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![The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg](/uploads/The_new_Clubhouse_social_network_3048e631f4.jpg)

In the last week of January 2021, more than a million people joined a new social network — Clubhouse. Even the fact that the only door into it is a special invite didn’t stop them. Users began to ask for invites from friends and to buy at various sites. Now we’re going to tell you why this social network caused such a sensation and how to use it in your marketing strategy. 

## What is Clubhouse

Clubhouse is a new social network whose users communicate with each other only by voice messages. As mentioned above, you can become a member only by a unique invite.

Сlubhouse consists of «rooms» and «clubs» of interest, where people communicate in real time. By the way, there is no recording of conversations — it’s forbidden by the service rules.

Every person signed up for Clubhouse has the opportunity to create a public «room» for conversation on any topic. After that, his subscribers receive a notification with an offer to join the conversation. Then the same offer is sent to subscribers of those who have just joined. This is how a chain is triggered and brings new participants to the «room».

In a chat room, all people are divided into speakers and listeners. Each participant can speak, «raising his hand». If the user has created discussions in the «rooms» three times, he can launch his own «club». However, his registration requires the approval of the app moderators. «Rooms» in a Clubhouse can be public, private, or available to members of a specific «club».

<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Clubhouse_room_58e86cc502.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Clubhouse_room_58e86cc502.png"
description="Clubhouse room"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/Calendar_with_scheduled_discussions_on_Clubhouse_7b142de22f.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/Calendar_with_scheduled_discussions_on_Clubhouse_7b142de22f.png"
description="Calendar with scheduled discussions on Clubhouse"
/>
</Gallery>

The popularity of Clubhouse shot straight through the roof after Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg joined it. When the Tesla founder popped up in a Clubhouse room, he brought this audio-based social media app a lot of attention and a great number of new users. 

Russia is one of the five countries where Clubhouse is gaining momentum right now, and it doesn’t matter that app downloads have dropped 3.5 times lately, and registrations — 17 times. 

<Img
img="/uploads/Number_of_Clubhouse_downloads_in_different_countries_907334a6cd.jpg"
alt="Number of Clubhouse downloads in different countries"
src="Clubhouse downloads in different countries"
/>

## How marketers can use Clubhouse in their business

Marketers could not just ignore the excitement around the Clubhouse. The specialists drew attention to the new social network and came up with some ideas how to use it in their marketing strategy. So, what is the way to benefit from a popular app:

### 1. Create your own club community

If you are a professional in a particular field, start a club and expand your sphere of influence. Create conversations on hot topics and give people valuable information. This way, you’ll acquire the reputation of an expert.

All this let a large number of people know about you, and those people can turn into [**loyal customers**](customer-loyalty). By the way, don’t forget to collaborate with colleagues to develop business relationships.

<Img
img="/uploads/Clubhouse_club_81215a2778.png"
alt="Clubhouse club"
src="Clubhouse club"
/>

### 2. Follow the news in your industry

Join the rooms of influential figures or competitors in your industry and listen to what they’re telling about. This will make you one of the first who knows about trends and let you stay on top of the news, or even spy on rivals' ideas.

### 3. Announce product release

As soon as you get an audience wide enough, use Clubhouse to announce the top news of your company.

For example, you are planning to release a new product. Create a room and talk about the features and benefits of the product. If you do this, you can not only stimulate interest, but also get potential buyers.

Have you decided to change suppliers? Share with your audience why you’ve done this. It is a good way to demonstrate your brand values.

### 4. Get user reviews about your company

Feedback plays an important role in a marketer's job. By relying on customer feedback, you can make your marketing strategy more flexible, so feel free to create a separate room and listen to the opinion of consumers about a product, service or a new idea. The point is you don't have to wait long for feedback: you just get it instantly.

### 5. Communicate with investors

If you are just planning to start your own business, Clubhouse can be the very place where you meet investors and establish business connections.

## Cons of Clubhouse

Like any social network, Clubhouse has its drawbacks. Every user should be aware of them if he wants to understand whether the platform is right for him or not.

**Firstly**, there is no content moderation in Clubhouse. Users have already encountered people who insult listeners and provide misleading information. On February 8, it resulted in a ban on the social network in China, where it was initially unallowed, but local residents got around that ban. In addition, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty has launched an investigation against the social network. There is some evidence Clubhouse violates European law.

