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

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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

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Partners with Altcraft

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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/rassylki_whatsapp_16d60919ba.png"
alt="WhatsApp Newsletters"
/>

WhatsApp* is the most used messaging app in the world with [**two billion users**](https://www.statista.com/topics/2018/whatsapp/#dossierContents__outerWrapper). It can be used to quickly communicate with customers, increase [**sales conversion up to 112%**](https://m.aisensy.com/blog/whatsapp-statistics-for-businesses/), send files, and integrate with your CRM and other services. All this is beneficial for business.

WhatsApp offers its own business solutions. You can send messages to customers manually through the WhatsApp Business App or automatically through the WhatsApp Business API.

In this post, you will learn why businesses benefit from communicating with customers on WhatsApp, as well as the basic rules for such newsletters.

## How WhatsApp newsletters work

<Note>
WhatsApp newsletter is a one-to-many message that a company sends to users through a business account. WhatsApp supports different formats such as text, emoji, images, video and audio files, documents, buttons and links.
</Note>

**For business newsletters, the messaging app has two main options:**

**WhatsApp Business App** is an application where a marketer manually creates and sends messages to a group of contacts. There are 15,000 messages available per month. The number of contacts is also limited; you can send to 256 contacts at a time. There is no such functionality as integration with third-party services and importing a list of contacts, so this option is more suitable for micro and small businesses. Only one phone number (mobile) can be linked to an account.

<Img
img="/uploads/example_of_products_catalog_on_whatsapp_242a45a0da.png"
alt="WhatsApp Business product catalog"
src="In WhatsApp Business, you can add products in the catalog and send them to contacts."
/>

**WhatsApp Business API** is a solution that allows you to connect CRM and other services. It is possible to automate campaigns and integrate a chatbot without the risk of falling into WhatsApp spam. This option is a little more complicated for businesses because it requires configuration and sometimes involves experts with knowledge of code. The services that WhatsApp integrates with are paid, but make it easier to reach customers through trigger emails or workflows. The app also offers to create message templates that are approved by the system before being sent to users.

### Newsletters via personal accounts

Any user can send messages to a group of contacts, but this is not a good option for business. There is a risk of being blocked. Besides, you can't reach a large audience because the number of messages is limited. Personal accounts are best reserved for communication within the team or with partners.

The personal user account is not credible for mass messaging because it does not pass verification as an official account. In this case, it is also impossible to integrate with third-party services for automation.

### Newsletters via WhatsApp groups

When you send messages to a WhatsApp group, it is also a newsletter, but without personalization. But there are some disadvantages. The main one is that subscribers sometimes miss information in the chat. Secondly, if you add people to a group without their consent and send promotional messages there, it may be considered spam on WhatsApp. Thirdly, new participants do not see previous messages. They see only those that are sent after they join the chat. So you often have to duplicate information, which is annoying. WhatsApp groups are more of a communication tool for a small team within a company, rather than a tool for mass messaging customers.

## What businesses benefit from WhatsApp newsletters

- **High open rate.** WhatsApp messages get [**98% open rates**](https://m.aisensy.com/blog/whatsapp-statistics-for-businesses/), which is higher than SMS and email.
- **Messages do not go to the spam folder** because there is no such thing as a spam folder.
- **Different content formats are available:** images, texts, video and audio.
- **Instant information delivery.** Users check the inbox a couple of times a day, while a phone is always at hand.
- **There are message statistics to analyze the effectiveness of the campaign.**
- **Automation is available:** chatbots and third-party services integrated via API.
- Regular personal messages via WhatsApp is the key to customer loyalty. Especially if you quickly inform users about the status of the order and delivery.
- **The sender is trusted.** WhatsApp tags official accounts, so users know that this is a company rep sending messages to him, and not a fake account.
- **Attraction of new customers.** Leads from your site or advertising are redirected to the [**messenger**](messenger-marketing).

## WhatsApp newsletter rules

First of all, read the [**WhatsApp business policy**](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-policy/?lang=en) of WhatsApp and also follow the rules:

**1. WhatsApp newsletters cannot be directly advertising.** It is recommended to send welcome and engaging messages first, carefully leading the person to purchase. Messenger maintains its reputation as a communication tool. Although it has its own business apps, it does not like direct, much less intrusive sales pitches.

**2. It is acceptable to inform in messages about events**, order statuses, payments and appointments, as well as send news and useful content. Customer support through video and voice messages is also used on WhatsApp.

<Img
img="/uploads/whatsapp_chat_3_5c69915bca.png"
alt="Inform the customer about prices"
/>

**3. Mass messaging on WhatsApp is not allowed without permission from users.** The user must opt-in and confirm that he or she wishes to receive future messages from your company. 

It is safe to send messages to customers who have added your business account to their contact list. Don't buy someone else's contact lists. This is a sure way to block.

**4. The company must use an approved message template** to initiate a dialogue with a user. 

**5. Remove the user from your mailing list immediately after the first complaint** or request.

**6. It is possible to automate sending messages within 24 hours** from the beginning of the dialogue with the user, but there should be an option to switch to communication with the manager.

**7. WhatsApp does not approve the newsletter** when too much information is sent to one user.

### How to pay for newsletters on WhatsApp Business

When you send messages using the WhatsApp Business API, you are [**charged for the number of sessions**](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing/), and not for the number of messages. 

The business sends a message and starts the session. From now on, there are 24 hours when the business and the user can exchange messages. After 24 hours, the business can start a new session. It will be charged again.

