and creating products for the needs of people.

- **Additional promotion.** Reviews are unique content that mentions your brand and does not repeat itself in descriptions on different websites. Take reviews on your website and use them on social media.

## What Altcraft Marketing offers

Altcraft Marketing has its own built-in service for creating surveys. This tool is called [**Forms**](updates-telegram-bot-facebook-ads-manager). Using it, you can easily collect the customer data you are interested in. If you know in advance what your customers are unhappy with, you will be able to quickly react to negative reviews and maintain a positive opinion of your brand.

Implement an NPS survey through "Forms". In a Net Promoter Score survey, customers are asked to answer the question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our business to a friend or colleague?”. Those who gave a score of 9 or 10 are promoters; 7 or 8 — passives; less than 7 — detractors. Such a survey is considered to be very useful in measuring [**customer loyalty**](customer-loyalty).

The survey can be posted on a separate page or embedded in the site as an iframe code. When it is published, its analytics will open for you.

<Img
img="/uploads/NPS_survey_in_Altcraft_NPS_dbacab3a8b.png"
alt="NPS Survey in Altcraft Marketing"
src="NPS Survey in Altcraft Marketing"
/>

## Conclusion

Customer feedback is the key to increasing sales. Of course, this is not a guide to action, but only opinions that need to be filtered and analyzed. Reviews let you know how your product or service works and what customers actually want to see. Get to know your audience. This way, you will improve the product or service and fine-tune it to better meet customer expectations.

Why is customer feedback important? In a new article, we will tell you why customer reviews are important and how to collect them correctly.

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Customer feedback is important to a brand. We will tell you how to collect reviews and use them to increase sales.

Customer Feedback: How to Collect and Use It to Increase Sales

How to Use Customer Feedback to Increase Sales

![update-telegram-bot.jpg](/uploads/update_telegram_bot_819beb18b9.jpg)

«Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal», — Henry Ford once said. The goal of our team is to create a dream platform for marketers. That’s why we are not afraid of obstacles and every day we make our product better.

Today we want to talk to you about the latest innovations in the platform. Perhaps you have already paid attention to these updates and now you’re busy using them.

## New Channel: Telegram Bot, Telegram Group

The [**Altcraft Platform**](/en) has two new sending channels: a telegram bot and a telegram group. Now you can be even closer to your customers. Use a bot or a group to send the necessary information on a schedule and invite users to buy a product in a few clicks.

What is the difference between a bot and a group?

A bot is a communication channel that allows you to send messages to subscribers who have joined it. And besides, in the bot, followers do not have the ability to communicate with each other.

The group is a chat with an unlimited number of participants who can discuss the content posted there.

To start using the telegram bot in Altcraft Platform, you need to create a resource and add the telegram bot token to it. When a subscriber connects to a bot by clicking the word «Start» in it, this bot will send messages to the user. To do this, you will have to manually collect Subscriber IDs and import them into the platform.

The bot can also be attached to a telegram group or channel. Take the id of the group or channel, add it to the platform and take your time posting through Altcraft.

The following message options are available in the template: text, photo, audio file, document and video. You can attach buttons with links to the resources you need to the text message. You can also send gif images.

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LJgqbGv3uMY"
/>

## Facebook Custom Audiences Integration

There is a new type of integration in the Altcraft Platform. Sync Altcraft Platform static segment data with Facebook custom audiences for retargeting. To do this, you need to create a new static segment in the platform for each Facebook custom audience.

To add synchronization, click on the word «Integrations» in the main menu. At the top of the page, click the «+ Create» button, and then select the type of integration — Facebook. For detailed configuration of the integration, go to our [**documentation**](https://docs.altcraft.com/display/UD/Facebook+Ads+Manager).

## Sending Push via HMS (Huawei)

A new provider, Huawei Mobile Services, has become available for platforms based on Android and iOS. Now you will not ignore the Huawei products, because, as you know, you can send [**push notifications**](updates-rich-push-i-formy) to their devices only through HMS.

<Img
img="/uploads/sending_push_via_Huawei_cdb2553d41.png"
alt="Sending Push via HMS (Huawei Mobile Services)"
/>

## Conclusion

We hope we manage to make your work in the platform easier and more convenient, so we are waiting for your [**feedback**](mailto:sales@altcraft.com). Tell us what you like and what causes difficulties. We will be happy to answer your questions. 


New features of Altcraft Platform: communicate with customers in Telegram, sync segments with Facebook custom audiences and send push notifications on Huawei devices.

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Today we want to tell you about the latest innovations in the platform. Perhaps you have already paid attention to these updates and you are busy using them right now.

Updates: Telegram Bot and Facebook Ads Manager in Altcraft

Altcraft Marketing Platform Update: Telegram Bot and Facebook Ads Manager

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img="/uploads/use_linkedin_in_marketing_d09879635e.jpg"
alt="How to Use LinkedIn for Business in 2021"
/>

When it comes to B2B lead generation, LinkedIn for business is as good as it gets. According to Sprout Social, LinkedIn has connected 45% of marketers to customers, generates 277% more leads than Facebook, and accounts for over 50% of traffic that B2B sites receive.