**Secondly**, the app is only available for Apple iPhone, so now owners of Android smartphones can’t use it.

**Thirdly**, deaf and hard of hearing users are deprived of the opportunity to use this social network. Since Clubhouse is an audio-based app, people with hearing impairments will not be able to participate in the conversation.

**Fourth**, hackers managed to hack the application several times and get access to audio files in order to upload them to third-party platforms. Web security experts have already sounded the alarm about the vulnerability of the Clubhouse system.

<Note>
Recently, we’ve published an [**article**](how-to-win-the-data-battle-in-today-world) in our blog where we talked about the importance of data protection and two laws that cannot be ignored when it comes to this topic — the European GDPR and the American CLOUD Act. Recommend you to take a look.
</Note>

**Fifthly**, Clubhouse has worthy opponents — they look more reliable and inspire more trust. For example, Twitter launched its new voice chat service — Spaces. Now it’s kind of a test, but by April it will be available to all users.

<Img
img="/uploads/Twitter_Space_e2e3f2adc7.png"
alt="Twitter Audio Spaces"
src="Twitter Audio Spaces"
/>

Telegram made its move as well. Now in groups and channels, administrators can create a voice chat and a main chat at the same time. The great thing is the audience does not need to agree on the time of the chat: the voice chat will always be open to them.

<Video
url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uOUVw13xiEo"
/>

## Conclusion

Will Clubhouse be able to become a worthy player in the market or will major competitors stop its growth? Anyway, the success of the social network is impressive, and at the very least, it needs to be monitored. The next steps of those who created the app will show us in which direction it will move. If the direction is straight up, the companies that have already joined the platform will get a head start on their competitors.

medium_The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg

small_The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg

thumbnail_The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg

The-new-Clubhouse-social-network .jpg

We'll tell you why the new social media platform Clubhouse is breaking the Internet and how to use it in your marketing strategy.

What is the New Social Media Platform Clubhouse and How to Use It in Marketing

![CLOUD Act and GDPR.jpg](/uploads/CLOUD_Act_and_GDPR_b8d4257411.jpg)

In the era of digital marketing, the problem of personal data protection is especially acute. In 2018, the CLOUD Act came into force in the United States and compromised the confidentiality of data held by American companies, regardless of their geolocation. The fact that such a law was adopted suggests that the government is becoming a regulator of digital data exchange. This cannot but affect business. **Therefore, today we’re going to raise a serious topic and try to figure out why the risks of storing data on third party hosts have increased, and what private businesses need to do in this situation.**

## How the CLOUD Act upsets the balance of data protection

In 2020, The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) declared that U.S. service providers did not adequately protect the personal data of persons from other countries. The point is that this law allows U.S. law enforcement to request personal data of U.S. citizens or residents from US-based companies — even if they are located outside the country — by issuing warrants or court orders. **However, there is no guarantee that requests will only concern citizens of the United States, and it’s unlikely that service providers will side with their customers in such a situation.**

The law seriously affected the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects the personal data of individuals and legal entities in the European Union and beyond. The GDPR enables people to better control their personal data and introduces strict requirements relating to data transfers to third countries, requiring a legal basis for this.

The independent European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has concluded that U.S. service providers who are also subject to the EU GDPR cannot legally base the disclosure and transfer of personal data to the US even if it’s based on a warrant or other court orders. The transfer of data outside the EU is only acceptable if grounded on an international agreement, such as a MLAT.

<Note>
Therefore, the EU regulation and the CLOUD Act contradict each other, when it comes to a strict GDPR requirement to have a compelling legal reason for the transfer of data.
</Note>

## What are the conclusions and what needs to be done

We agree that the adoption of the CLOUD Act severely undermines the protection of users' sensitive data. **In addition, now no one can be sure of companies claiming to be in compliance with the key principles of the GDPR.**

Leading market players understand how important it is to treat the information provided to them with care. Companies are seriously concerned that their data may be used illegally for commercial purposes. The sole possession of your customers’ data is becoming the key to successful business in the digital sphere. That’s why the struggle for data will only intensify.

In recent years, the number of cloud service users has increased significantly. This has resulted in a huge amount of data being stored outside the jurisdiction in which it was created. Bresides, companies that prefer to use SaaS solutions cannot ensure reliable data protection.