Charges for conversations depend on who starts the dialogue. If the company messages first, the price of such a conversation is higher. When it is the user who starts out, it is cheaper. But if the customer comes from an advertisement that leads to a text message, There is no charge for the conversation, if the user messages the business using call-to-actions buttons on Ads that Click to WhatsApp or Facebook Page call-to-action buttons.

You don't always have to use paid WhatsApp, there are no-cost options. For example, the WhatsApp Business API provides 1,000 free messages that are available for a month. Even if a WABA has multiple numbers attached, the free tier threshold is still 1000.

WhatsApp newsletters from personal accounts are free, but only suitable for micro-businesses. There is a limit of 256 messages and the risks of getting into spam. Besides, you can not import the contact list. That’s why small and medium-sized companies choose a WhatsApp Business account, which will bring more benefits.

## How to send newsletters on WhatsApp

First, collect the contact list through advertising. To do this, set up a transition to the app. Install the WhatsApp widget on your site, make an announcement in your social networks about a new communication channel.

**1. Create an account in the WhatsApp Business app or select the WhatsApp Business API.** When it comes to the second option, you will have to choose a provider — a third-party service with an interface for sending campaigns. We recommend [**Altcraft Platform**](/features/messengers) for marketing automation. Specialists will connect not only WhatsApp, but any other promotion channel.

<Img
img="/uploads/message_templates_in_altcraft_platform_931e9bfaf4.png"
alt="WhatsApp message templates in Altcraft Platform"
src="WhatsApp message templates in Altcraft Platform"
/>

**2. Get verified.** You will get a WhatsApp Green Tick that confirms that your account is actually owned by the company.

**3. Plan your campaign.** Set the frequency and schedule for sending a message, think over the content and [**CTA options**](what-is-cta). [**Segment your audience**](how-and-why-to-segment-target-audience) and decide which group gets which message.

**4. Decide how to communicate with customers on WhatsApp.** Will it be a personal communication with the manager or do you want to use a chatbot?

**5. Schedule message chains.**

**6. Prepare templates** for sending at each step of the scenario and set up the chain in a special service.

**7. Import the contact list** (only available for WABA).

**8. Send the messages and monitor the result.** Adjust if necessary.

Without the WhatsApp Business API, automation steps are excluded. If you use the WhatsApp Business App, click the menu button and select "New list” in the menu and create a list for sending messages. In the case of a personal account, it is enough to select "New broadcast" in the menu and the users to whom it should come.

Whatever method you use, it is important to give the user the option to opt out. This is how you show respect to the customer, and at the same time insure your account against complaints.

## Conclusion

A WhatsApp newsletter is a cost-effective and reliable way of personalized communication with customers. Businesses use the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business API. The latter makes it possible to send an unlimited number of messages and automate communication through third-party services.

By sending messages through WhatsApp, you get higher deliverability and open rates, as well as customer loyalty. But it is important to comply with the requirements of the app. Do not send ads, but engage subscribers. You also need to send messages only to those users who have agreed to a dialogue with your company.

If you decide to do WhatsApp newsletters, start by registering a WhatsApp business account and verifying it. Then think through your content plan and scenarios. Next, segment the audience and prepare a different message template for each type. In the case of the WhatsApp Business API, import your contact list. If you are dealing with WhatsApp Business, add the recipients manually. After your WhatsApp campaign goes out, do not forget to analyze and improve it. 

**Meta and its products are recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation.*

Find out what business benefits from communicating with customers on WhatsApp, what rules to follow and how to run a WhatsApp campaign.

medium_rassylki-whatsapp.png

small_rassylki-whatsapp.png

thumbnail_rassylki-whatsapp.png

rassylki-whatsapp.png

WhatsApp offers its own business solutions. Use them to communicate with your customers.

WhatsApp Newsletters: Settings, Benefits and Rules

WhatsApp Newsletters: How to Do It Right

<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.

medium_Блог (1).png

small_Блог (1).png

thumbnail_Блог (1).png

Блог (1).png

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/How_to_Reduce_Cart_Abandonment_Rate_c3b28f1af3.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate" 
/>
 
According to [**FinancesOnline**](https://financesonline.com/statistics-shopping-cart-abandonment-statistics/), online stores lost more than four billion dollars in 2021 due to incomplete purchases on the site. Abandoned cart is a common occurrence for an online store. It happens when a user adds items to the shopping cart on an e-commerce site but does not complete the purchase. The reasons are different. Customers change their minds about a product during checkout, refuse to buy because of an inconvenient interface or an expensive final price. 

However, it is worth working with abandoned carts. One of the best ways to do this is to remind users about the items in the cart by sending emails. The [**Open Rate**](https://www.cloudways.com/blog/shopping-cart-abandonment-statistics/#statistic-13) of such emails reaches 45%, and 11% of users who open this email end up placing an order.

In the post, we will explain why users change their decision to buy, and also show examples of emails that force the user to complete the order.

## Why Users Abandon Carts 

**Shipping is too expensive or inconvenient.** [**48% of buyers**](https://baymard.com/lists/cart-abandonment-rate) abandon a purchase due to additional shipping costs, taxes and fees. Especially if the final cost can only be found in the basket. Another common reason for changing the decision is the speed of delivery.

**Website is slow.** In the age of fast internet, no one wants to wait. 70% of users say that a [**slow site speed**](ways-to-keep-visitors-on-your-website) affects their buying decision.

**The buying process is long and complicated.** If new users have to create an account, fill out dozens of fields, go through authorization and figure out how everything works, they will most likely give up halfway through and find a way to checkout faster on another site.

**There are problems with payment.** Customers abandon the cart if there is no convenient payment method or their cards are rejected by the service. A potential client leaves disappointed.

