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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.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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/kak_povysit_effectivnost_klientskogo_puti_79f13d5884.png"
alt="How to Increase Efficiency at All Stages of Customer Journey Map"
/>

Collecting information about customers without a purpose is inefficient, as it will not bring benefits. While 1st, 2nd and even 3rd party data can improve customer experience when used with the right tools and strategy.

Users dictate conditions for companies. For example, when, where and how to communicate. Brands have to anticipate the behavior of customers, search for them on convenient platforms and accompany them to the completion of a targeted action. Therefore, businesses are constantly monitoring changes in consumer preferences and new communication channels, as well as thinking through new ways to conversion.

Personalized and omnichannel marketing is a way to catch customers at the right time in the right place. Information about consumer behavior will be useful at any stage of the customer journey, reducing the time and cost spent on attracting and retaining customers.The combined use of a [**data driven approach**](data-driven-marketing) and AI gives you an additional advantage over your competitors.

How to optimize the customer journey map using customer data? Direct information to predict and develop an effective growth strategy aimed at attracting the right people. Track unique customer desires and preferences in real time. Each of your communication channels should become a tool to “personalized” marketing.

Take a look at customer data marketing services. With them, all the collected information will be integrated into the management decision-making mechanism and included in the forecasting process. In addition, information will be selected from the standpoint of the applicability of a specific user experience at different stages of the sales funnel.

As a result, the company's customers will receive a positive experience of interacting with the brand and will trust it. The company minimizes costs and maximizes profits. Let's take a closer look at how you can improve the efficiency of each stage of the customer journey with the help of data.

## Ways to improve the efficiency of interaction with customers at different stages

### Stage 1. Introduction to the company

Imagine that there are people who have never heard of your company. At the stage of getting to know customers, your task is to work on brand awareness and increase interest in your company. Most often, acquaintance with the brand occurs through contextual advertising. Focus on the value of the product and study the needs of the audience.

You can increase the effectiveness of your advertising by using the collected customer data. Working out the pain points and needs of your audience, as well as customer segmentation, will save the advertising budget.

How to effectively use the data at the stage of acquaintance:

- **Focus on attracting high-value customers.** Paid media campaigns should be based on ideal prospects. Create segments using first-party data, develop lookalike audiences and automate work with them. Make it possible to purchase through paid media.
- **Reduce the cost of paid advertising services to attract customers.** Remove already converted customers from paid media campaigns using the dynamic suppression lists. The easiest way to do this is to use CDPs. You can upload such a suppression list to a service and thus be sure that already converted customers do not fall into acquisition campaigns.

### Stage 2. Comparison of competitors and similar products

When potential customers become familiar with your brand and product line, they begin to analyze and compare products that interest them. Customers will compare specifications, price, additional services and costs.

The task of the company at this stage is to warm up the interest of customers in their company and product. Make sure users have enough information to understand that your product is the best.

How you can use customer information at this stage:

- **Focus on reducing** [**cart abandonment**](how-to-reduce-cart-abandonment-rate). Set up a push or email campaign for those customers who have added a product to the cart but have not placed an order for some time. Using customer data, you can identify the most active shoppers from all abandoned carts.
 
<Img 
img="/uploads/image5_0b2464bb66.png"
alt="Abandoned Cart Email from Gerry’s"
scr="Abandoned Cart Email from Gerry’s"
/>

- **Convert the trial period to a paid subscription.** To do this, you should optimize your omnichannel customer journey setup through testing. Once you have the test  results, create effective routes and run workflows based on user data.

### Stage 3. Decision making

How to hurry the client to complete the transaction and at the same time maintain his high motivation for further orders? In the minds of buyers, the value of the purchase will remain high if you use social proof (reviews and recommendations) and material incentives (promotional codes, discounts and bonuses). To make CLTV long, run engagement and retention events, work on loyalty throughout the customer’s journey map.

How user data will help:

- **Improve cross-channel interaction.** Try to interest buyers with new resources based on an analysis of their behavior in the past. Multi-channel clients bring more value to the company than single-channel clients. Work with clients both online and offline, and build a trusting relationship with the brand from the first touch point.
- **Support cross and upsell.** Existing customers can be motivated to purchase new products. To do this, separate customers who have only shopped in one category. Offer them products from related categories. This way you can increase your average order value and customer lifetime value.

<Img 
img="/uploads/image1_894964d7ad.png"
alt="Cross-selling"
src="Cross-selling from MAC"
/>

- **Optimize shopping frequency.** The purchase of many products can be planned. Schedule predictable repeat purchase windows. Customers often subscribe to constantly used products, which can be automated.

- **Shorten the time period until the second purchase.** Personalized marketing aims to keep the customer engaged after the first purchase. Set up automatic messages to periodically remind the buyer about the brand and about new products. This improves CLTV, orders, and conversions.

### Stage 4. Prevention of customer churn

Each new customer is valuable to the company, especially if it stays for a long time. How to motivate buyers to do this?

Collect customer reviews about purchased products or services, engage customers in a dialogue. Become partners with them, encourage repeat purchases and maintain high loyalty. This is how you prevent customer churn.

<Img 
img="/uploads/image2_77bd67a298.png"
alt="How to Increase Efficiency at All Stages of Customer Journey Map"
src="Feedback form from Chapelle Jewellery"
/>

A time-tested strategy is to work with [**referral links**](affiliate-marketing-for-beginners) in bonus programs and loyalty programs. The method works great for retaining customers and expanding the audience.

How to make the most of consumer data in the retention phase:

- **Launch a [loyalty program](customer-loyalty-program).** Motivate users to participate in it. Focus on those potential prospects who match the profile of existing customers. These people are exactly your target audience, they become loyal supporters and distributors of the brand, especially if you offer them bonuses for attracting new partners.

<Img 
img="/uploads/image4_48eff70331.png"
alt="Loyalty program"
src="Loyalty program from Happy Socks"
/>

- **Consider discounts.** Repeat purchases are well stimulated by special offers, bonuses and discounts. To find the most effective option, use multi-channel tests. With the help of them, you will find out exactly what bonuses to offer customers in a specific communication channel to increase the conversion rate.
- **Set your priorities.** An analysis of the behavior of current consumers will allow you to notice a possible churn of customers in time. Activate advertising campaigns to retain customers. First of all, restore communication with those who are at risk.

### Stage 5. Reactivation and return of clients

It happens that customers have lost confidence in the brand and left for competitors. In this case, your task is to bring them back. Customer lifetime value is at the heart of strategies to reactivate subscribers and reacquire lost customers. At the same time, it is important to use different communication channels when working with such clients.