Just about everybody in the corporate world can be found on LinkedIn. That includes B2B decision-makers for your products and services. Although many C-suite executives have quietly stepped aside from LinkedIn over the past few years, others are adamant about using the platform.

The key to getting real ROI is learning how to find clients on LinkedIn.

Many of the people you’ll find out there arguing why LinkedIn is bad have never mastered using it to grow marketing. Marketing on LinkedIn takes some time and dedication. But once you learn how to use LinkedIn for marketing, it can become your single biggest source of leads.

<Img
img="/uploads/companies_listed_on_Linked_In_7b625a4f76.jpg"
alt="Companies on LinkedIn"
/>

## Pros and Cons of LinkedIn

Like any social media network, you need to verify LinkedIn can really add business value for you.

If you are doing B2B sales or B2B marketing in any industry, LinkedIn is probably a good fit.

### The Advantages of LinkedIn

- Decision-makers at director level and above are abundant for almost any industry.
- Specialized tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter provide extended search capabilities.
- LinkedIn can help you [**bolster your company’s brand**](povyshayem-uznavayemost-brend-ustanavlivayem-avatar-email-otpravitelya) and even get search traffic.
- You can extend your network by participating in Groups or publishing content.

### The Disadvantages of LinkedIn

- Like any social media, you can find yourself spending a lot more time than results warrant.
- CEOs are generally making themselves more scarce and are less likely to discuss your offer.
- Everything you say and do is permanent, so it’s important to maintain your professionalism.
- If you wind up using them, LinkedIn Recruiter and other subscription options can be pricey.

Here are a few more pros and cons of LinkedIn:

<Img
img="/uploads/pros_and_cons_of_linkedin_ec31a6684b.jpg"
alt="Pros and Cons of LinkedIn"
/>

The biggest disadvantage to LinkedIn is that when you decide to start entertaining job offers in the future, your pattern of activity on the network could make it obvious to your current employer. But that may be many years away, and you can take steps to minimize the risk when that day finally comes.
Meanwhile, the top advantage to LinkedIn is leads and plenty of them.

## LinkedIn Marketing Strategy

When using LinkedIn for business, step one is to set up your profile. Done? Good! LinkedIn profile optimization advice has been drawn out a thousand times.
Let’s move on to the big question: **How to find clients on LinkedIn?**

There are six basics to marketing on LinkedIn you can’t do without:

### 1. Have clear goals

Every content your company publishes should push you closer to your end goal. It’s for this reason that you should know what you intend to achieve. Usually, using LinkedIn for Business should help you:

- Create awareness
- Sell your product
- Generate sales and market to qualified leads
- Boost engagement


### 2. Identify your audience

Determine who to target. Knowing your audience, it would be wise to understand what your audience needs. For this, you’ll have to visit your company’s analytics page on LinkedIn. This page will display the people that visit your site and their preferred content type.

There are two questions to ask yourself to help you find clients;

- Who is your ideal client?
- Which clients require the service/product your company provides?

Answering these questions provides sufficient details to create buyer personas.

### 3. Post Relevant Content

This is the heart of using LinkedIn for business. You want people to know you, follow you, and tune in to what you have to say. To get there, posting helpful, informative content is a must. Your leads need to know that when they want help with their business problems, you’ll be there.

To this end, you can publish articles on LinkedIn or link articles from your website or blog in your LinkedIn feed. Users you aren’t connected to can follow you from your articles, so consider using this to build your audience. Later, start linking out to get warm leads to visit your website directly.

### 4. Use LinkedIn Live Video

The first rule of LinkedIn Live Video is we don’t talk about LinkedIn Live Video.

At least, that’s how it seems when you look at LinkedIn’s Live Video [**access criteria**](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/130531), which bars most of the platform from providing the most memorable and shareable content. Individuals with 1,000 followers and Pages with more than 500 can be evaluated to post video on LinkedIn.

Once you have it, it stands out as one of the most powerful tools when using LinkedIn for business. Combined with marketing automation for other aspects of your campaign, like email drip campaigns, it can be very valuable in getting leads off LinkedIn and onto your in-house list.

### 5. Participate in Groups

You’ll find Groups for almost any subject imaginable, including industry networking, local business meet-ups, and much more. The traditional way of using LinkedIn for business is to post valuable content to these Groups, then start conversations with the promising leads you meet.

Once you’ve mastered juggling a few Groups, you can easily niche down by creating your own. This should still be value-based, of course, but it gives you the opportunity to spotlight your own branded content and build deeper relationships along the [**buyer’s journey**](stroim-customer-journey-map).

### 6. Use Digital Marketing Tools

Your LinkedIn strategy should be just one prong of a total strategy that includes blogging on your website, sending newsletters and using other [**social media**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media) to engage your target audience. 