The reason for refusal can also be a suspicious payment method. If the store offers to pay for the items by clicking on the link, this looks like phishing — one of the ways scammers steal card data.

**The site is experiencing errors.** Inactive buttons, broken layout, strange error notifications prevent users from placing an order. Only the most motivated customers will be able to go through all this garbage, the rest will leave.

**The user is not going to buy.** He puts items in the cart because it is easier than adding them to favorites. This happens when the site does not provide a function that allows users to mark the item they like.

**The user forgot about the purchase.** Start placing an order, but get distracted by something else and forget about the purchase is a standard situation. Humans are imperfect, and distractions are on the rise in the digital world. Sometimes a person is just contemplating a purchase. In this case, your reminder may push him to complete the order.

## How to deal with abandoned carts

It is impossible to completely get rid of abandoned carts, but you can and should work with them. Learn what prevents users from placing orders. To do this, use [**analytics systems**](how-to-use-end-to-end-analytics) and other available methods. Then you can start working on the problem. 

If the reason is ‘absent-mindedness’, a reminder message will save the purchase. You can remind about the items in the cart using email, [**push notifications**](in-depth-guide-on-web-push-notifications) or retargeting.

You can send a single message or set up a chain of notifications that the user will receive some time after they leave the site or application.

<Note>
NB! Be sure to add the items that the customer has chosen to the abandoned cart trigger. Also include a direct link from the email to make it easier for the user to navigate to the shopping cart page.
</Note>

## Examples of abandoned cart emails

Let's take a look at a few emails that brands send to their customers who have abandoned shopping carts on the site.

<Img
img="/uploads/boohoo1_2a0a98e029.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

This triggered message hints to the user that the product may run out. A message from the brand says that the items in the basket “won’t be around for long". This is where the client's fear of missing out on a profit should come into play.

The store does not end the campaign after one reminder. The next day, the user receives a second message with the subject line “We’ve cut the cost of your items”, where he is offered a [**promotional code**](how-to-use-promo-codes-for-business). Such a move encourages those buyers who did not complete the order because of the cost of purchases.

<Img
img="/uploads/boohoo2_b270936e02.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

The same mechanism is used by the clothing store *Steve Madden*. There is a slight difference. They wait longer (3 days) before sending the promo code to the user.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/steve_madden_3_3b67113d12.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/steve_madden_3_3b67113d12.png"
description="Steve Madden"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/steve_madden_2_de32583587.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/steve_madden_2_de32583587.png"
description="Steve Madden"
/>
</Gallery>

Not only large online stores work with abandoned carts, but also niche projects. Due to the friendly and almost conversational style, such campaigns get high conversions. Small businesses also do not forget about the benefits for their customers.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pipcorn_1_d82d642fae.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pipcorn_1_d82d642fae.png"
description="Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/pipcorn_2_7dbfa0abe6.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/pipcorn_2_7dbfa0abe6.png"
description="Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks"
/>
</Gallery>

Abandoned carts are not only for online stores. Streaming services also remind you of pending orders. For example, you once tried to buy a subscription, but stopped at the last step. Netflix sends an email asking you to finish signing up. Realizing that the subscriber was most likely stopped by the price, the service offers the cheapest tariff plan. The message also contains information about the benefits of subscribing to the service.

<Img
img="/uploads/netflix_62c38ad8e2.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

Another sender who plays on the benefits of the product is the furniture store *Kardiel*. Since furniture is an expensive purchase, the store also shares its phone number and email so that a potential buyer can contact them and discuss all the details.

<Img
img="/uploads/kardiel2_a0dfcb16d9.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

The bookstore *Thriftbooks* doesn't get hung up on which books the user has left in the cart. Instead, it suggests other books based on the user's interests.

<Img
img="/uploads/triftbooks_d240cab8a8.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

Another bookstore is betting on the moral character of the buyer, so to speak. By buying on their website, the customer financially supports local bookstores.

<Img
img="/uploads/bookshop_4f17729c89.png"
alt="How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate"
/>

## Summary

Abandoned cart is a common problem for different online stores. Users stop checking out because they are not satisfied with the final price or shipping cost. Other reasons may be problems with payment or with the site (errors, download speed). Some users are not going to buy anything yet, but just mark interesting products by adding them to the cart. Sometimes users simply forget about the purchase because they were distracted.

An automated email campaign reminds the customer of the purchase. In messages, companies often play on lost profits for customers and say that the product will soon run out. But you can act differently. Offer users help with the choice (even on behalf of a specific manager), remind about bonuses, convenient delivery and a wide range of products. The most important thing is to communicate in a human friendly way. Also use intrigue or humor to get attention. In this case, your email will definitely be opened.

Find out why users change their buying decision after adding an item to the cart. Analyze examples of emails that push the user to complete the order.

medium_How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate.png

small_How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate.png

thumbnail_How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate.png

How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate.png

Online stores lost more than four billion dollars in 2021 due to incomplete purchases on the site. It is worth working with abandoned carts.

How to Increase Conversion Rates Using Abandoned Cart Emails

How to Reduce Cart Abandonment Rate

<Img
img="/uploads/Blog_1_ad7a164313.png"
alt="What is Drip Marketing"
/>

Customers are not ready to buy right away, even if they have subscribed to your newsletters. When the product is complex, the user needs time to explore it. The business task is to help the client make a purchase decision. This can be done in different ways. Your company can tell a story about the product, demonstrate its own expertise, build customer trust or offer favorable conditions.