How to use customer data in the return phase:

- **Target customers with high CLTV.** The most valuable customers are determined by their purchase history and projected lifetime value. First of all, you need to aim at their return, motivate the return with special offers.
- **Use personalization.** One customer will return after receiving the first email with a [**promotional code**](how-to-use-promo-codes-for-business). The other will return only after a series of reactivation emails. Some won't come back at all. Consider the behavior and personal preferences of each customer and create omnichannel customer journeys. When it comes to reactivation, the time that has passed since the last interaction with the brand is of great importance. 

## Setting steps of the customer journey

It is important to plan settings, but the reality is that it can't be done without technical tools. Modern marketing technologies allow you to combine disparate information about users into a single resource, launch automated trigger campaigns to attract, retain or return customers, as well as generate an attractive user experience.

What capabilities should be in your technical toolkit:
- **360° customer view.** With such a profile, the analytics will be accurate, and the customer journey map will be targeted.
- **[Audience segmentation](how-and-why-to-segment-target-audience).** It is important in order to provide consumers with personalized content.
- **Advanced customer journey configuration.** This way, you can make interaction with customers comfortable at all stages. 
- **Engineering real-time experiences for your customers**, no matter where or when they engage with your brand.


In this post, we will tell you how to use data correctly to improve the customer experience at different stages of the journey to conversion.

medium_kak_povysit_effectivnost_klientskogo_puti.png

small_kak_povysit_effectivnost_klientskogo_puti.png

thumbnail_kak_povysit_effectivnost_klientskogo_puti.png

kak_povysit_effectivnost_klientskogo_puti.png

Let's find out how you can increase efficiency at each stage of the customer journey with the help of data.

How to Increase Efficiency at All Stages of Customer Journey

How to Optimize All Stages of the Customer Journey

<Img 
img="/uploads/trendy_digital_marketinga_81bd643747.png"
alt="Digital marketing trends in 2023"
/>

New technologies open up more opportunities for business development, and the world of digital marketing also depends on them. Technology generates trends, but not all trends find their place in a specific industry. This is the choice of marketers, which trends to follow and which ones to ignore. The main thing is not to find yourself behind competitors one day.

In 2023, digital marketing will take a stronger position in the virtual world with VR and AR. Companies will also have to change the approach to data. NFT will remain popular, omnichannel and short video will continue to gain momentum.

In this post we will tell you what digital trends to pay attention to next year.

## Short videos

The greater the flow of information, the less time to view content. Therefore, short video formats (up to two minutes) will remain in trend. This type of content shows [**a higher ROI**](https://woosuite.com/stats/short-form-video/) than others. That’s why even YouTube, along with long videos, promotes [**Shorts**](https://www.youtube.com/intl/en_us/creators/shorts/). At the same time, TikTok remains one of the fastest growing media platforms in the world.

Short formats are cheap and quickly created. By the way, 72% of users choose video over text when learning a new product. This is a reason to create such content in 2023.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Screenshot_from_2022_12_01_17_22_44_7b9dd7322d.png"
alt=Short video as a trend in 2023""
/>

## Omnichannel marketing

It is not efficient to communicate with users in one channel. Customers buy both offline and online. Today they [**message your brand in apps**](messenger-marketing), tomorrow they call, and the day after tomorrow they check out in the online store. Everyone chooses a convenient way to communicate, so it is not surprising that omnichannel marketing is becoming a trend. And when we say omnichannel, we mean interacting with the audience in several related channels.

The company collects information from different touch points in order to know the context of each customer: when and with what issue a person applied, what he or she bought and how often. This helps the brand provide a high level of service, and in return receives income and [**a loyal audience**](customer-loyalty).

For omnichannel marketing, you need a tool that will combine several channels. [**Altcraft Platform**](/en) is a software that will allow you to automate online communications and collect customer data in a single window. The service integrates with various sources and supports such features as sending emails and syncing customer audiences in advertising accounts. It also collects analytical data.

<Img 
img="/uploads/omnikanalnyj_marketing_d78f8418e2.png"
alt="Omnichannel marketing as a trend in 2023"
/> 

## First party data priority

Google's new [**3rd party data**](first-second-and-third-party-data) collection rules, as well as [**GDPR and CCPA**](cdp-in-the-world-without-cookies) regulations, are forcing companies to change the way they collect and store information. Now the priority is the data that businesses receive directly from users: names, phone numbers, addresses, demographics, data on user behavior on the site or in the app. This information is accurate and useful for personalizing marketing offers and content.

Data storage is a serious responsibility for a company. This is the reason why, along with the trend to collect your own databases, more attention is also paid to the secure storage of information. Modern [**CDPs**](/en) must quickly collect data from different sources and ensure its privacy. There should be no leaks of information that can result in loss of reputation.

## Augmented and Virtual Reality

AR will continue to conquer the digital world in 2023. The [**mobile app**](mobile-app-as-a-marketing-channel) market for augmented reality [**reached $16 billion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/282453/mobile-augmented-reality-market-size/) in 2022 and will grow to $21 billion next year. AR is used to improve the customer experience. Users try on clothes or cosmetics online through the app, see how furniture and other items look in the interior. Visibility increases sales and simplifies the customer journey.

<Img 
img="/uploads/VR_realnost_9c7fdb6086.png"
alt="AR and VR as a trend in 2023"
/>

Virtual reality is not inferior to augmented reality. The VR market in 2022 is [**$12 billion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221522/virtual-reality-market-size-worldwide/), in 2023 it will be $16 billion.

## Metaverses

AR and VR technologies influence the development of the [**metaverses**](what-are-metaverses). Metaverses are digital spaces that simulate the real world. Marketers will continue to "catch" customers in virtual stores and sell brand products through advertising in the digital space.

This format is relevant for the younger generation, which is looking for a new experience in the metaverse. For example, users have already spent [**$500 million**](https://www.banklesstimes.com/metaverse-statistics/) on virtual real estate.

Well-known brands are already investing and developing in the metaverse. For example, Nike has been investing in the digital space for a long time. At the end of 2022, it announced that the company's developers had created their own metaverse .Swoosh. Fans will be able to buy their favorite sneakers or even participate in their creation.

In the future, the time that users spend in Metaverse will increase. By 2026, 25% of people will go there for an hour or more every day. Also, the trend towards online education will increase the audience of the "parallel world". Universities will begin to think about working in a virtual format.

## Chatbots

In 2023, [**chatbots**](https://altcraft.com/blog/the-benefits-of-chatbots-for-businesses) are also in trend, because it is more profitable for businesses to respond to users 24/7 and not depend on the work schedule of managers. Bots will become smarter due to artificial intelligence. They will begin to communicate with customers in a more personalized way and even help solve complex tasks  (for example, money transactions in banks).