Using digital marketing tools makes it easier for you to achieve your marketing objectives. You get accurate, timely data on what's working so you can tailor your content to get real results. Here are several digital marketing tools:

- [**MeetAlfred**](https://meetalfred.com/) is an advanced social selling and lead generation software for LinkedIn and Twitter.
- [**Octopus**](https://octopuscrm.io/) is a powerful yet simple autopilot for LinkedIn that automates your work.
- [**SEMrush Content Marketing Platform**](https://www.semrush.com/features/content-marketing-tools/) let you develop a powerful content strategy with data-driven solutions
- [**Altcraft Marketing**](https://altcraft.com/en) allows you to send personalized letters to customers across all channels.

## Use LinkedIn Lead Generation to Grow Marketing in Just One Quarter

LinkedIn for business won’t change your life overnight: It takes time and consistent effort. Across a few months, however, you’ll discover that you’re consistently getting more results for less. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see the difference.

Have a question about LinkedIn for business? Let [**us**](mailto:sales@altcraft.com) know – or keep reading our blog to learn about how you can automate other areas of your marketing so you have more time for LinkedIn.

Read about the pros and cons of LinkedIn and learn how to use LinkedIn to grow your business: increase brand awareness, nurture leads, drive traffic to your website.

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When it comes to B2B lead generation, LinkedIn is as good as it gets. Read about LinkedIn marketing strategies, the platform's pros and cons, and decide whether to use it to grow your business.

LinkedIn for Business: How to Market Your Product

How to Use LinkedIn in Marketing

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img="/uploads/Self_Marketing_How_to_Promote_Yourself_on_Social_Media_aeaf2a3f0c.jpg"
alt="How to promote yourself on social media"
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According to Statista, nearly 4 billion people, over half of the global population, are engaged in some form of social media. Furthermore, approximately 40% of those internet users interact in social media for self-marketing and business purposes.

Social media offers countless opportunities to present your activities or business initiatives to the public or other businesses. To develop your self-marketing techniques successfully, the essential objective should be to employ a strategy that conveys a consistent, accurate message, generates positive consumer awareness, and encourages interaction with prospective clients.

To optimize [**brand awareness**](povyshayem-uznavayemost-brend-ustanavlivayem-avatar-email-otpravitelya), however, you will need specific data and metrics to:
- recognize how online viewers are responding to your message
- understand why they may be interested in your story
- determine the reason why they may be moving on instead of acting

<Img
img="/uploads/daily_active_social_media_users_2032b83cdd.jpg"
alt="Daily active social media users"
/>

## Why You Should Develop a Social Media Presence

Social media offers almost limitless opportunities for self-marketing or increasing awareness for your products and services. With the potential to be far more focused and targeted than with more traditional media efforts, even individuals and the smallest companies can now afford to tout their products and strengths effectively in a broad spectrum.

One popular marketing concept that applies to effective self-marketing in social media is the Funnel Theory. This concept defines the [**journey of a prospective client**](stroim-customer-journey-map) from the point of not knowing who you are to total acceptance, trust, and conversion. While some prospects may click through early due to a lack of interest, others should be drawn further into the closing stages of your funnel. The job of a self-marketer is to maintain the momentum needed to lead prospects further and further into the funnel, eventually consummating a lead conversion.

But the key to a higher conversion rate will depend on what percentage of your prospective audience is attracted in the first place.

Finding a [**marketing automation tool**](/en) with the functionality to set up your unique marketing campaign to launch quickly on Telegram, WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media can be your best course of action. Let marketing automation platforms send emails, SMS and push notifications to your target audience as you focus on other value-added elements of your business.

As importantly, [**ongoing analysis**](https://altcraft.com/features/analytics) of your marketing campaign performance on the various social media platforms is a key to successful self-marketing. Altcraft Marketing can monitor how many people read or click-through your content, allowing you to adjust your content to enhance your success.

<Img
img="/uploads/most_popular_social_networks_worldwide_8d94d717b6.jpg"
alt="Most popular social networks worldwide in 2021"
/>

## How to Promote Yourself on Social Media

Here are 5 effective ways to promote your content using social media.

### Adopt the 80/20 Rule for Social Media for Self Marketing

One of the most important concepts to remember about brand development is that people will soon get weary of reading only about your strengths and value-added services. Just as at a live cocktail party or other social gathering, people will quickly begin to drift away from your space when they learn that your favorite topic happens to be yourself.

Many social media marketers employ the 80/20 Rule to avoid blatant self-promotion. The concept suggests that 80% of the content you post on social media should be informative and valuable, hopefully reliable enough to establish yourself as an expert on the topic.

The other 20% of the material should clearly define who you are and what you offer in a positive, consistent manner. Most importantly, demonstrating your expertise on a specific topic will go far in creating a loyal following.

Therefore, always remember to avoid monotonous content.

### Become recognized as an expert on your topic

The best way to draw attention to your brand is to present material that is useful, actionable, thoughtful, and solves a problem, where applicable.