Drip marketing makes all these actions possible. This is an automated marketing strategy that is planned ahead of time. Step by step — or drip by drip — such campaigns lead a client to a conversion or a target action through increasing loyalty, useful content, promotions and other methods.

In the post, we will tell you what benefits the drip method has, what emails are classified as 'drips', and how to launch such a campaign.

## What is Drip Marketing

A **drip campaign** is a scheduled series of automated emails that are sent when a customer takes an action. The drip method leads the user to communication with the brand or to the sale.

The trigger for newsletters can be the actions of the client on the website, reactions to messages,  certain events. It can also be inaction if the subscriber stops responding to messages from the company. If you carefully craft your email series, users will get a personalized experience.

### Benefits of Drip Marketing

**Increasing customer loyalty.** When users receive only the emails they need, they have no reason to be annoyed. There is less chance that they will [**unsubscribe**](how-to-win-back-email-subscribers), moreover, their loyalty will increase.

**Increasing sales.** A well-thought-out drip campaign moves the client through the sales funnel neatly and unobtrusively. The emails progressively reveal the benefits of the product or promote content that also advertises the product. ‘Drips’ push the customer to buy at the right time, for example, they remind you of an abandoned cart.

**Simplifying the work of the marketer.** Drip emails are automated, so marketers don’t need to do routine actions. They have time to develop strategies, come up with creative campaigns, and solve other tasks.

**Increasing engagement**. By reminding itself regularly, the brand maintains communication with users and [**builds trust**](customer-trust). When you conduct audience surveys or ask for feedback, you make it clear that the brand is ready to listen to customers, and they begin to respond more to the company's messages. Businesses better understand the interests of the audience through engagement tools.

**Content promotion.** No one will see your content without promotion, even if it is very interesting. The company shows expertise and demonstrates the product through blog posts, videos, infographics and other types of content. This is why it's important to invest in content advertising. Drip marketing is one way to promote your content.

**Re-engage customers.** Drip emails automatically return inactive subscribers: those who have stopped reading messages or haven’t completed the purchase. It is difficult to keep track of such actions manually, and it is even more difficult to respond to them quickly.

**Detailed audience segmentation.** The more personalized the offer for the client, the higher the chance of a purchase. Drip campaigns adjust automatically to the client and are more likely to reach the business goal.

## 8 Types of Drip Campaigns

Not every email campaign is a drip campaign. Here are some examples of drip emails:

### Onboarding emails

Companies use onboarding emails to introduce the subscriber to their product step by step.

Now the user is more likely to be surprised if he doesn’t receive confirmation of the subscription, because we are used to such communication.

<Img
img="/uploads/alison_onboarding_2d599e10da.png"
alt="Welcome email"
src="Welcome email"
/>

### Feedback emails

These emails usually come after a purchase or brand interaction with a user. Use email surveys to collect feedback. This way, you will improve the company’s service and increase loyalty because people love it when a company asks for their opinion.

<Img
img="/uploads/feedback_3a20794bde.png"
alt="Feedback request from customer after purchase"
src="Feedback request from customer after purchase"
/>

### Holiday emails

Congratulate the client on the holidays in a drip campaign. For example, wish a happy birthday or a Merry Christmas. Send [**promotional codes**](how-to-use-promo-codes-for-business) or gifts. This way, you  remind the user of the brand and encourage them to buy. 

<Img
img="/uploads/drip_email_3_38ed137713.png"
alt="Congratulation email"
src="Congratulation email"
/>

### Educational emails

You shouldn’t always send only sales emails to the client. Try sending useful newsletters containing life hacks or tutorials on working with your product. Such content is an indirect way of selling and another way of increasing loyalty.

Emails can be educational or redirect the user to other sites: a blog, a page for downloading manuals, or to a useful video on Youtube.

<Img
img="/uploads/drip_email_4_c43bdf822c.png"
alt="Educational email"
src="Educational email"
/>

### Reactivation emails

They return users who have stopped clicking on links in your emails or who click but don't purchase your products. Emails are sent after a certain period of client inactivity. To [**reactivate customers**](how-to-reactivate-inactive-email-subscribers), you can use different methods: unsubscribe the client, ask to come back, give discounts, etc.

<Img
img="/uploads/drip_email_5_fbaa7163e6.png"
alt="Reactivation Emails"
src="Reactivation Emails"
/>

### Trigger emails

Usually, they remind the user of some unfinished action: an incomplete registration or an abandoned cart. Customers don’t always stop the purchase intentionally, sometimes they are simply distracted and forget. The email will bring the customer back to action, and the additional discount will speed up the purchase.

<Img
img="/uploads/drip_email_6_ef156174a1.png"
alt="Email with additional discount"
src="Email with additional discount"
/>

### Transactional emails

It is important for the client to know that his order has been accepted and work has begun on it. Drip campaigns include order confirmation emails, payment confirmation emails, delivery status notifications.

<Img
img="/uploads/drip_email_7_6478b8d1d7.png"
alt="Transactional emails"
src="Transactional emails"
/>

This also includes emails that report the status of the subscription. If the validity period ends and the client has not renewed it, you send an email.

### Sales funnel promotion emails

This is a series of emails that encourages the customer to buy in different ways. For example, it offers a demo, webinar, discounts, and so on.

<Img
img="/uploads/mango_drip_marketing_a2487085f9.jpg"
alt="Special offer email"
src="Special offer email"
/>

## How to create a drip campaign

### 1. Set a goal

Specify what should happen when the drip campaign starts to work. Here are some possible goals: sales, increasing customer engagement or brand awareness, subscriptions to other sources, responses to content, etc. Describe the intended goal with numbers. Use ‘increase sales by N over time’ instead of just ‘increase sales’.