Robots will better understand human speech. Thus, the number of chatbots with the function of [**a voice assistant**](https://www.softwebsolutions.com/resources/chatbot-trends-2023.html) will grow. Voice search in ecommerce will continue to evolve and improve.

## Artificial Intelligence

AI is taking over targeted advertising, content creation, email marketing, automating sales. Technologies already generate creative ads without a designer, optimize campaigns and predict user behavior, which enhances the personalization of service and sales. [**According to statistics**](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US49571222#:\~:text=IDC%20forecasts%20the%20overall%20AI,Automation%20Research%20with%20IDC%27s%20software), the AI software market will grow to $791 billion by 2025.

<Img 
img="/uploads/iskusstvennyj_intellekt_e1fa859a97.jpg"
alt="AI as a trend in 2023"
src="An example of the work of the Deep Dream project from Google based on the work of Van Gogh"
/>

## NFT

The technology of non-fungible [**NFT**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-nft) tokens will remain popular in the coming year. Brands are already selling replicas of their real-life items as NFTs and creating virtual-only fashion collections. The technology "records" the authorship of the content, which is important for protecting the rights of content makers and increasing the value of digital items. Now, when customers buy digital products (pictures, virtual clothes or accessories), they secure ownership and protect themselves from theft of the object.

The cost of NFT is growing, so the rental of tokens is developing. Now you can simply rent a digital outfit or avatar instead of buying it.

<Img 
img="/uploads/nft_b1158a9bc0.jpg"
alt="NFT as a trend in 2023"
src="NFT platform for beginners OpenSea"
/>

## User-generated content

The content that users themselves create for the brand works like a new word of mouth. Promotion through customers includes a product photo, product unboxing, reviews and special hashtags, comments. The advantage of such content is nativeness. People perceive the posts of other users as recommendations. [**84% of customers**](https://everyonesocial.com/blog/user-generated-content-statistics/) say they trust other people's posts more than ads. This is how social proof works.

## Internet of Things

Internet of Things describes everyday household devices that connect via a network to smartphones and computers. These can be alarm clocks, lighting fixtures, robotic vacuum cleaners, and even cars.

Now there are 13 billion smart things in operation, in 2023 there [**will be 15 billion**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183457/iot-connected-devices-worldwide/), and by 2030 — 29 billion. The items themselves are unlikely to learn to sell or advertise anything, but they can collect and transmit data about user behavior to marketers. Brands will use the collected data to predict the actions of customers and enhance the personalization.

## Podcasting

[**Podcasts**](https://altcraft.com/blog/podcast-marketing) will continue to play an important role in brand promotion. "Radio of the 21st century" is very popular. On average, one person listens to eight audio broadcasts per week. And all over the world, about [**383 million users choose podcasts**](https://www.demandsage.com/podcast-statistics/). This is an easy way to consume content in transport, during training, and so on. Companies create their own podcasts or sponsor releases from authors and make collaborations. Advertising is smoothly embedded in the conversation of the speakers, so it is less annoying for users. The podcasting industry is projected to [**grow to $4 billion by 2024**](https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/10/23065056/podcasting-industry-iab-report-audacy-earnings-patreon-pulitzer).

<Img 
img="/uploads/image6_b5ed571465.png"
alt="Podcasting as a trend in 2023"
src="Google Podcasts"
/>

## Conclusion

In 2023, companies will continue to implement AR and VR technologies to sell products that can be tested virtually. Marketing will have to master the metaverses and look for new techniques there. For example, create NFT products of their brand.

1st party data that includes information companies collect from customers will play an important role. Brands will improve customer experience by using chatbots, artificial intelligence and the Internet of things. Omnichannel marketing is a valuable data resource next year.

Short videos and podcasts will remain in the content trend. Meanwhile, user-generated content will become a popular promotion method.

User-generated content, NFT, metaverses, 1st party data - read about these and other digital marketing trends in 2023.

medium_trendy-digital-marketinga.png

small_trendy-digital-marketinga.png

thumbnail_trendy-digital-marketinga.png

trendy-digital-marketinga.png

Technology generates trends: NFT, metaverses, user-generated content. What else awaits us next year?


What Trends Will be Relevant in Digital Marketing in 2023

Digital Marketing Trends in 2023

<Img 
img="/uploads/Blog_1_cd297e1f7d.png"
alt="What is Retargeting and Why Does Business Need It"
/> 

When users first visit your site, they don't always take the desired action. Someone is looking for more information, and someone needs to be pushed to a decision. For others, it’s enough just to remind them about the product that they browsed on the site earlier.

There is retargeting for this. It is a marketing method that does not allow users to «go far» and motivates them to return to the website and take some action. Retargeting campaigns are banner ads that catch up with users on other sites, social networks and apps. According to statistics, [**three out of four**](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ad-retargeting-2/) users notice such ads, so this method works great. [**70% of people**](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ad-retargeting-2/) who see a retargeting banner are more likely to return to your site and buy.

Let's take a closer look at what retargeting is, what benefits it gives your business and how it works.

## What is retargeting

Retargeting is an ad that a user sees after their actions on a company's website, app, or social media. Retargeting campaigns can show users:

- pages they have visited;
- products that were browsed in the online store, but did not place an order.

The purpose of such an advertising campaign is to lead a person to conversion through [**a call to action**](what-is-cta). However, this call is not placed on the brand site, but on other platforms on the Internet. Retargeting is set up for a «cold» audience that is not familiar with the brand, and for «warmed up» customers who have visited the company’s website more than once, but still have not bought.

Retargeting reaches the user through banners on other sites, social networks and mobile applications where advertising is possible.

## Retargeting and remarketing are not the same

These concepts are often confused, but there are differences:

- Retargeting is a campaign for new users who have not yet made a purchase. Such advertising reminds of the brand and increases its awareness.
- Remarketing is a way to retain existing or interested customers and encourage them to buy. In this case, marketers use not only advertising, but also email campaigns.

## Why your business needs retargeting

Advertising usually works for new users. They are not yet in the sales funnel, and it is not necessary that they ever get there. Retargeting audiences are users who are already in the funnel, because they have interacted with the brand. Building communication with them is easier, and retargeting is cheaper.

**What are the benefits of retargeting for businesses?**

- Increasing awareness. For this purpose, retargeting is used by [**70% of marketers**](https://meazy.co/blog/10-retargeting-statistics-2021). Here's how it works. The user starts to come across your brand, products and offers more often. When a person finally has a need for a product or service, your brand will be the first thing that comes to their mind.
- Increasing LTV (Сustomer Lifetime Value). As a result of this, you will get more revenue from users who buy again and again.
- Promotion of the client through the sales funnel and prevention of abandoned carts. Retargeting reminds about left and viewed products, pushes the user to return to the order. This is how the number of purchases grows — according to statistics, the conversion rate [**increases to 150%**](https://meazy.co/blog/10-retargeting-statistics-2021).