Write all social media posts carefully and research the content in-depth before posting. Doing this will support your primary objective of developing trust and facilitating brand loyalty.

Since [**customer trust**](customer-trust) is the basis for any long-term relationship. Providing truthful information and expert insights on pertinent subjects that help your readers meet their goals will usually create the desired connection.

### Be consistent

With your website, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms, maintaining a consistent image is essential. Many companies even employ a media guide that defines posts and website components to specific logo usage, fonts, colors, tone, and, most importantly, tone and message. To avoid confusion on a crowded platform, always remain consistent with your postings so that your audience will never be confused about who you are and what you represent.

### Encourage interaction

The most unmistakable sign that your content is drawing interest is from queries, comments, and other forms of interaction. Commentary and discussion allow you to respond immediately with explanation and clarification that can invoke further conversation.

Continued interaction enhances your conversion success.

### Encourage user input

The ultimate sign of success in your self-marketing effort is inspiring others to comment on your brand or related topics. Prospective clients today love to learn from others about their experiences and, as your reputation grows, this can create a &laquo;snowballing effect&raquo;.

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img="/uploads/personal_branding_tips_for_social_media_32660cf438.jpg"
alt="Personal branding tips for social media"
/>

## Conclusion

Individuals and businesses today use social networks for their marketing or branding strategies for their growing companies. Social media accounts are one of the most effective ways to reach more people for less money, boost sales, increase repeat purchases, brand awareness and customer loyalty. However, as the number of users on social platforms is growing constantly, business owners are having a hard time engaging with their clients. For the best results, many marketers work with marketing automation software, because such tools allow them to collect and unite all data into a consolidated customer profile that provides ongoing feedback on their performance.


Find out how to promote your business using social media platforms: increase repeat purchase, customer loyalty and brand awareness.

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Social networks are an effective way to promote your business. Read our article to learn how to brand yourself using social media platforms.

Self Promotion: How to Market Yourself on Social Media

Self Marketing: How to Promote Yourself on Social Media

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Today, various businesses are actively implementing marketing automation into their businesses. According to Cision PR Newswire, the marketing automation industry will reach $8.42 billion by 2027. This suggests that automation will become an important part of brand promotion in the market. In other words, without it, companies will no longer be able to be competitive. 

In this article, we'll explain in detail what marketing automation is, what opportunities it gives to your brand, and how you can implement it in your business.

## What is Marketing Automation and Why Do You Need It

**Marketing automation is the use of software to automate marketing processes in order to save labor force and time resources.** Companies use marketing automation to send automated messages to customers via email, social media, and other communication channels.

By automating repetitive processes — emails, social media posts, ad campaigns, and more — you are able to promote your brand faster. This increases your sales as you engage with customers in the regular shopping process. The efficiency of the employees work also increases: this means they have enough time to solve more complicated problems, and the number of errors is greatly reduced.

The software helps marketers to attract leads and influence customer retention by delivering useful content on time. Let’s imagine John Doe goes onto your website and subscribes to the newsletter. From now on, the system starts automatically sending him letters with information he is interested in. If John opens the messages and follows the links, it’s most likely that he will take the targeted action you need, for example, a purchase.

Another indisputable plus of marketing automation is [**personalization**](https://altcraft.com/features/personalization). Let's go back to our John Doe. To create a personal offer for him that he cannot pass by, you need to know not only his personal data but also what he does, what he dreams of, where he works, etc. This is where automation comes in handy. With the help of automation, you will be able to quickly collect the necessary information about the consumer, process it and use it for a unique offer. This will happen with all clients, even if you have thousands of them.

**According to SharpSpring, nearly 90% of brands consider their marketing automation strategy to be successful.**

<Img
img="/uploads/research_on_the_success_of_marketing_automation_strategies_bff652e9ac.jpg"
alt="SharpSpring research on the success of marketing strategies across brands"
/>

## What Does Marketing Automation Do

So why is marketing automation useful for businesses?

### 1. Implements complex strategies

An important point in marketing automation is tracking marketing communications. You need to make it clear when and what interactions with customers and potential buyers are most effective.

Usually, companies use drip marketing. In other words, they send people a chain of letters, created in advance that take into account the actions of subscribers. However, there are business automation tools that allow marketers to work on more complex strategies.

For example, on the marketing automation platform Altcraft Marketing, there is a special tool for automating marketing processes and creating [**Customer Journey**](stroim-customer-journey-map) in digital environment — scenarios. You will be able to build a customer journey and set different conditions for running scenarios based on audience engagement. These conditions include an abandoned cart, a registered goal on the website, and others.

<Img
img="/uploads/Onboarding_ecom_en_3892c6f53b.png"
alt='First Purchase Scenario in Altkraft Marketing Automation Platform'
src="Example of First Purchase Scenario in Altkraft Marketing Automation Platform"
/>

### 2. Targets email marketing

Divide your subscriber database into segments. It's easy to do with the right software. Segments will increase the chances of your content and product offerings hitting the target. As a result, each lead will receive the information that will allow him to make a purchase decision faster.