### 2. Define your target audience

Decide to which segments of the audience you will send messages and under what conditions. Buyers don’t behave in the same way and are at different stages of decision making. The task of the business is to divide customers into groups in order to send the most personalized newsletter. Don’t send everyone the same versions of emails.

### 3. Create campaign plan

Designate the number, frequency and time of sending emails for each of the groups that you identified in the previous paragraph. Also decide which communication channels you will use: email marketing is often complemented by [**push notifications**](mobile-marketing-101-push-notifications) and [**SMS**](sms-marketing). Don't forget to select campaign analytics metrics: opens, clicks on links in emails, conversions.

### 4. Make content

It is the longest and most important stage, because without attractive content, the newsletter won’t bring results.

Here are a few rules: 

- Write clear topics so that users don’t guess what is waiting for them inside.
- Personalize the newsletter not only with the person's name, but also with selections based on their interests and purchases.
- If you are going to bombard a subscriber with a lot of information, correctly format the text with highlighted paragraphs and subheadings in the article.
- Be helpful. Nobody likes trite content.
- Be moderate in design.
- Add [**CTAs**](what-is-cta) to emails.

### 5. Launch a campaign

Drip emails are automatic, so the first thing you need to do is to set up sending with your automation tool. For example, our Altcraft Platform service has a function of [**personalized trigger campaigns**](/features/personalization) and regular campaigns. All data is stored in a single profile, which simplifies and speeds up personalization. When the settings are done, feel free to press the ‘Start’ button and start monitoring the campaign performance.

### 6. Analyze and optimize drip emails

Although newsletters are automatic, marketers need to work with analytics. Monitor results to optimize content, email subject lines, send time, number of emails, and more. Data analysis will be useful for future campaigns.

## Conclusion

Drip campaign is a series of emails that users receive automatically when they take an action. For example, they make an order, abandon items in the shopping cart or browse the products they are interested in, but never buy.

Drip marketing increases loyalty, customer engagement, promotes content, simplifies the work of marketers, moves the client through the sales funnel and increases the company's profit.

Drip emails include onboarding, feedback, welcome, educational, reactivation, congratulations, trigger and sales emails.

Start creating a drip campaign by setting a goal and choosing a target audience. Next, you develop a plan, create content and launch a newsletter that you set up in one of the services. After that, you just have to analyze metrics and adjust the campaign.

Read about the benefits of drip marketing, what emails can be classified as "drips", and how to launch such a campaign.

Drip Marketing: Definition, Benefits and 8 Email Types

A Beginner's Guide to Drip Marketing 

<Img 
img="/uploads/Blog_fd93f14516.png"
alt="Competitive analysis"
/>

It is okay when people unsubscribe. Although [**the average unsubscribe rate from email newsletters**](https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/guides/email-marketing-benchmarks/) for different industries is only 0.1%, this indicator is also worth working on. There are many reasons why users unsubscribe. This may be caused by the quality or quantity of messages, a change of interest, or a new email address.  About [**333 billion emails**](https://www.statista.com/statistics/456500/daily-number-of-e-mails-worldwide/) are sent every day, and one person receives dozens of messages a day. It is difficult for companies to break through such a flood of messages, so marketers are looking for new solutions to keep customers from unsubscribing. One of them is to save a subscriber who has already clicked on the ‘Unsubscribe’ button.

In this article, we will explain why people unsubscribe and give 10 examples of how to get back customers who are about to leave.

## Why people unsubscribe from email newsletters

Here are different reasons:

**Too many messages from the company.** Even the most loyal and engaged clients will get tired if you send them an email every day.

**Total number of inbox messages.** If there are a lot of subscriptions, users simply don't have time to read everything. They delete emails that are less important and not the most relevant.

**Change of interests.** People could change their profession. For example, they leave HR for marketing. In this case, emails with tips on working with staff and invitation to HR-events become irrelevant. Some topics just stop being interesting.

**Another email address.** Sometimes users change their email address on their own or leave their work email to receive newsletters. When an employee is going to quit, he can unsubscribe and resubscribe to the newsletter from his personal mailbox.

**Low-quality or uninteresting content.** Another reason is unsubscribing from content that didn't live up to expectations. If you send too many advertisements in emails instead of the promised useful content, the user will want to unsubscribe very soon.

**Random unsubscribe.** It is important to leave the subscriber a chance to go back to your contact list immediately if they have unsubscribed by mistake.

How to find out why people unsubscribe? You need to ask them. Some companies conduct short surveys before unsubscribing.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Example_of_a_survey_after_an_unsubscribe_516c3e2772.png"
alt="Example of a survey after an unsubscribe"
src="Example of a survey after an unsubscribe"
/>

## How to prevent users from unsubscribing

**Firstly**, your newsletter should be useful and interesting for subscribers. Improve your emails, add interactive content, test options, segment the audience by interests, analyze the reasons for unsubscribing.

**Secondly**, it is possible to return the client when he is going to unsubscribe.

**It is important not to complicate the process:**

- Make sure that the unsubscribe link is visible, otherwise you will receive [**a spam complaint**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters);
- Don’t require to log in on the site or write an unsubscribe letter;
- Don't force the user to take too many steps to unsubscribe.

Don’t remove a user from the list as soon as he clicks the ‘Unsubscribe’ button. Design the unsubscribe page so that the person doesn't want to leave it. Read below about how to do it.