## How retargeting work

The user views the content or product on the site or in the mobile app, and later when he visits another digital platform, he sees an advertisement for that object. Retargeting can be set up using Google Ads, social networks, and other services. How it works:

1. A pixel is installed on the site. It is a piece of code that [**tracks the actions**](ak-pixel) of visitors on web pages.
2. Advertising is configured for the audience that the pixel has collected. If you use Google Ads, ads are shown on Google search results and its advertising network (YouTube, Gmail, etc).
3. When the user performs an action on the site (for example, he adds a product to the cart, but does not complete the purchase), the ad finds him and reminds him of an incomplete order.

In most cases, retargeting ads are banners with text and a caption.

## Types of retargeting

There are two types of retargeting depending on the source of information for the campaign. Possible options:

- **Using an existing contact list**. Email addresses or phone numbers are uploaded to social networks like Facebook or Twitter. If there are matches with the data of registered users, the platform serves retargeting ads just to them.

- **Using pixel data**. Ads are displayed to anonymous users after they visit your site. It is a popular and fast way.

*For example, the man went to the pet store website and was browsing the parrot food section. After a while, he sees an advertisement for bird food from this site.*

Retargeting also differs depending on the type of activity:

- **User behavior** on the site or in social networks: clicks, views, incomplete applications, likes, reposts.
- **Search queries**. Retargeting ads will be displayed to a user who has searched for specific products. Such a campaign is set up by keywords.

For example, a person used a search on the website and entered “tourist tent”. In advertising, he sees different models of the tent offered by that site.

There are also static and dynamic retargeting:

- **Static retargeting** shows general brand information. Campaign segments are known in advance. These are all visitors to the site or a particular page, and so on. The advantage of this type of ad is reaching more users, but the disadvantage is the lack of personalization.
- **Dynamic retargeting** takes into account the interests of the user, and shows the specific products or services that this person viewed. Such retargeting is personalized and useful for online stores. 

*For example, a person viewed the page of the N brand smartphone on the website, read the description and reviews, but did not place an order. In this case, advertising of this gadget begins to haunt him.*

## How to set up retargeting

On each platform, retargeting is technically configured in its own way, but the general principles are similar. Let's look at the sequence of actions.

1. **Define a goal**. What do you want to get from the campaign? It can be a decrease in the number of abandoned carts, content virality, an increase in conversions, and so on.
2. **Choose which users to show ads to**. Any website visitors or those who have entered a certain section, or those who are interested in some product?
3. **Come up with a call to action for the ad**. What to offer in advertising: return to the website or place an order.
4. **Set the timing of the marketing campaign**. How long will the banner ads be shown to the customer? You can’t follow the user forever in the hope that he will someday give up and buy.
5. **Select the ad sequence if they are different**. For example, you can show general information first, then promotions, a video, and so on.
6. **Make settings in the selected service** (advertising account of the social network, Google Ads or another). The retargeting campaign is launched for the audience collected through the pixel or for contacts whose data is stored in your database. You can also use the look alike model — the system selects suitable users to display an ad according to existing criteria.

## Retargeting examples

An online clothing store shows similar products that customers have recently searched or viewed.

<Img 
img="/uploads/1_6e3e3fa8da.jpg"
alt=""
/> 

Here is an example from ModCloth. The company follows users and informs them of new arrivals:

<Img 
img="/uploads/2_770da4d2f0.png"
alt=""
/> 

Digital Marketer shows a specific topic that was of interest to the user. This way, if someone visits an article about advertising, they will see an ad for "ad templates" that they can get for free:

<Img 
img="/uploads/3_1345645a92.jpg"
alt=""
/> 

When you search for a phone in online stores, the search engine may show you related products, such as a phone case:

<Img 
img="/uploads/4_eeee6ee146.png"
alt=""
/> 

Users searched for graphic editors. And this is the ads they can see later:

<Img 
img="/uploads/5_505d790759.png"
alt=""
/> 

Another example of retargeting after viewing travel tours:

<Img 
img="/uploads/6_024c7168da.png"
alt=""
/>

## Conclusion

A retargeting campaign is a re-display of information about a company or specific products to a user after visiting a website, social media, or brand app.

Retargeting will increase brand awareness and conversions. It is often used to remind customers of abandoned carts on a website. Do not confuse this method with remarketing, which works to retain existing customers. Retargeting is set up for new users who have already interacted with the brand.

There are dynamic and static retargeting. The first is more personalized and shows the specific products that a user has viewed on the site. The second is just general information. Campaigns can also be set up according to the behavior of users on the website or for specific search queries. For retargeting, the audience collects a pixel (the code that works with cookies on the site), or the company uses its contact database.

In this post, we'll talk about what retargeting is, how it works, and how businesses use retargeting campaigns to increase conversions.

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Retargeting is an opportunity to recapture potential leads if they left your site without converting or meeting a marketing goal.

What is Retargeting and Why Does Your Business Need It

Retargeting: Definition, Types, Steps

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast_marketing_bc95cead53.png"
alt="Podcast Marketing"
/>

Podcasts have taken over the world. There are over [**four million podcasts**](https://www.thepodcasthost.com/listening/podcast-industry-stats/), and the average person listens to eight podcasts per week. Podcasting is like radio, but it's much more convenient because the episodes are available at any time and on different devices.

Podcasters create content for businesses, talk about social and cultural topics, and make entertaining series of podcasts. As a marketing tool, podcasts are a native format that attracts a new audience and increases the loyalty of the existing one.

In this post, we will tell you how a business can use podcasting for promotion, how to create your own podcast. We will also give some examples.

## What is a podcast and why do you need it

A podcast is a pre-recorded audio program that is uploaded to one of the digital platforms. 

The process of creating and promoting podcasts is called podcasting. The word "podcasting" comes from a combination of "iPod" and "broadcasting". It was first used by journalist Ben Hammersley in an [**article**](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/feb/12/broadcasting.digitalmedia) for The Guardian in 2004. So it was not Apple who invented podcasts. It is just that the iPod was one of the MP3 players for listening to audio files. Although the podcasting boom didn't happen at the beginning of the 2000s, useful podcasts began to gain millions of listens in the 2020s.

People often compare podcasts to 21st century radio. The format is similar. Podcasters take interviews, have discussions with multiple people or record monologues on a topic. The only difference with radio is that you can save podcasts as mp3, aac or ogg/vorbis, and listen to them at any time. Separate episodes are released on different topics or set one per season, as in TV shows. Usually podcasts are only audio, but there are YouTube podcasts, where the conversation of the participants is also recorded on video.