In the [**Altcraft Marketing**](/en) platform, you can segment your audience by various parameters: by geolocation, by the history of subscribers' actions (opening email / SMS, any click in email / SMS, etc.), by subscriptions (email, SMS or push). You will also have the opportunity to segment data from your CRM / stores and billing systems without placing it on the platform.

### 3. Identifies qualified leads

Automation allows marketers to assess the likelihood of a potential customer making a purchase. For example, the sales team uses the platform to monitor the actions of a potential buyer towards your brand. If he opens all emails, subscribes to some events and visits the pricing page on your website — this is a "warm" option. If a potential client rarely opens emails and does not visit your site, this is a "cold" option.

<Img
img="/uploads/potential_customers_56dc2513e3.jpg"
alt="Warm and Cold Leads"
/>

### 4. Accumulates, processes and protects client data

Some companies store data on different systems. This means that the information is in parts in unprotected places. When a large amount of information accumulates, employees begin to get confused. In addition, a data leak can occur that will not even be noticed, or it will be noticed, but too late. With on-premise marketing automation in [**CDP**](https://altcraft.com/features/cdp), data is stored in a single platform, which allows you to keep it protected and controlled.


### 5. Provides analytics of ongoing communications

The platform provides [**analytical data**](https://altcraft.com/features/analytics) to measure performance. With the help of this data, you will be able to make a decision on further actions. For example, you can decide to improve your marketing campaign or predict future customer behavior.

### 6. Saves time and resources

Marketing and sales automation will save your company's workforce. The employee will set up a marketing strategy once and then it will be automated in the platform. All you have to do is regularly check the analytics and, if necessary, make adjustments. In addition, in today’s world, people are looking for products and services 24 hours a day. The software always works and will provide consumers with your offer on time.

## What Marketing Processes Should Be Automated

When you come to the decision to automate your marketing, consider your business goals. Smart workflows for different functions can help you to achieve the results you want.

### 1. Newsletters

The first thing you have to do is automate your mailings. If you are still sending email to clients through Outlook, you have absolutely no analytic data. Did the client open the letter? Did they click on the link? Did he perform the actions the company desired? Without tracking customer actions, you don't understand the result of your strategy and therefore you are wasting your time. The platform not only automates mailings but also provides you with analytics, thanks to which, you will increase your marketing efficiency over and over again.

Let's say you want to send a welcome email when someone fills out a sign-up form on a blog page. When a visitor clicks the "subscribe to the newsletter" button, he will immediately receive a welcome letter or a confirmation email.

Let's take another example. If a customer does not complete a purchase from your online store, you can send him a reminder email. Just create an abandoned cart scenario once and your customers will be reminded when they stop halfway through a purchase.

### 2. Ad campaigns

Use marketing automation to launch targeted digital ads across multiple platforms, such as search engine contextual advertising or social media ads.

Another thing you can automate is [**retargeting**](https://altcraft.com/features/omni-channel-marketing). Retargeting allows you to attract leads or remind people of the products they viewed on your site. This way, you will help them to find their way back to your store and make a purchase.

Altcraft Marketing platform synchronizes audiences for retargeting from VK, Yandex.Direct or Facebook. It is also possible to customize any platforms you want.

### 3. Social media posts

Always keep in touch on social media. Publishing posts manually is a long and tedious process, especially if you post them through multiple communication channels or you have a lot of content. With automation, posts can be scheduled at the perfect time in a single platform.

### 4. Mobile marketing

According to DataReportal, in January 2021, there were 5.22 billion active mobile users. So mobile marketing is very relevant in today’s world. First of all, we recommend automating push notifications to your mobile application. [**Push notifications**](ak-push) are a cheap channel for communicating with customers on a mobile device, which saves on SMS costs. It is also important to process and store the events that the client commits in the mobile app. In the future, you can use this data to target your audience and personalize offers.

Altcraft Marketing platform has a [**push notification editor**](updates-rich-push-i-formy) where you can create push message templates for different OS. You are able to notify a customer about any action, talk about promotions or sales, share news and trending articles. Thanks to push notifications, you will be able to achieve the following goals: increase sales, inform people about upcoming events, help customers complete a targeted action.

## How to Implement Marketing Automation

As we already discussed, creating campaigns through a variety of tools and managing your digital marketing strategy in a single platform will simplify the life of your business. However, this process takes time and training.

Here are a few recommendations to consider when implementing marketing automation:

### 1. Set your goals

What can you automate to save time and improve efficiency? What strategies will increase your ROI? How will automation improve these strategies through all stages of the marketing funnel?

Once you've identified your goals, decide on your marketing budget. If you don't have a marketer, it's time to find a qualified specialist, because he will be the one who will develop a great marketing strategy for your business.

### 2. Get to know your audience

What do your customers dream about? What do they lack that they need to improve their quality of life? Build a customer persona before implementing marketing automation workflows.