## 10 ways to convince a subscriber to stay

### 1. Check whether the user has really decided to unsubscribe

This will make a person think and keep them from unsubscribing by mistake. The first way is to add ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ options.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Unsubscribe_2_a32ea9eb3e.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Unsubscribe_2_a32ea9eb3e.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Unsubscribe_1_7206abfb72.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/Unsubscribe_1_7206abfb72.jpg"
/>
</Gallery>

The second way is to personalize the answers. For example, sign buttons with first-person response options.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Example_with_personalized_buttons_260ba7f938.png"
alt="Example with personalized buttons"
src="Example with personalized buttons"
/>

This example with a single ‘Unsubscribe’ button is more likely to motivate the client to unsubscribe, because it is inconvenient to return to the newsletter.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Unsubscribe_page_anti_example_fa40cd961c.png"
alt="Unsubscribe page anti-example"
src="Unsubscribe page anti-example"
/>

### 2. Change newsletter settings and reduce the number of emails

This method will work if the reason for unsubscribing is the number of letters. Make it so that the user can leave some newsletters.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Manage_your_subscription_5eb4009227.png"
alt="Manage your subscription"
/>

The more flexible the subscription settings, the more accurately the company segments users. At the same time, it is more convenient for customers to communicate with your business and receive only what is really interesting.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Change_newsletter_settings_2adf63ef03.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/Change_newsletter_settings_2adf63ef03.jpg"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Change_newsletter_settings_2_504bc0182d.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/Change_newsletter_settings_2_504bc0182d.jpg"
/>
</Gallery>

### 3. Offer a bonus on the unsubscribe page

This will help distract the user from thinking about unsubscribing. The client will feel obliged to the company and will want to thank her for the bonus.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Pop_up_with_a_bonus_1c3b65a22a.jpg"
alt="Pop-up with a bonus"
src="Pop-up with a bonus that appears on the unsubscribe page"
/>

### 4. Remind customers of benefits 

Remind users about the benefits of subscribing to your newsletter. They can receive bonus gifts, special offers, access to closed sales, etc. 

<Img 
img="/uploads/Remind_customers_of_benefits_00759eb1cb.png"
alt="Remind customers of benefits"
/>

### 5. Express regret

When you push for pity, that can work too. The unsubscribe page often uses crying or upset characters, which humanizes the brand.

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Express_regret_2_f5c9b1282f.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Express_regret_2_f5c9b1282f.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Express_regret_fec42e389a.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Express_regret_fec42e389a.png"
/>
</Gallery>

### 6. Suspend subscription for a while

Try to give the subscriber a break from your information. Set the number of days, after which letters will start coming to the user again. Maybe after a while, he’ll change his mind and stay.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Frame_15_c8ef89b402.png"
alt="/uploads/Frame_15_c8ef89b402.png"
/>

### 7. Resubscribe those who unsubscribed by mistake

Some users click on ‘Unsubscribe’ by accident and most likely won't go to your site to resubscribe. Add a resubscribe button to make it easier to return.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Resubscribe_582cf137a9.png"
alt="Resubscribe"
/>

### 8. Stay one step ahead

It is better to prevent than to remedy the consequences. If you know that the audience most often unsubscribes because of the number of messages, add the newsletter settings button to the email. Then, perhaps, the user won't even reach the unsubscribe page.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Stay_one_step_ahead_f3630ef50f.png"
alt="Unsubscribe"
/>

### 9. Communicate with the user

Pressing on pity or manipulating lost profits are not always a good option for keeping subscribers. Try to engage in dialogue with them. Add creativity, as the company Seeso did in its newsletter.

<Img 
img="/uploads/Communicate_with_the_user_583d9a10af.png"
alt="Communicate with the user"
/>

### 10. Engage the user

Perhaps the emails don’t show all the benefits of the product and information for the client. Try taking the user to the site or other pages to convince them to stay.

P.S. If the user still unsubscribes, offer him to stay with you on social networks.

## Conclusion

People unsubscribe from email newsletters because they receive too many messages or because these messages contain poor quality content. They may also lose interest in a topic or change their email address. Sometimes users unsubscribe by mistake, so it's important to make it easy for them to resubscribe. For example, add a button to the same page where they unsubscribe.

If you want to keep a customer from unsubscribing, don't delete them right away, but at the same time don't make it too hard to unsubscribe. Ask users if they really want to unsubscribe, offer to change the newsletter settings: reduce the number of emails, change topics, or stop sending emails for a few days. Another way is to remind about the benefits of the newsletter and tell what people lose when they unsubscribe (closed sales, special offers, promotional codes, etc). Don’t be afraid to express regret. Start a dialogue with the user and offer bonuses. This will help keep the client in the list of subscribers.

Add creative, but never hide the unsubscribe button, or you'll get a spam complaint.



In this article, we talk about why people unsubscribe from email newsletters, how to prevent unsubscribe and consider 10 ways to convince a subscriber to stay.

medium_Блог.png

small_Блог.png

thumbnail_Блог.png

Блог.png

Why people unsubscribe from email newsletters and how to win back email subscribers.