Topics for podcasts are not limited by any rules. Podcasters talk about everything that is interesting to listeners: business, psychology, marketing, history, fashion, sports, cinema. They share the latest news and discuss other interesting topics.

Podcasts make it easy for users to get information. Listening to a recording is more convenient than waiting for an online broadcast in the fast pace of life and in a huge flow of information. This format does not tie the user to time, place and device: a person chooses when, where and how to listen to a podcast. Special listening platforms have desktop and mobile versions. Also, any user can download an audio file to the device and not depend on the network. 

Through podcasts, people get news, learn, search for answers to questions, and just have fun while listening in the background, which saves time.

## How marketers can use podcasts

Podcasting in marketing is an additional promotion tool that:

**Expands the target audience of the brand.** People find a podcast on the platform by interest or recommendation, listen and learn about the company that produces or sponsors the episodes. Then users go to the site —  the business gets new leads.

**Increases loyalty.** Podcasts often show the informal side of the company, which humanizes the brand. Live stories of employees, their internal affairs form additional loyalty: people empathize with people. When people are listening to a podcast, they have a sense of presence, and customers become closer to the company.

**Natively advertises.** During the conversation, participants mention the company's products, tell examples and cases in the context of other stories.

Types of podcasts that work as marketing tools:

- **Branded podcast**. This format sometimes replaces brand media or complements the usual blog. Podcasts analyze topics relevant to the audience that are related to the company's product: cases, news and trends.

- [**Affiliate podcasts**](affiliate-marketing-for-beginners). The company's experts come to other podcasters with related topics and make a joint project or a regular feature from their brand. This is how the partner audience learns about your brand, and you get additional traffic to the site.

- **Sponsorship of podcasts**. The company pays for the creation of the project, and the authors regularly advertise the brand. In podcasts, the audience is more loyal to advertising and doesn't scroll through it as often as in a video. Sometimes this is simply inconvenient. For example, when the user listens to an audio broadcast while driving.

## How to create and promote your podcast

### 1. Looking for a topic

Think about what topic the brand will talk about in the podcast to promote your product. Broadcasts should not be only advertising, you should give your audience some value. For example, a fitness clothing brand may invite trainers, nutritionists and other professionals for interviews to talk about sports and healthy eating. Don't talk about everything, be specific about the topic.

### 2. Determining the format and preparing a plan

Decide how to convey information. You can do a classic interview, choose a format with one narrator, or come up with a detective audio series with musical accompaniment. Write an outline with the number of episodes and the names of the guests. Specify whether you want to add welcome music beats or sound effects.

### 3. Writing a script

The best improvisation is good preparation. Even in a live conversation, you need a script, an understanding of how the conversation will be moderated. If the podcast is planned to be narrative (for example, in the format of a series), the script needs to be accurate.

### 4. Recording the broadcast

Broadcast recording is resource and capacity dependent. If the participants are in different locations, recording a phone call can be a way to go. If podcasters can get together offline, they go to professional studios, record audio in a quiet room using microphones, or even use voice recorders to get started.

### 5. Editing an audio file

The sound quality of a podcast is important. Clean up the recording from pauses, sighs, noises, and even filler words from speakers. The audience should enjoy listening to you. You can use one of the editing programs such as Audacity. Add a jingle. It is a short audio intro, that you can find on free resources or recorded by yourself.

### 6. Publishing on podcast platforms

The podcast is uploaded to a website or special hosting service via RSS technology. RSS feed connects to podcasting platforms and automatically submit content each time a new episode is published. You will also need podcast covers and descriptions in order to add a podcast to the service. Here are popular podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, SoundCloud.

## Podcast promotion

Regularity is important for podcasting. This way platform users will see your activity. Set a rule to publish a new episode once a week or two, or set a different frequency of publications.

**Here are the methods of promotion:**

**Through podcast platforms**, that put new or interesting episodes at the top of the list. Learn the rules of the site: somewhere you have to pay for advertising, and somewhere you just need to explain why your podcast deserves attention.

**Publication on social networks.** Leave a link to the podcast on social networks: personal or brand accounts. Ask the audience to rate and share the episode. There are also ads on social media that promote any content formats.

**Promotion through the media.** Contact the editor of a publication that writes about your business niche. If the journalist finds the podcast interesting, you will receive free advertising.

## Podcast examples

There are thousands of podcasts on the platforms. Let’s take a look at some of them.

### Branded Podcasts 

[**TRAINED by Nike**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trained/id1414073313)

The podcast focuses on healthy lifestyle topics such as mind, move, nutrition, recovery and sleep. Host Jaclyn Byrer talks to athletes, psychologists, researchers, doctors, coaches and other experts.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast7_1a81c69419.png"
alt="TRAINED by Nike"
/>

[**Wireframe by Adobe**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wireframe/id1437677219)

The podcast explores the principles of good design and discusses tips on how to make great branding.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast8_4dd6e3ce96.png"
alt="Wireframe by Adobe"
/>

[**2 Minutes of Zen by Zenduim**](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-minutes-of-zen/id1462196753)

The Host discusses with leading health experts quick and easy health hacks you can do while brushing your teeth to keep your mind, body and mouth healthy.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast5_5d1cd27dc4.png"
alt="2 Minutes of Zen by Zenduim"
/>

### Other podcasts

[**Best Interview Show: Entrepreneurs On Fire**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/entrepreneurs-on-fire/id564001633)

On the podcast, John Lee Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs, celebrities like Tim Ferris and Tony Robbins, as well as lesser known people. The episodes cover how to build a business with just an idea, how to improve overall productivity, and how best to use Facebook ads.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast2_c284994727.png"
alt="Best Interview Show: Entrepreneurs On Fire"
/>

[**Best from the Ivy League: HBR IdeaCast**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hbr-ideacast/id152022135)

The short episodes highlight the concepts that major companies around the world are thinking about and using to increase their competitive advantage and productivity. Recent topics include how to manage someone who is too fond of interacting with their co-workers, challenges minorities face at work, and out-of-the-box ways of thinking.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast3_773268180f.png"
alt="Best from the Ivy League: HBR IdeaCast"
/>

[**Best Practical Tips: The $100 MBA**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-%24100-mba-show/id906218859)
 
In the podcast, Omar Zenhom teaches everything you need to know about building a business: how to invest in your business, how to set your rates, email list growth strategies, and a seemingly endless list of other topics.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast6_862463f6aa.png"
alt="Best Practical Tips: The $100 MBA"
/>

[**Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-school-digital-marketing-and-online/id1138869817)

In this podcast, Neil Patel and Eric Siu, CEO of marketing agency Single Grain, cover a wide range of marketing topics. The duo discusses [**NFT in relation to marketing**](what-is-nft) and why Web3 is the future of marketing.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast4_3d30ccdde0.png"
alt="Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips"
/>

[**Everything Is Marketing**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-marketing/id1549291757)

Here you will find a variety of themes presented. For example, cold email tactics with Laura Lopuch or buying and growing a Shopify SaaS app with Daniel Mitchell and Andrew Gazdecki.