### 3. Track the customer journey to purchase

Customer satisfaction is an important factor. If you don't know what is stopping a customer from becoming your client, there are clearly gaps in the strategy. Plan the buyer's journey and make sure the automation simplifies the work steps.

### 4. Prep your content strategy

You should decide on content at different stages of the customer journey ahead of time. This way you will know exactly what tools and methods to use in your marketing campaign.

### 5. Plan your solution deployment

Consistency is the key to implementing automation into a business. Think about the actions in plenty of time so that you have enough time to test them.

### 6. Check implementation results regularly

Analyze workflows every month, quarter and year. Your automation needs to change with your business.

<Img
img="/uploads/results_of_marketing_automation_implementation_884584b953.jpg"
alt="Results of the implementation of marketing automation into businesses"
/>

## How to Choose the Right Marketing Automation Software

Before implementing a solution, you should make sure that the chosen tool is suitable for the business. Please note a few points before purchasing.

### Functionality

Ensure that the platform has the required functionality before implementation. Here are some of the features you shouldn't be without:

- automation of all campaigns in a single platform (Email, SMS, Push, Telegram, etc.);
- combining customer data from different sources;
- tracking customer actions in all communication channels;
- flexible audience segmentation based on collected data;
- [**Customer Journey**](customer-journey-automation) automation;
- [**A/B/n testing**](https://altcraft.com/features/mvt);
- detailed analytics.

### Integrations

The software should simply [**integrate**](https://altcraft.com/features/integration) with the tools you already use. Perhaps you have a program that you want to integrate with the new platform. For example, if you connect a platform to a transactional data warehouse, you will gain tangible benefits.

### Training

At first glance, it may seem that the chosen platform is easy to use. However, your team will still need training to get up to speed with the tool and start using all the features. This is an important point, because in order to unleash the potential of the platform, your specialists must feel at home with it. Ask the vendor for a detailed [**demo**](https://altcraft.com/setupDemo) and provide the necessary materials for further training.

### Tech support

The software provider should provide you with support. If a company only has email support and you have to wait for a response for a few days, take your time choosing such a platform. Just think, you may go unanswered at the worst possible time. That’s why, you’d better give preference to a vendor with support via online chat without a long wait.

### Scalability

Choose a marketing automation solution that adapts to your growth. The fact is, platforms have limitations, for example, a limit on the amount of data collected or campaigns sent. This is a signal that at some point you will not be able to download information or send a new message. The best choice is a platform with unlimited downloads and customer communications.

### Cost

The [**cost of the solution**](https://altcraft.com/prices) is no less a decisive factor than everything else. Think about this: you can choose a solution based on the number of customer profiles or the number of communications. If the number of your profiles is less than 500 thousand, pay attention to a cloud solution, or Private Cloud. There are platforms like Altcraft Marketing where you will pay for the amount of data you store but have unlimited amounts of sendings. Accordingly, the more profiles you have, the higher the price.

If you have more than 500 thousand subscribers, put your mind to an [**on-premise solution**](on-premise-or-saas). On-premise marketing software doesn't have any restrictions on the number of stored profiles and communications. Of course, the cost of such a tool is higher than the cost of a cloud one, but all of the data and the whole process will be under your control.

## Examples of the results after marketing automation implementation

Today it is difficult to argue with the value of sales and marketing automation in the digital space. A well-thought-out strategy and well-chosen software will help to take your sales to the next level. We invite you to check the experience of implementing the CDP platform. Take a look at the following cases.

### [**How Altcraft Marketing Helped AlfaStrakhovanie Group Increase Repeat Online Sales by 49%**](case-how-altcraft-platform-helped-top-insurance-company-increase-sales)

Our client's objective was to implement a marketing automation platform to operate with large amounts of data within the company's Intranet. Altcraft Marketing, in tandem with the CDI system, creates micro-segments and launches triggers using known customer information. This made marketing campaigns personalized and maximized customer engagement.

One year of collaboration brought the following results:

- A combination of machine learning, segmentation and micro-personalization created effective advertising campaigns templates.
- High rates of micro-personalized communications performance were reached: OR — 42% and CTR as high as 36%.
- The rate of contract renewals increased by 49%, that meant more frequent subsequent purchases.
- Revenue for products sold online increased by more than 30%.

<Img
img="/uploads/kejs_alfastrahovanie_776_517_21b0968b89.jpg"
alt="Case study on the implementation of marketing automation in Alfastrahovanie"
/>

### [How Otkritie Broker JSC Has Automated Communications with Clients Using Alcraft Marketing Platform](how-otkritie-broker-JSC-has-automated-communications-with-clients-using-Altcraft)

The company was looking for a tool for marketing automation to centralize all communications in a single platform and work with large amounts of client data within the corporate network. And Altcraft has provided Otkritie Broker with this opportunity.

Using the platform, the company launched triggers based on client data and personalized email messages. After sending the first full trigger, Otkritie Broker received the following results:

- the indicators of micro-personalized communications have increased: Open rate increased to 75%, Click rate - 27%;
- traffic via email channel increased to 27%;
- 26% of clients were reactivated via emails.