Why People Unsubscribe and How to Win Back Email Subscribers

How to Win Back Email Subscribers

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

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

## What are Cascade Campaigns

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

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

## Advantages of cascade campaigns

### Increase in audience reach

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

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

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

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

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

### Channel functionality

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

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

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

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

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

## Examples of Cascade Campaigns

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

### Abandoned cart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

### Birthday promotion

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

### Feedback

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

## Conclusion

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

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

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

Cascade Campaigns: What are They and How to Create Them

Everything You Need to Know About Cascade Campaigns

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

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

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

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

## Advantages of SMS marketing
 
### Speed 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

### Keep it brief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

### Automate the sending of short text messages

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

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

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

## Examples of SMS Campaigns

### Promotions and discounts 

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

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

### Collecting feedback 

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

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

### Notifications of order status

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

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

### Reminders about a specialist visit 

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

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

### Wishing happy holidays

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

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

### Information about changes in plan 

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

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

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

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

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

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

medium_SMS marketing.png

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SMS marketing.png

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

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

SMS Marketing: Advantages, Examples

<Img
img="/uploads/A_Guide_to_Cohort_Analysis_Why_is_It_Important_for_Marketing_a0af821cf0.jpg"
alt="A Guide to Cohort Analysis"
/>

Immediate return marketing campaigns are a dream of marketers. However, they are possible for simple products that are available for one-click purchase. As for complex and expensive products, their promotional costs pay off longer. How to evaluate the effectiveness of such campaigns? First things first, consider the time factor and detail your customers according to it. If you are wondering how to do it, we are here to tell you about cohort analysis.

## What is cohort analysis

Cohort analysis is an analytical method that involves dividing customers into groups (cohorts) based on certain characteristics and tracking their behaviour within a defined time frame. This method allows one to watch user activity in real time.

A cohort is a group of people who share one or more characteristics:

- an action (purchase, registration, click) that they performed;
- a period within which it happened.

A time reference distinguishes a cohort from a segment, a broader and more general concept.

For example, 2012 and 2018 Harvard graduates are two different cohorts, but they all belong to the «Harvard graduates» segment.

By actions, cohorts are divided into two types:

- Engagement — application installation, first click, registration.
- Monetization — purchase, payment, etc.

The cohort method considers the following features for analysis:

- A shared action for a group of users: subscription, registration, purchase, etc.
- A period within which this action happened: a day, a week, a month, etc.
- A study interval during which the cohort is observed.
- A metric that affects the business: ROI, customer retention, conversion, LTV, etc.

Cohort studies help to understand how key metrics differ for different segments, to see more details on an advertising campaign and other marketing activities (rebranding, testing a new website, etc.).

## How to apply cohort analysis

Cohort study is not a universal method, it requires a sufficient number of users. It is advisable to have at least 1000 users in the database to conduct this analysis. This method is suitable for volume B2C and B2B businesses with a long sales cycle.

### Cohort analysis helps to evaluate:

- **Effectiveness of attraction channels**

Cohort analysis will show which channels bring you the most loyal users. Then the business will allocate a larger budget for effective channels and work with them more actively. A question may arise: Why is cohort analysis necessary if the company can estimate how many clients it has received immediately after the campaign? Well, it is not that simple.

*For example, 2000 users signed up for the service right after they saw Facebook ads. The marketer was happy because there was a result. However, 90% of users stopped logging into the service after a month. At the same time, we attracted users through newsletters. 1000 people came, and only 15% of them stopped using the service after a month. If we had analysed the result immediately after the campaign, we would have decided that Facebook is the most effective channel. But in fact, there was almost no target audience there.*

- **ROI**

For a long sales cycle, the return on investment in advertising is not a quick thing. When it comes to large B2B transactions, real estate, and electronic services that can transform the entire business, it is impossible to make a purchase decision immediately after the first advertisement. So it is necessary to be patient and check the results after a while.

*For example, user K first learned about [**Altcraft Platform**](/en) and visited the website back in January when we had our advertising campaign. It takes time to explore opportunities and make decisions in the company where user K works. Only 4 months later, the user requested a demo from the service team, and 5 months later, the companies signed the contract. If we had calculated the ROI for the month after the campaign, we would have decided that it was a failure. Cohort analysis showed that it was not the case.*

- **LTV tracking and prediction**

LTV (customer lifetime value) calculates the income from the customer for the entire period they use our products or services. This metric shows whether the costs of attracting new customers are justified. When we know how long the user stays with us and how much spends on us, we can calculate this data for similar cohorts.

- **Test results**

Cohort analysis will show how the conversion rate will change in the long term after updates for [**A/B tests**](/features/mvt). It may turn out that a successful element attracted more users but they are not quite target ones: accidentally clicked, signed up, but did not use the service.

- **User activity**

Cohort analysis will help you find out after what time the client stops actively using the product or leaves altogether. It is better to know such details because you can work on them with the user in advance.  

*For example, the analysis showed that 70% of users lose interest in the service after 3 months. In this case, the company needs to pay attention to this period: create a reactivation newsletter, offer a bonus, etc.*

## How to conduct cohort analysis

**1. Define the goal and the metric** associated with it that you will track during the analysis. Metrics are the basis for cohort analysis.

For example:

The goal is to determine the most successful sales channel for a mobile application. Let's consider conversion (registration) as a metric. It is important to consider how the Retention Rate changed in order to understand how many of the registered users remained in the application.

**2. Determine the cohorts that you will study.**

People who signed up for the service in June after advertising on Instagram, Facebook, Yandex and Google are 4 different cohorts.

**3. Analyse different cohorts for a selected time interval.**

Let's consider the result of all four cohorts for 3 months after the month of registration and estimate how many users remained active after registration during each of the months.

<Table>
| **Cohort** | **August** |**September** | **October** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Instagram | 50% | 35% | 10% |
| Facebook | 87% | 80% | 76% |
| Google | 46% | 32% | 20% |
| Yandex | 66% | 51% | 36% |
</Table>

Cohort analysis is performed in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. However, you will have to figure out how to create the formula for calculating this or that metric in the sheets yourself. In [**Google Analytics**](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/#/provision), cohort study is automated but there is a limit for dividing users into cohorts: it is possible to track the first user action within a certain period.