**DLA PIPER has conducted research that clearly demonstrates the insecure protection of sensitive data in certain countries.**

![data-leakage-in-some-countries.jpg](/uploads/data_leakage_in_some_countries_3b57e22511.jpg)

So what should large and medium-sized businesses do to ensure information security? It’s quite simple. **Now digital platforms that can be deployed as a private cloud or on-premise solution are becoming a good way to solve this problem.** By integrating a platform such as the [**Altcraft Platform**](/en) into the corporate network, the organization prevents the possibility of personal data leak. Only certain employees get access to the data. This gives the organization full control over the data and at the same time excludes outside interference.

Many banks, insurance and logistics companies, payment systems, online services that handle large databases are already using Altcraft Platform. Our on-premise solution is completely adaptable to the needs of companies and allows them to manage all processes within the system.

## Conclusion

Today companies are concerned about whether the information provided to them is securely stored. As we said, cloud providers fail to ensure adequate protection of customer’s personal data. That’s why you need to weigh all pros and cons before you choose a solution — SaaS, Private Cloud or On-premise. Check in which country the provider is located, what laws it obeys and how it operates.

If you have any questions, please write to [**us**](mailto:sales@altcraft.com). We would be pleased to answer.

medium_CLOUD Act and GDPR.jpg

small_CLOUD Act and GDPR.jpg

thumbnail_CLOUD Act and GDPR.jpg

CLOUD Act and GDPR.jpg

Today we’re going to raise a serious topic and try to figure out why the risks of storing data on third party hosts have increased, and what private businesses need to do in this situation.

How to Win the Data Battle in Today's World

![trends-2021.jpg](/uploads/trends_2021_0755ab1dcb.jpg) 

Unpredictability of the last year made changes in various areas of activity. It didn’t leave out internet marketing either and dramatically changed the way brands interact with customers. Let’s find out which digital marketing trends are worth your attention in 2021.

## 1. Live streaming

Because of the pandemic companies cancelled offline events where previously they could present their products to customers in person. However, a solution to the unpleasant situation was found out quickly enough: brands started live streaming and webinars. **According to Social Media Today, in 2020 the number of live streams on Facebook increased by 50%, on Instagram - by 70%.**

In 2021, companies decided to keep many meetings virtual. They moved to online and got a new audience. The people from other locations who did not have the opportunity to attend presentations even in normal times joined them.

The platforms on which live streams were held only benefited from this. Amazon made a good profit from streaming on Amazon Live, where famous brands promoted their products online. **In the last quarter of 2020, Amazon’s revenue was $125.6 billion, and revenue for the year was $386.1 billion. As a result, the company’s profit for the whole year increased by 38%.**

During live streaming the instant shopping became available through a click. So in this way customers got an opportunity to purchase a product they liked immediately. This feature is still available.

<Img
img="/uploads/Amazon_Live_63d5fe0928.png"
alt="Amazon_Live"
src="Example of a live streaming of a brand on Amazon Live"
/>

## 2. Social media as the main shopping channel

COVID-19 came from out of the blue and made people stay at home. As a result, they began spending more time on social media. Previously, marketers used social media only to bring people to the site or to promote a product, but now they get a real opportunity to make social media one of the main shopping channels.

In May 2020, Facebook and Instagram rolled out **Facebook Shops**. Now companies can create digital storefronts that look like product catalogs. It turned out to be a great alternative to offline shopping, but it became a threat to stores that failed to switch from in-person to online sales.

<Img
img="/uploads/Facebook_Shops_2aa2f04761.png"
alt="Facebook_Shops"
src="Store on Facebook Shops"
/>

## 3. Augmented Reality

Today Augmented Reality surrounds us on all sides. We use masks on Instagram, pick up clothes by uploading a photo to the app and putting it on the outfit we want. Today experts advise marketers to research AR deeper and apply it creatively in digital marketing.

Many companies are already introducing augmented reality into their operations. Cosmetics store Sephora has created an application where users can see through their phone camera if certain colors in their makeup fit them in real time. So the person will most likely order products online and not go away to look for another brand.

<Img
img="/uploads/Sephora_AR_a1699cde9a.png"
alt="Sephora_AR"
src="AR in the app of cosmetics store Sephora"
/>
**Threekit conducted a study, which found that:**

- 71% users would buy more often if they could use augmented reality;
- 32% consumers are already using AR for shopping;
- 61% users say that they prefer brands with experience of augmented reality;
- 40% shoppers are ready to pay more for a product they test out through AR;
- 17% consumers will be using AR monthly by 2022.

![AR-chart.jpg](/uploads/AR_chart_b7dde25cc4.jpg)
 
## 4. Mobile apps as the key to business growth

In the third quarter of 2020, the usage of mobile apps increased by 25% in comparison with the same period of the last year. The total hours of engagement reached 180 billion. That’s why marketers need to prioritize their marketing strategy for business development apps.