Thanks to the use of the built-in email template editor, Otkritie Broker was able to create more than 20 email templates that could be changed when new products appeared. In the end, we managed to achieve great results:

- Open rate — 75%;
- Click rate — 49%;
- more than two readings of the letter per client.

<Img
img="/uploads/kejs_otkrytie_broker_1f98a167dd.jpg"
alt="Case study on the implementation of marketing automation in Otkrytie Broker"
/>

## Conclusion

Process automation greatly simplifies marketing management. It saves time, resources and money, and helps you to make your life and the lives of your customers happier.

Good automation takes into account the changing needs of potential customers, their behavior and interactions with you across all communication channels. Using behavioral factors from social media or specific page views provides marketers with information that helps them better understand leads.

Effective marketing automation uses a variety of media to communicate, so the success of your campaign depends on all the channels that influence the buyer's decision.

If you want to dive deeper into the topic or learn more about the Altcraft Marketing platform, write to our [**mail**](mailto:experts@altcraft.com). We will be happy to answer your questions.

Find out all the details about marketing automation: what it is, how to implement it into your business, what processes should be automated

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Nowadays without marketing automation, companies will no longer be able to be competitive. We will tell you what opportunities brands get by implementing automation into their business.

The Role of Marketing Automation | Develop Your Business

Marketing Automation: What It Is and How It Affects Business Development

![platform-updates.jpg](/uploads/platform_updates_d0e6143902.jpg)

We're constantly working on improving our platform. And we’re ready to present you with important platform updates. 

## Rich Push

The platform now has an enhanced version of the push notification editor. It makes it possible to create push notifications for different OS and browsers. Outstanding notifications are sure to attract the attention of your customers.

Open the template editor. You’ll see the previous editor version. Create your Push and save it. Then open the template you have created again. Now you can work in the β-version of the new editor. This version will become the main option soon. 

### What you'll find in the new editor

**First** of all, as mentioned above, it has become possible to configure and preview Push notifications for different operating systems and browsers. 

**Secondly**, we've improved link settings in Push notifications. It is now possible to insert different clickable links depending on the browser. In addition, it became more convenient to switch between the following three link types:

- regular links;
- deep links – links that lead the customer directly to your application;
- adaptive links – these links are used to redirect customers to different URLs based on what device the push was opened with (desktop, Android or iOS).

**Thirdly**, it is possible to customize the "app-push" structure for your mobile app. You won't need to make any changes to the application. We will set everything up, and your app will be able to notify your customers with Push notifications created in our platform.

**And last but not least**, we have added images, videos and buttons. Using clickable buttons you can encourage your subscribers to click a link. This feature is available for Chrome, Yandex and Samsung browsers. For users of different iOS apps, sounds and video settings are supported.

We've increased the speed of sending Pushes and added emojis to the Push editor.

 ![updates-rich-push.gif](/uploads/updates_rich_push_1918dff001.gif)

## Forms

A little over a month ago we’d announced that in Altcraft Marketing was added an internal service for creating questionnaires, surveys, tests and applications — [**Forms**](updates-in-the-altkraft-marketing-platform).

Now the Form editor has special fields for email and phone, and we made it possible to edit the field roundings. Customers can send you attached files. You can also add your own HTML code into forms. HTML code can be used in paragraphs and element descriptions.

![forms-updates.gif](/uploads/forms_updates_86fa516247.gif)

## Conclusion

We do our best to make your marketing easier and more convenient. And we're waiting for your [**feedback**](mailto:sales@altcraft.com). Tell us which updates you liked the most, and which ones caused difficulties. We're always happy to answer your questions.


Let's talk about the updates occurred in the Altcraft Marketing customer data platform: forms, rich push and push notifications.

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We're excited to tell you about cool Altcraft Marketing platform updates.

CDP Altcraft Marketing Updates: Reach Push & Forms

Altcraft Marketing Platform Updates: Rich Push and Forms

![data-protection.jpg](/uploads/data_protection_acb0b9f732.jpg)

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the whole world upside down. The spread of the сoronavirus has affected all spheres of our lives: political, economic, labor relations, and, of course, business development.

Some companies could not resist the attack of the virus and closed down. Others quickly adapted to the needs of consumers and thus reached a new level. For example, now in hypermarkets it is possible to order the home delivery service, and employees of the hypermarket will deliver the ordered products home to the buyer wearing a mask and gloves. Banks allow people to apply for a credit card online, and bank representatives – wearing special protective outerwear – will bring it to the client's home.

**However, one of the main problems that have escalated during the pandemic is the need to ensure consumer privacy.** Unfortunately, during these difficult times, those who benefit from deceiving people have become more active. **From January to April 2020, more than 22000 residents of the United States complained to the Federal Trade Commission about cybercriminals.**

According to the Pew Research Center survey, **81% of Americans feel they have no control over the data that companies and the government collect about them.** Therefore, people have become more cautious about providing information about them.