<Img
img="/uploads/podcast1_e840e7c88a.png"
alt="Everything Is Marketing"
/>

## Conclusion

A podcast is an audio program on a specific topic in the format of an interview, discussion or author's monologue. This type of media content is similar to radio, but episodes are available at any time on different types of devices. Podcasting expands the brand's audience, natively advertises the company's products and increases customer loyalty. When it comes to marketing, businesses can create branded podcasts, partner projects, or simply act as sponsors.

To create your own podcast, you need to come up with a topic, think over the format and write a script. The next step is to record an audio file, edit it and upload it to hosting platforms via RSS (a technology that automatically shows a podcast from a host on connected sites). Then all you have to do is to promote your podcast on podcasting platforms or through social networks and media.

Podcasting is easy-to-consume content that doesn't take up a lot of your time. Users often listen to recordings in the background when they are doing other things, so they are less likely to rewind ads.

In this post, we talk about what is podcasting, how to use podcasts in marketing, and how to create and promote your podcast.

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A podcast is easy-to-consume content that helps businesses grow. Learn how to create and publish your first episode.

Podcast Marketing: How to Use Podcasts for Promotion

Podcast Marketing: How to Use Podcasts to Promote Your Business

<Img 
img="/uploads/mql_i_sql_e8f1b52ac4.png"
alt="Competitive analysis"
/>

**A lead** is any potential customer who is directly or indirectly interested in your product or service. Each lead is unique. Each of them has its own needs and motives. They are at different stages of making a purchase. You need to know the degree of lead warming up to fix the moment when you need to push the client to the target action. If you rush or be late, you can lose a lead.

In most companies, the marketing department works first with the lead, and then the sales department takes over. The transfer will take place when an MQL becomes an SQL. In other words, when a marketing qualified lead enters the state of a sales qualified lead. Let's talk about this in the article.

## Marketing qualified lead (MQL)

You can determine which category a lead belongs to (MQL or SQL) based on the characteristics and behavior of the client. **Qualified marketing leads** show through their actions that they are interested in your product. Here are a few signs that distinguish them from those who are not interested in your company at all:

- They click a link.
- They browse your site, maybe a few times.
- They use a lead magnet: download a guide, participate in a survey, etc.
- They look through the items and add something to the cart.
- They look for extended information about your company or your product.
- They subscribe to the newsletter.
- They attend a free webinar.
- [**They read your blog.**](/blog)
- They are the first to contact you: they message in social networks, start a dialogue with a chat bot, or order a call back.

Marketing qualified leads stand for **engaged leads.** Remember that MQLs don’t express willingness to buy, although they correspond to the profile of your [**target audience**](creating-a-customer-profile). The company acquires MQLs through search engine optimization, PPC ads on social media, content and email marketing.

## Sales qualified lead (SQL)

**Sales qualified leads** are characterized by a pronounced readiness to make a purchase. They are highly active in promotional events and actively discuss the details of the deal with the manager. SQLs are **proven or promising leads.**

Actions specific to SQLs:
- They visit your site multiple times.
- They read newsletters and respond to value propositions.
- They are well informed about your company and product.
- They are interested in a product demo.
- Ready to discuss [**the cost**](/prices) and talk to the sales rep.
- They contact you on the recommendation of your regular customers.
- They are going to buy urgently or know the exact date of purchase.

## Business must know MQL and SQL

For clarity, let's summarize the differences between MQLs and SQLs in a table:

<Table>
|  | **Marketing qualified lead** | **Sales qualified lead** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ |
| **Position in the sales funnel** | Enter the funnel earlier than SQLs. Occupy starting positions. | Located closer to the peak of the sales funnel. |
| **Lead processing speed** | It is necessary to carry out preparatory work that takes a lot of time before a potential client moves into the MQL category. The same applies to the transition from MQL to SQL: the lead warms up gradually, weeks and months can pass. | Once a user becomes SQL, all processes associated with it are accelerated. It is important to be proactive here: delay can result in the loss of a client. |
| **Number of leads** | In business, there are always more MQLs than SQLs. | Ideally, as a result of well-coordinated marketing actions, each MQL should become an SQL, but in practice this doesn’t happen. |
| **Degree of involvement** | MQLs are just getting to know you and your offer. Compared to SQLs, marketing qualified leads are characterized by a lower degree of engagement and [**loyalty.**](customer-loyalty) | SQLs are more interested in your company, marketing campaigns and product. They are aware that the product can solve their needs. |
</Table>

<Img 
img="/uploads/MQL_and_SQL_03a26e1d04.jpg"
alt="MQL and SQL"
/>

The task of every business is to be able to distinguish between MQL and SQL, because the principle of working with a specific lead depends on it. A spot approach will save you time and money. It is wrong to determine the degree of the buyer’s readiness for the purchase intuitively or with the help of “fortune-telling”.

Get your marketing and sales departments working together smoothly. This will double the effectiveness of the work with leads. Strong business is characterized by a large flow of MQLs, most of which become SQLs. The profit of the company directly depends on this indicator.

In this article, we talk about what SQL and MQL are, how they differ, and why businesses should know MQL and SQL.

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What is the difference between MQL and SQL and why companies need to know them.

SQL and MQL: What They Are and How They Differ

MQL and SQL: What's the Difference

<Img 
img="/uploads/konkurentnyj_analiz_871647e363.jpg"
alt="Competitive analysis"
/>

Entering the market blindly with a new product is a risk for a company. If you encounter a strong player there, the whole business plan will probably collapse and losses will follow. Even if your business has been operating for a long time, you shouldn’t underestimate existing competitors. The only way to stay competitive is to «run faster» than other companies with a similar product, or at least keep up with them. Perfect knowledge of your competitors plays a key role here. To achieve this, you need to conduct a competitive analysis.

Competitor research takes time and resources, but it pays off after all: the company reduces uncertainty, understands better how to grow the business, and makes fewer planning mistakes.

We will tell you what the analysis of competitors consists of: stages and methods, what benefits the knowledge of competitors brings to the business.

## What is competitive analysis

**Competitive analysis** is the research of a company's competitors from the same field to bring products to the market and improve existing ones. The purpose of competitor analysis is to understand the disadvantages and advantages of competitors, their marketing features and development strategies, and then, based on this knowledge, correctly create your own business plan or edit an existing one.