Another important event happened in the work of mobile apps. Since fall 2020 Apple has banned iOS apps from direct access to IDFA (the Identifier for Advertisers). Now they have to ask for confirmation, and it’s up to people whether to use IDFA or not. That’s hardly possible that they will choose IDFA.

What does this mean for business? The impossibility of accurate targeting will reduce the effectiveness of advertising several times, and companies will have to spend more money on attracting new customers. Facebook will be the most affected, because its revenue depends on advertising a lot.

However, all of this does not prevent marketers from communicating with customers through applications using [**Push Notifications**](updates-rich-push-i-formy). This way they can notify them of new products, promotions, sales, etc. It doesn’t always end as a purchase, but it raises awareness of customers a lot.

[**Altcraft Marketing**](/en) allows you to send Push Notifications to apps. Users of our platform can interact with their customers through different communication channels, which greatly enhances their marketing strategy.

## 5. «Ephemeral» content

Snapchat set a trend for «ephemeral» content. That’s where photographs that exist for only 24 hours first appeared. Other platforms noticed the popularity of short-lived images and developed their counterparts. Instagram Stories and Facebook’s MyDay are the most popular.

Now companies are widely using Instagram Stories for sales. Lots of stores regularly post the photos of the products to the stories in their accounts. They also attach links to the desired page on the site. Consumers can go to the online store and buy the product they like with just one click. **According to TechJury, 70% of Instagram users watch Stories every day, so this is a great way to attract more customers to your brand.**

<Img
img="/uploads/Instagram_Stories_en_883b1bfa40.png"
alt="Instagram_Stories"
src="Selling link in Stories using the  beauty store HONEST as an example"
/>

## 6. Voice and visual search technologies

In 2020 users really like voice search. It can be explained by the fact that now this type of technology is the most available. Many people use smart speakers to set a search by voice from anywhere in the apartment while they are busy with their hobby.

Such services as [**Yandex SpeechKit**](https://cloud.yandex.ru/services/speechkit) and [**Cloud Speech API**](https://cloud.google.com/speech-to-text) do an excellent job of recognizing voice requests. The first one is based on a voice assistant and is adapted for business solutions in three languages: Russian, English and Turkish. The second one converts speech to text using APIs on the base of Google artificial intelligence technologies and recognizes over 125 languages.

SEO specialists found out that the results of voice request are very different from the results of the text request. In 2021 companies should optimize the content for voice search. It’d be better if they would make it simple and spoken in order to synchronize it with the requests. Google is going to do the same in Chrome by 2022.

Search by images through the [**Google Lens**](https://lens.google.com/) tool also became rather popular. Users can just take a photo of something interesting and find the information. That’s why visual design will play a big role in SEO.

![voice-search-en.jpg](/uploads/voice_search_en_6bddf3bb09.jpg)

## 7. New policy in cookies work

Back in 2017, Apple made an unexpected announcement at WWDC: the company blocks all third-party cookies in Safari. Google Chrome is going to do the same thing by 2022.

Let’s take an example of what this decision will lead to. You visit the Forbes magazine website. This website contains a banner ad from new.ingwb.com. If you click on a banner, a cookie file is set. This file belongs to the ad domain new.ingwb.com. Then you go to another site, and there you click on the banner ad new.ingwb.com again. As a result, the advertiser will receive cookies as soon as the ad loads and then he can use cookies to track the user’s browsing history on all sites where you clicked on his ad. Now advertisers will not be able to set their cookies in Safari and Chrome, that’s why they can’t track the customer journey.

This is a new milestone for digital marketing. In 2021, special attention will be paid to the privacy and protection of consumer data. Now the organizations that use an on-premise software in their business will get an advantage. [**Altcraft Marketing**](/en) is one of the platforms that create such a software. All this will allow companies to push their API and set pixels to their domain and to bring analytics directly to the platform.

## Summary

Seven top digital marketing trends let you increase traffic to your website, attract new clients, keep the old and raise sales. The main trends of 2021 are:

1. Live streaming
2. Social media as the main shopping channel
3. Augmented reality
4. Mobile apps as the key to business growth
5. «Ephemeral» content
6. Possibility of voice and visual search
7. New policy in working with cookies

Keep in mind that these trends also influence your competitors, but if you rely on top trends, your approach to business development will let you stand out in the mark.

medium_trends-2021.jpg

small_trends-2021.jpg

thumbnail_trends-2021.jpg

trends-2021.jpg

Let us tell you which digital marketing trends are worth your attention in 2021.