<Img
img="/uploads/cohort_analisys_in_Google_Analytics_fa8d2ec982.png"
alt="Cohort analysis in Google Analytics"
src="Cohort analysis in Google Analytics"
/>

Marketing automation platforms can conduct cohort analysis in a more detailed and clear way. In the Altcraft Platform, cohort analysis is available for cohorts of users who have performed an action within a week or a month. You can view user activity in the report by:

- the number of unique clicks;
- the number of unique openings;
- the ratio of unique clicks to openings;
- the ratio of unique openings to sent messages;
- the number of unique clicks to sent messages.

The data is visualised as a graph and a table.

<Img
img="/uploads/cohort_analysis_in_Altcraft_Platform_96135ee4f1.png"
alt="Сohort analysis in Altcraft Platform"
src="Cohort analysis in Altcraft Platform"
/>

## Examples of cohort analysis

Let's analyse some examples of cohort analysis for different metrics.

### Testing the effectiveness of channels

The goal is to determine which channel is the most effective one in terms of attracting new subscribers for your newsletter. We will analyse 3 cohorts by channels of attraction: a pop-up window on the website, Facebook ads, VKontakte affiliate posts. Each cohort is calculated from March 15-30 — a period for the campaign. 3000 users subscribed to the newsletter from all channels. Most of the users (1600) subscribed after seeing Facebook ads. 5 months later, 782 of all subscribers remained active. Let's have a look at the table to analyse all unsubscriptions during this period.

**In the table, you can see the number of users as a percentage by month who continue to open emails.**

<Table>
| **Channel** | **Subscribers** |**April** | **May** | **June** | **July** | **August** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |------ | ------ | ------ |
| Pop-up window on the website | 600 | 70% | 65% | 58% | 41% | 37% |
| Facebook ads | 1600 | 65% | 47% | 29% | 15% | 6% |
| VKontakte affiliate posts | 800 | 88% | 76% | 64% | 60% | 58% |
</Table>

Considering only the first results, we could conclude that Facebook advertising was the most effective in attracting subscribers. But it turned out that these users were not interested in the subscription or subscribed by accident. 5 months later, only 6% of these users still opened emails. VKontakte affiliate posts attracted the highest quality audience of all, 58% of subscribers from this channel continued to read the newsletter.

### Calculation of LTV

The goal is to determine the LTV of users who started to use a food delivery app in 2020. Let's consider 3 cohorts - customers who made their first order in January, February or March 2020. We need to analyse their behaviour within 6 months. Then we will calculate ARPU (average revenue per user) for each customer. Calculations are performed in rubles.

<Table>
| **Cohort/first order:** | **1st month** |**2nd mont** | **3d month** | **4th month** | **5th month** | **6th month** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |------ | ------ | ------ |
| January 2020 | 3500 | 2500 | 4000 | 2600 | 1500 | 0 |
| February 2020 | 2800 | 3700 | 3200 | 2900 | 0 | 1500 |
| March 2020 | 4500 | 3500 | 1300| 0 | 0 | 0 |
</Table>

LTV is calculated for each cohort separately or for all users at once.

To calculate LTV, keep in mind the following rule: Lifetime is the period from the beginning of your partnership with the client up to its end.

LTV for a cohort is calculated in the simplest way: add up all the ARPU values over the Lifetime of this cohort. LTV for the January cohort — 14100, February — 12600, March — 9300.

Besides, when calculating LTV using cohort analysis, it is important to consider not only numbers but also the situation in which the campaign was held. The table shows that customers spent more money in March 2020. They started to make fewer orders after 4-5 months. On the one hand, we can assume that advertising campaigns in March were the most successful ones because even those people who had used the app before started to make more orders. On the other hand, there was a lockdown in many regions of Russia, so food delivery became a necessity for many people. Then we can explain the decline in activity by the last months with the same advertising campaigns. When the lockdown was lifted, users began to go shopping themselves again. It is not correct to use this data to forecast LTV for other periods because the situation may change.

**Conclusion: when calculating LTV, it is important to consider not only numbers but also the situation in which the campaign was held.**

### Testing

It is necessary to analyse the results obtained after testing the design of a new section of additional orders in the online store. There are two new designs A and B, and also the old one — Old. They form three cohorts. We are going to analyse CTR (click-through rate) of each of the designs within the period from June 5 to July 11. Next, we are going to analyse conversion from each design over the next 3 months.

<Table>
| **Cohort** | **Clicks** |**June** | **July** | **August** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |------ |
| Design A | 150 | 20% | 25% | 15% | 
| Design B | 102 | 36% | 29% | 34% | 
| Design Old | 111 | 34% | 30% | 28% | 
</Table>

As a result, design A received more clicks in the first week. However, its conversion rates were lower than those of designs B and Old. Besides, new designs did not show a significant increase in conversion compared to the old one. So we conclude that the concept of both designs is not the most successful one.

## Conclusion

Cohort analysis is a tool that requires preparation. Marketers need to collect a lot of data and understand which metric to investigate now in order to improve business performance in the future. But the costs are worth the result — a deep and detailed understanding of the company's marketing, proper budget allocation, and effective [**data-driven strategies**](data-driven-marketing).

How to evaluate the effectiveness of such campaigns? Consider the time factor and detail your customers according to it.

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A Guide to Cohort Analysis: Why is It Important for Marketing.jpg

How to evaluate the effectiveness of complex  campaigns? Consider the time factor and detail your customers according to it. Cohort analysis will help you with this.

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