Analysis and evaluation of competitors are regularly carried out to maintain market positions and improve products and services, as well as when launching new products.

What does competitive analysis do for your business:
- Forms adequate pricing.
- Shows the strengths and weaknesses of competitors and your company.
- Find gaps in your business.
- Gives a complete picture of the market where the business operates.
- Predicts negative consequences caused by wrong strategies.
- Shows business trends.
- Finds ideas and opportunities for company development.

## How to look for competitors and what they are

Competitors include all organizations that create and sell the same or similar products. There are three types:

**Direct competitors** are companies that offer similar goods and services to a similar target audience.

**Indirect competitors** work with the same target audience, but offer different goods or services in the same category.

**Replacement competitors** exist outside your product category, but they satisfy a similar customer need. 

### How to find competitors

It depends on the capabilities of the company and the type of business: offline or online, B2C or B2B, etc.

**Search options:**

- analysis of advertising that a search engine shows if you enter a query containing your product or service;
- search queries on your topic in Google or Yandex;
- review sites;
- ratings of companies in the media;
- surveys of your customers;
- maps (for offline business);
- search for competitors on marketplaces.

## How to do competitor analysis:

**1. Set goals and choose the direction of competitive analysis.** For example, a company can research only pricing policy to form its own correctly, or specific product lines. The goal emerges from the problem that the business is going to solve: find the best price, improve the product and promotion methods, etc.

**2. Make a list of competitors for analysis.** It is not necessary to analyze all existing competitors — it is enough to evaluate the main ones. The choice of the number of competitors depends on the resources of the company.

**3. Identify sources for data collection**: company website, public reports, ratings, social networks, reviews and other available channels.

**4. Select competitor research methods**: SWOT analysis, 7P, PEST and others (see below).

**5. Collect data and create a map of competitors.** Include them into a single table to simplify the work. The competitor analysis table includes:

- Company staff and management. 
- Competitor's product features: size, type, packaging, and other characteristics.
- Product line: filling and volume.
- Estimated percentage of market share.
- Product quality and price ratio.
- Competitor pricing and discounts.
- Marketing metrics: site positions, SEO-promotion, strategy, advertising. Brand positioning and corporate identity.
- Channels for attracting and retaining customers: newsletters, gifts, events and others.
- Geography of the competitor: in which countries, regions and districts business operates.
- Unique features of competitors.
- Work of the company's staff.
- Organization of business processes.
- Strengths and weaknesses.
- Customer reviews and positions in industry ratings.

<Note>
Important! Add to the competitor map only the data that is needed to achieve the goal of the analysis.
</Note>

**6. Carry out analysis using one or more methods.**

**7. Draw conclusions and act.**

## Competitive analysis methods

There is no single benchmark for competitive analysis. The company chooses the one that meets the needs. Consider the classical techniques that are used separately and in combination with others.

### Comparison and evaluation 

It is the easiest way. Take a map of competitors and compare your company with each of the list on a ten-point scale and according to the criterion «yes» or «no».

<Table>
| | **Your business** | **Company A** | **Company B** | **Company C** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Product quality | 8 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| Delivery speed | 5 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
| Customer reviews | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Installment | yes | yes | no | yes |
</Table>

### 7Рs

This is a classic marketing scheme consisting of seven parameters:

<Table>
| **Element** | **Description** | 
| ------ | ------ |
| Product | The product received by the end user, its brand identity, characteristics, uniqueness. |
| Price | Pricing policy of the company: retail and wholesale cost, the possibility of discounts. |
| Place | Online or offline platforms, distribution on shelves in offline stores and storage conditions. |
| Promotion | Advertising, [**social media marketing**](self-marketing-how-to-promote-yourself-on-social-media), events, company promotions. |
| People | Company staff who are responsible for sales to the end user. |
| Process | How the buyer and seller interact. |
| Physical evidence | What the customer sees when they buy a product or receive a service. |
</Table>

Each element is described and assessed in a point system.

### Analysis of digital resources of competitors

**What elements are evaluated:**

<Table>
| **Element** | **Description** | 
| ------ | ------ |
| Company website | Clearness and correctness of texts, site navigation convenience. Loading speed and correct operation of elements (for example, subscription forms). How much the site «sells» and SEO parameters. |
| Social media | How the brand leads social media: content, targeted advertising. How to communicate with users in the comments. |
| Advertising | What platforms and what calls to action does the competitor use, what keywords are promoted in contextual advertising. |
</Table>

### SWOT analysis

Comparison of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is also a classic marketing analysis that is suitable for studying competitors.

As usual, strengths and weaknesses are chosen as follows: company product, finance, staff organization, marketing, the state of production, the company's flexibility, which is responsible for the ability to adapt to change. For opportunities and threats, take into account scientific and technological progress, level of competition, demand for product, economic situation. Each item is described and evaluated on a ten-point scale.

<Img 
img="/uploads/swot_analysis_9fca9cad0e.png"
alt="SWOT analysis"
/>

### PEST analysis

The method evaluates the business of competitors according to environmental factors that affect the company. The analysis finds market trends and can be combined with SWOT analysis.

**What factors are included in the PEST analysis:**

- **Political.** Legal environment of the company’s industry. 
- **Economical.** Economic development, inflation, currency hikes, income and other.
- **Socio-cultural.** Education and age, cultural characteristics, tastes of the audience.
- **Technological.** Technology development, innovation, the role of the Internet in business development.

### Porter's five forces

Porter's five forces model determines the strength of competitors, threats, finds competitive advantages and shows how to choose a niche and position a product correctly.

**What elements does it consist of:**

<Img 
img="/uploads/Porter_s_model_522a645a27.png"
alt="Porter's five forces"
/>

**Threat of new competitors**

If new companies come in with advanced technologies and innovative products, they are likely to «take» the company's customers in the existing market. The possibility of a competitor appearing through the entrance barrier to the industry is assessed.

**Bargaining power of buyers**

Analyze customer requirements for the product, satisfaction with goods and services. With high demands, the company will have to improve quality. Also, the company is affected by the volume of purchases: if the client makes large orders, he can dictate his terms. Especially when there are enough analogues on the market.

**Bargaining power of suppliers**

The business depends on the change in the price of products by the supplier. Analyze the volume of goods deliveries, alternatives and status of suppliers: monopoly or multivariate market.

**Threat of substitute products or services**

The client will change your product for an analogue if it turns out to be a good value for money. Therefore, it’s important to take into account the possibility of the appearance of such goods and create the uniqueness of your product in order to prevent substitution.

**Competition within the industry**

It shows how many players are on the market, the threshold for entering the industry, what conditions each offers, what alternatives there are for the client.