7 Top Digital Marketing Trends in 2021

![neuroscience-in-marketing.jpg](/uploads/neuroscience_in_marketing_acf0e571b2.jpg)

Our thoughts, feelings and actions are simply the result of neural activity in the brain. Marketers widely use insights from neurobiology to guess consumers' desires.

Thanks to neurobiology, it is possible to predict consumers behaviour and even manipulate their decisions. Neuromarketing used to be considered an unconventional approach, but in recent years results of neurobiological researches have become much more popular among marketers. For example, they shows that users rely on intuition when it comes to making risky decisions (such as buying from an unreliable online store), and that advertising banners on social networks attract more attention than those on blogs.

**According to Marketing Charts, 70% of marketers in 2020 used Facebook for advertising and 41% used Instagram.**

![Social media advertising.jpg](/uploads/Social_media_advertising_aa7153ae24.jpg)

## Neuromarketing techniques that worth trying out

### Loss aversion

For human beings, the pain of loss is stronger than the pleasure of acquisition. Think back to Black Friday: consumers are not only passionate about making a purchase because of big discounts on a product, but the idea that they will miss out on a good deal plays an important role. Amazon uses the same neuromarketing method when it lists products that will soon run out of stock.

### Decision paralysis

Consumers have a hard time making purchasing decisions. Paralysis theory explains it this way: when we have a large assortment of products in front of us, the brain actively analyzes them and eventually freezes into inaction for fear of making the wrong choice.

Usually consumers are provided with a long list of goods, and so they get lost in front of the assortment. If divide the list into groups that are easier to perceive, the result will surprise you.

## A scientific approach to marketing

Let’s turn to statistics. Creative agency Fabrik cites the following data:

- 90% of consumers' purchasing decisions are made subconsciously;
- human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text;
- marketers spend up to 70% of their time to attract the attention of customers.

There is researches proving that advertising with people is more effective than advertising without them. Consider the packaging of Lay’s potato chips or Kinder Chocolate milk chocolate. On the former you can see celebrities, on the latter — smiling children.

<Note>
Google, Disney and CBS have already invested in neurobiological marketing. If such «giants» are serious about neuromarketing, it makes sense to follow suit.
</Note>
![neuromarketing-based packaging.jpg](/uploads/neuromarketing_based_packaging_4d3fd31e1f.jpg)

### We suggest 4 ways to use neuroscience in digital marketing:

**1. Effective marketing requires emotions.** When your brand evokes a certain emotional response from the audience, people will subconsciously remember you as soon as the right trigger is launched. This is where visual neuroscience can be helpful.

**2. Pay attention to prices.** Have you ever wondered why the prices of many products are, for example, 299.99 or 399.90 euros, and not 300 or 400? Our brain subconsciously sees such numbers not close to value, but quite different. The lower the price seems, the better consumers feel about it.

**3. Motivate your customers to share their experiences with you.** That way you’ll get new customers who already [**trust**](customer-trust) the brand thanks to the advice of their friends. Positive reviews will tell consumers more about your product than any commercial advertising.

**4. Different people choose different things.** It’s convenient to think of consumers as one large community, but different people react differently to the same service or product. Each person chooses what suits better his/her interests and maximizes the benefits. Think about how to capitalize on the preferences, emotions, and moods of different consumers in your marketing strategy.

![neuromarketing prices.jpg](/uploads/neuromarketing_prices_d69ad2f133.jpg)

## How to use neurobiology while creating content

You’ll engage with your customers on a deeper level if you take into account the psychological characteristics of your customers when developing your content marketing strategy.

**First**, look at people’s internal needs. Do you know a single person who doesn’t want to be satisfied and happy? Content that evokes positive emotions has great success.

**Second**, become an old acquaintance to customers. When we see something familiar and relatable, the brain produces dopamine, causing pleasure. So, use colors, fonts and graphics in your content that remind of you as a pleasant experience.

**Third**, avoid complexity. Content should be understandable. Anything your brain deems complicated turns into an unpleasant task. Simplify text with subheadings, bullets, and lists. It will end up being easy to read and better digested by the visual part of the brain.

**Fourth**, surprise the reader. Keep novelty in mind when developing content. Don’t just use the same words and phrases in a new way. Add images to articles and experiment with formats.