![Data-control.png](/uploads/Data_control_e330f5b25a.png)

Marketers now need to take the issue of protecting customer data more seriously. A survey conducted by PwC three years ago showed that **87% of consumers would choose another company if they felt that their data was being treated irresponsibly.** Nowadays, customers are really concerned about their privacy, and it makes sense to respect their wishes. Otherwise you have a risk of giving profits to competitors.

Another example: according to Marketing Charts, **79% of users will only interact with social media advertising if they are sure that the platform protects their data.**

![Social-Media-Ad-Engagement-Factors.png](/uploads/Social_Media_Ad_Engagement_Factors_edc4143301.png)

## So, first, let's figure out where the threats to business come from

**1. Unreliable tools for data protection**

Because of the pandemic, many people have to work as distant employees. Some companies are able to provide the employees with special software, corporate equipment, and other tools to ensure security while working from home. Others don’t have the same opportunity. As a result, employees work on their personal devices, thus making confidential information easily accessible for cybercriminals. In addition, many of them have bought and used devices for distant work without checking their security and reliability.

Criminals, in turn, have become particularly active in using information about COVID-19 to influence people. Now users are sensitive to news about the pandemic, and they open any emails that contain information about the coronavirus. Phishing is exactly what is hidden in them.

**2. Mass dismissals of staff**

Because of the economic crisis in the world there were widespread layoffs of people. At first glance, this fact can in no way be linked to multiple cyber hacking. But unemployed people easily fall victims to cybercriminals. People, who were fired, receive letters with job offers. They open them and infect their devices with malwares and computer viruses.

Moreover, personnel of different security services were also among those dismissed. Some of them found new jobs, while others decided to use their accumulated knowledge in a different - criminal - way.

**3. Return of employees to offices**

After the end of the first wave of the pandemic, people resumed working in offices. Information security personnel began to reconfigure the system from remote access back to internal access. Just at that moment, the protection wasn’t as reliable as before.

The situation became further complicated by the fact that only part of the employees came out of quarantine, while others continued to work from home. In this case, it was necessary to adjust the protection to the new conditions.

**Now you know from which sides you can expect a blow to information security. But you should not rely only on protection.**

## Marketers can also take certain steps to prevent criminals from obtaining confidential information about clients

**1. Collect only the necessary data.** Do not require users to provide location, address, or additional phone numbers. When clients see that companies want to get a lot of extra information from them, first of all, their trust in the company is undermined; second, you have a lot of valuable data for hackers.

**2. Restrict access to data.** Why should your copy-writers and designers have access to marketers ' information? Give this opportunity only to those specialists who actually work with your customers ' data. This will reduce the number of vulnerability points. In addition, the fewer employees have access to confidential materials, the lower the likelihood of misuse of this information.

According to Marketing Charts survey **81% of Americans believe their data is less secure now than it was five years ago.** So, try to minimize the number of people who have the opportunity to use customer data. 

![Americans-Control-Over-Their-Data.png](/uploads/Americans_Control_Over_Their_Data_698a99444a.png)

<Note>
By the way, an administrator can control access roles using LDAP server when deploying the [**Altkraft Marketing**](https://altkraft.com/ru/)  platform not only within the organization, but also in the cloud.
</Note>

**3. Use the password management tool.** If all employees use password management tools, it will reduce the risk of hacking. This service helps to store and encrypt complex passwords which are usually hard for people to remember. If a person does not have an access key, he will not be able to read any of the passwords.

**4. Don't split the data.** If you use different data stores, this means that information is stored in parts in unprotected places. When you have a lot of information, you may get confused about where the data is stored. This way, you won't even notice if there is a data leak.

<Note>
We also offer Altcraft Marketing clients to use the built-in Audit service. Through it, the administrator can easily track which objects and when a particular user changed them.
</Note>

**5. Check whether the tools you use are safe.** If you are planning to purchase a new marketing tool, make sure that it meets the security requirements.

<Note>
For example, by integrating the Altcraft Marketing platform into your corporate network, you eliminate the possibility of confidential data leakage. Personal information of your customers will be protected, and will never be transferred to third parties. The platform also meets all the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation: Federal Law of 27 July, 2006 № 152-FZ On Personal Data, and Federal Law of 21 July, 2014 № 242-FZ on Amending Some Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation in as Much as It Concerns Updating the Procedure for Personal Data Processing in Information-Telecommunication Networks (with Amendments and Additions).
</Note>

## Conclusion

Now it is a good time to take certain steps to protect your customers' confidential data. Marketers must not only protect the information they receive, but also respect consumer privacy. This helps build the [**relationships of trust**](customer-trust) that today are undermined by attackers. So value your customers' trust and they will stay loyal to your brand for a long time to come.


Find out why customer data is especially at risk during COVID-19 and how to avoid sensitive data leak.

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Nowadays, marketers need to take customer data protection more seriously. In this article we’ll explain how to protect important information from cybercriminals.

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