## Competitive Analysis Example

An [**EdTech company**](marketing-automation-for-online-education) is going to release a new online course.

1. **Purpose**: to determine the optimal price of a new product on the market — a course on financial literacy.
2. The list of competitors includes only players whose course cost is more than $300 and who conduct courses online and offline in St. Petersburg. These are companies A, B, C.
3. Sources for finding information: company websites, trial webinars, feedback from participants.
4. Choose SWOT analysis as a method.
5. Make a map of competitors who have a similar course and include only the necessary data:

<Table>
|  | **Company A** | **Company B** | **Company C** | 
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Course format | online | online | offline |
| Course duration | 3 weeks | 4 weeks | 2 weeks |
| Price for the same exchange rate in dollars | 300 | 350 | 330 |
| Minimum discount | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| Maximum discount | 40% | 25% | 30% |
| Availability of installments | yes | no | no |
| Price-quality ratio in points 1-10 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
</Table>

6. Conduct a SWOT analysis of each competitor. On the example of Company A:

<Img 
img="/uploads/SWOT_table_e48a2fe666.png"
alt="SWOT analysis"
/>

7. Draw your own conclusions. For example, during the analysis, it turned out that the course of our company is more informative than that of competitors. There is an option with individual support, which others don’t have. Then it’s reasonable to set the price higher than $700.

## Resume

Competitive analysis is the process of studying competitors to scale a business, eliminate shortcomings in work, and bring new products to market. Business investigates direct, indirect and replacement competitors through available channels: company websites, social media, ratings, reviews, search results, maps and other ways. 

For analysis, a map of competitors is compiled with the main characteristics of their businesses: product, marketing, staff work, prices. Also choose one of the research methods: comparison with evaluation, digital analysis of company resources, 7P model, SWOT or PEST analysis, Porter's five forces analysis. The company uses a convenient method that is suitable to achieve the purpose of the analysis.

Learn more about what competitor analysis consists of: stages and methods, what benefits the knowledge of competitors brings to a business.

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It is important to know your competitors perfectly. The best way to do this is to conduct competitive analysis.

What Is Competitive Analysis, How and Why to Conduct It

Competitive Analysis: When, Why and How to Conduct

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Influencer marketing has become a popular choice nowadays.  As more and more businesses value their public image, influencers have done great things to close the gap between the customer and the business. Instagram, YouTube, and even Facebook have become robust platforms for expanding your brand.

Today, we’ll be discussing the benefits of influencer marketing, and the best ways to attract influencers to your brand.

## Why Do Influencers Work?

Influencers are effective for a variety of reasons. For starters, they have access to a vast audience, meaning the business doesn’t have to do the work of reaching out to them. Secondly, more often than not, influencers you pick are likely part of the demographic you sell products or services to. 

By extension, that means anybody they advertise to is also likely to use your product. That’s only scratching the surface of how [**influencers add more spice**](https://bekinly.com/6-instagram-influencers-to-spice-up-your-social-media/) to your marketing campaigns.

### Brand Awareness

As detailed, influencers excel at spreading brand awareness. Influencers don’t just give businesses access to a different demographic. The influencers also do the hard work of selling the brand to their audience. By using several influencers, businesses get their brand name stuck in people’s minds.

### Customer Trust

Influencers are one of the easiest ways to [**gain customer trust**](customer-trust). People are more likely to trust an influencer’s opinion than the business’ itself. For example, if a potential lead is looking for a new place nearby to eat, and the influencer just so happens to be sponsored by your restaurant, they are much more likely to give your place a try.

### Versatile

Influencers are a versatile asset. There are influencers at nearly every level of the business budget. Your small business could easily find people willing to be paid reasonable rates to advertise your brand.  In many cases, small influencers in your local area offer much better ROI than large influencers. 

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## How To Attract Influencers

There’s no one surefire way to attract influencers, but these have proven to be the most reliable.

### Offer Sponsorships

The most direct and effective way, though on the costlier side, is by offering to sponsor their content. This is a popular method, often seen on YouTube. Brands such as Honey, NordVPN, Raid: Shadow Legends, and G-Fuel consistently show how effective influencer marketing is.  People will be much more interested in doing things if they are properly compensated.

### Create Great Content

Offering a sponsorship might be direct, but that’s not where you should stop. Influencers unfamiliar with your brand (which is likely for a small business) are bound to check your social media and website. 

In preparation for this, ensure that the content on your brand is well-made and informative. This lends your business much-needed [**social PR impact**](https://www.galacticfed.com/blog/what-is-social-pr) to push the influencer to your side.

### Shout Outs

If there’s a specific influencer you are targeting, make sure to give them a shout-out on social media. Don’t do so in an awkward and unprofessional way, of course. Integrate the influencer seamlessly into your content. 

For example, if they are a tech channel, include them in a list of “Fun and Informative YouTube Channels For Your Tech Needs”. Influencers will appreciate the good press and might even give your brand a shout-out. A [**small business referral program**](https://www.hourly.io/post/referral-program) for those who shout out your business is a great way to supplement this strength.

### Offer Solid Data

Get scientific with your pitch to influencers. While being charming and friendly is important, you also need to show influencers they aren’t on a sinking ship. Influencers want sponsorships from successful businesses. 

It’s a mutually beneficial partnership that proves the influencer and the business are credible. This is where hard data comes in. Show how successful your brand has been without influencers. From there, showcase the new heights you’ll reach with their help.

### Appeal To Their Interests

You have the hard data. You’ve shouted them out. You even offered to sponsor them. However, there’s still one hurdle, and that’s getting them interested in the first place. Yes, money and reputation are strong motivators, but that becomes a deteriorating point when you start going [**for bigger influencers**](what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy).

That’s why you need to be appealing to the influencer. It helps negotiations as well. If they like your product, they are much more likely to compromise. To make things easier for yourself, give the influencer’s social media a look. Focus on the things they like, and think of ways that your business is related to their interests.

## Conclusion

Influencers can be a strong aspect of your marketing.  They act as ambassadors for your brand and are charismatic enough to bring more leads to your business. However, the process of getting them on board is arduous. You need to know how to sell your brand to influencers in a pleasing way.

In this article, we will discuss the benefits of influencer marketing, and the best ways to attract influencers to your brand.

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Influencers can be a strong aspect of your marketing. Learn how to sell your brand to influencers in a pleasing way.

How to Find Influencers to Promote Your Small Business

5 Ways to Find Effective Influencers to Promote Your Small Business

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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.

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### 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.

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### 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.

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img="/uploads/gamespot_sms_2_0752474091.png"
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### 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.

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### 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.

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### Wishing happy holidays

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

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### 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.

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img="/uploads/verizon_sms_2_dc87e2fd93.png"
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## 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. 

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

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