**According to HubSpot, more than 92% of marketers consider video an important part of their marketing strategy. That’s the highest figures since 2015.**

![Video in marketing strategy.jpg](/uploads/Video_in_marketing_strategy_f9e6d6ed46.jpg)

## Summary

Neuromarketing has come a long way in the last 15 years. Neurobiological research has proven to be a powerful tool in understanding human behavior. [**We’ve**](/en) provided examples of how to operate with visual neurobiology to increase [**brand recognition**](povyshayem-uznavayemost-brend-ustanavlivayem-avatar-email-otpravitelya) and emotion to awaken the brain. Follow the latest research in neurobiological marketing and put it into practice.

medium_neuroscience-in-marketing.jpg

small_neuroscience-in-marketing.jpg

thumbnail_neuroscience-in-marketing.jpg

neuroscience-in-marketing.jpg

Learn how marketers use neuroscience to attract customers.

Neuroscience in Marketing: Practical Tips

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

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

## Rich Push

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Forms

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

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

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

## Conclusion

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


medium_platform-updates.jpg

small_platform-updates.jpg

thumbnail_platform-updates.jpg

platform-updates.jpg

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

Altcraft Marketing platform updates: Rich Push and Forms

![Customer loyalty.jpg](/uploads/Customer_loyalty_b322b70cb8.jpg)

One of the most important indicators in business is customer loyalty. A company that has a lot of loyal customers spends less money on advertising and, at the same time, gets high income. To make customers more loyal, it is necessary to regularly examine their relationships with the brand. In this article we will tell you in detail about customer loyalty: why it is so important, how to retain and measure it.

## Why do we need customer loyalty

Customers’ positive attitude towards a brand, company, or business is considered loyalty. The more loyal customers you have, he higher your profit and the [**trust**](customer-trust) of other buyers will be. But these are not the only reasons why customer loyalty is so important.

**First**, customers who love your products will come back again and again.
**Second**, they will recommend you to their friends and acquaintances, thus attracting new customers.
**Third**, regular customers will not spend time searching for alternative products.
**Fourth**, these customers almost do not respond to competitors ' advertising campaigns, because their needs are met.
**Fifth**, they are more likely to leave positive reviews and feedbacks that have a positive impact on business development.

## Why is it so important to retain loyal customers

Customer retention means that you are able to maintain good relationships with existing customers and to sell your products to them regularly. Let's look at the statistics to understand why you need to keep loyal customers. Business.com provides the following examples:

- If you increase the customer retention rate by 10%, the value of the company can be increased by 30%;
- A regular customer spends (on average) up to 67% more money than a new one;
- Increasing customer retention can increase profit by 25-95%.

This data clearly demonstrates that it's really worth paying attention to customer loyalty.

Customer loyalty is tracked in several ways.

## What metrics are needed to measure customer loyalty

### 1. Customer Retention Rate (CRR)

This parameter shows what percentage of buyers remained loyal to you over a specific period of time. If the retention rate is low, then you have few loyal customers, and vice versa. 

To calculate CRR you need three reference points: the number of clients at the beginning of the period measured (CS), the number of clients at the end of the period measured (CE) and the number of new clients during a given period (CN).

<Img
img="/uploads/CRR_485006ae45.png"
alt="CRR"
src="Formula for calculating CRR"
/>
### We offer 5 techniques to increase CRR:

**1. Take a realistic look at your capabilities. **If you promised your clients something and didn't fulfill it, they are unlikely to come back to you.
**2. Play ahead of the curve.** By analyzing you can predict your customers' needs and offer them the right products or services on time. This way, customers will feel the attention and care from you.
**3. Set key performance indicators for your team and track them.** This way you can improve your customer service.
**4. Make use of social networks.** Interact with customers in social networks: keep a close watch on comments, read reviews. All this will help build trust with customers and increase loyalty.
**5. Conduct interviews.** This information will highlight problems in working with customers, as well as a quick solution to keep customers for a long time.

**According to Gartner, the increase in customer loyalty is influenced by increasing product value. 82% will remain loyal to the brand if the usefulness of goods and services increases.**

![Poll.png](/uploads/Poll_5ac60d915d.png)

### 2. Customer churn rate (Churn Rate - CR)

With this metric, you can calculate the number of clients lost in a certain period of time. If CR is low, it indicates high customer loyalty. If it is high, you should be more serious about customer retention.

<Img
img="/uploads/CR_d28fa0a50b.jpg"
alt="CR"
src="Formula for calculating CR"
/>

### 3. Lifetime Value indicator (LTV)

This metric shows how much money a consumer spends in your store during their life cycle. When a customer is loyal, he makes you a good profit, increasing LTV. To calculate LTV, you need to multiply the amount of money that a customer spends on average a year in your store by how long they actually stay active. 

By this indicator, you control whether the cost of attracting customers does not exceed your income.

<Img
img="/uploads/LTV_b222be9655.png"
alt="LTV"
src="Formula for calculating LTV"
/>

### 4. Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR)

Each of us strives to ensure that the customer returns to us again and again after making a purchase. The effective metric for assessing customer loyalty is the Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR).

To calculate this indicator, you need to divide the number of customers who have made several purchases over a certain period of time by the total number of customers for the same period. 

<Img
img="/uploads/RPR_7eaf86a0c1.png"
alt="RPR"
src="Formula for calculating RPR"
/>

### 5. Upselling and cross-selling

Loyal customers are more likely to buy additional products that are offered to the already selected one. And if a customer looks into your store, buys the expected product, and then also buys products from a completely different category — this buyer is definitely loyal to your company. Upselling and cross-selling are usually combined to maximize revenue.

To determine the upselling indicator, you need to divide the number of customers who bought additional products by the number of customers who bought a single product.


### 6. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

To know NPS a single question should be asked: How likely is it that you would recommend our brand or product to your friends, relatives or colleagues? The scoring for this answer is often based on a 0 to 10 scale. Buyers who answers 9 or 10 are considered «promoters»; those who mention 7 or 8 are «passives»; and those who respond with a score less than 7 are considered «detractors». This survey is  a very useful indicator in evaluating loyalty, as a loyal customer is more likely to recommend you to your loved ones.

<Img
img="/uploads/NPS_e6b4511a44.png"
alt="NPS"
src="Formula for calculating NPS"
/>

## What Altcraft Marketing offers

With the help of [**Altcraft Marketing**](/en) platform you will be able to implement any client loyalty program scenarios: generate promo codes according to a specified format, assign points, arrange email quizzes, and more.

Our team has added in the platform a special data collection service  - the Forms. Using the Forms you can design a survey or quiz, send it to your clients, and find out how loyal your audience is. 

Altcraft Marketing will also automatically calculate lifetime value if necessary. LTV is determined by the results of all client activities. 

<Img
img="/uploads/LTV_Altcraft_Marketing_9e4119222c.png"
alt="LTV-Altcraft-Marketing"
src="LTV calculation in Altcraft Marketing platform"
/>

## Summary

Here are six metrics for measuring customer loyalty: 

1. Customer Retention Rate (CRR).
2. Customer churn rate (CR)
3. Lifetime Value indicator (LTV)
4. Repeat Purchase Rate (RPR)
5. Upselling
6. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

If you have determined during the calculation that your performance is high, do not relax. You should constantly support loyal customers: give gifts, attract them with promotions and discounts, and offer loyalty and reward programs. Using these metrics, it will be easier to retain existing customers and turn new customers into regular customers.

medium_Customer loyalty.jpg

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In this article we will tell you in detail about customer loyalty: why it is so important, how to retain and measure it.


Customer loyalty: what is it and how to calculate it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**1. Unreliable tools for data protection**

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

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

**2. Mass dismissals of staff**

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

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

**3. Return of employees to offices**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

## Conclusion

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


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

How marketers can protect confidential customer data during the COVID-19 pandemic

![updates.jpg](/uploads/updates_687d260752.jpg)

We are happy to share good news with you! There have been many updates to the Artkraft Marketing Platform that will make your work much easier. Find out right now what you might haven’t noticed and tested yet.

First of all, we want to draw your attention to the following new platform features.

## 1. Data collection forms

Do you still use third-party forms for creating questionnaires, quizzes, tests and applications? Now, Altkraft Marketing has its own tool for collecting information. We have created an easy-to-use Form Builder for collecting the data you are interested in. This will provide you with reliable information about your customers.

Accurate data will give you the opportunity to make targeted advertising and attract new customers. In addition, if you are aware in advance of what your customers are dissatisfied with, you will be able to react quickly to negative reviews and keep up your reputation.

Start with launching the visual designer. To do this, click on the word “Forms” in the left panel. Then click on the “Create” button. You will see a new form that you can edit at your own discretion.

You can also import profiles to the database automatically, update information about already existing users or add new ones.

The form can be placed on a separate page or integrated into the website as iframe code. When the form is published, you will have access to the relevant analytics. You can also download the obtained data as a file or import it to the profile database.

![Gif_3.gif](/uploads/Gif_3_91c12a3e0a.gif)

## 2. Multiple conditions in segments

Now, when building a segment you can select several campaigns or messages within a single rule. This will make them less cumbersome and save your time.

These are examples of selections that will simplify segmentation:

- subscribers who were sent messages within several campaigns and who didn't receive them;
- profiles that didn't react in any way to a long series of emails;
- subscribers who clicked any link within several campaigns;
- profiles that reacted to a long series of emails, while excluding profiles that did not interact with the mailings.

## 3. Segmentation based on the history of static segments

You know exactly whether the profile is in the segment or not. But what if the client  had appeared in the segment once or several times and then left it? Artcraft Marketing allows you to track all such cases related to the history of a static segment. Collect more data about your users and benefit from it.

For example, a customer had been making some purchases in your online store every month during five consecutive months, and then had stopped. At first, he got into the segment of loyal customers, but as soon as he stopped doing shopping, he had left it. Now you will not lose sight of such a person. After tracking such events, you can make an effort to turn this person into a regular customer again.

![Segmentation-by-history-of-static-segments.png](/uploads/Segmentation_by_history_of_static_segments_8e462c7539.png)

## 4. New approach to testing campaigns

Previously, each User of the Platform had to create contacts to test a new campaign. We’d decided that thus users of the Artkraft Marketing Platform were wasting their time, and we found the solution. Now each user automatically becomes a «customer profile». They  can tag  themselves in the database as a «test subscriber». It is also possible to test Push campaigns and custom channels.

![Push.jpg](/uploads/Push_4835e8b3d3.jpg)

Here are some changes that you might have not noticed. The Altkraft team always tries to notice any (even small) roughness that complicates your work in the platform, and quickly smooth them out.

## 1. Quick profile search

Previously, you had to create a segment to search for a particular profile. Now, to find the contact, type in some known information (such as phone number or email), and press enter. If you save the search link, you can quickly navigate to that profile even from other system.

![Profile-search.png](/uploads/Profile_search_6c64d79ea7.png)

## 2. Testing of trigger campaigns and manual start

The difference between a trigger campaign and others campaigns is that it doesn't have a schedule or limit. The trigger is just waiting for a special event  that will launch it.

There are situations when the trigger needs to be tested. To do this, we added the special button in customer profile - «Engage in trigger». When you click on it you will be  offered to select a trigger and fill in the content field. Testing a trigger allows you to be sure that your trigger campaign will perform properly.

Also, the {apicontent.} variables being substituted in the template are now available for preview in regular campaigns and broadcasts.

To do this, add the variable and the name of the field from which the data will be taken to the html template code (for example — {apicontent.field_name}). The changes will immediately appear in the preview.

## 3. The number of subscribers in the companies

It happens that one particular profile may have several contact details in the database. Because of this, the number of profiles does not correspond to the actual number of contacts you communicate with. In this regard, we made it possible to know in advance how many contacts will be sent the mailing list.

![Number-of-subscribers.png](/uploads/Number_of_subscribers_5623002d84.png)  

## 4. Changes in data import via the API and on the pixel

Now it is possible to import data at the same time as launching the trigger (as soon as it calculates that their actions match the desired event). Now you don't need to worry about the existence of a customer profile in Altkraft Marketing  Platform.

## 5. Password settings in the platform  

Everyone knows how important it is to generate complex passwords in order to securely store confidential data. We have configured the platform so that it recognizes frequently used passwords and does not allow creating unsecured  accounts.

In addition, new configuration parameters limit the password length and control its complexity. The most complex password policy is set by default, but you can change it in the platform settings. And if you suddenly forget your password, you can easily restore it by email.

## Summary

It was the list of recent changes in the Artkraft Marketing Platform. Our aim is to make your work easier. But if you find any updates confusing or difficult, please contact [**us**](mailto:sales@altkraft.com). We will answer all your questions.


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There have been many updates to the Artkraft Marketing Platform that will make your work much easier. Find out right now what you might haven’t noticed and tested yet.

Customer Data Platform

Omni-channel Marketing

Loyalty programs

Drag-and-drop email designer

Personalized mailings

MVT and A/B testing

Real-time analytics

Integration and WebHooks

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