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

Bring together all the data from every channel and source — including contacts, activity history, target actions, and external CRM actions — into a single customer profile. Gain a complete understanding of each customer and provide personalized interactions when and where they're most effective.

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Make quick and informed decisions based on a thorough analysis of your clients' actions. By accurately assessing customer behavior, you can create an effective marketing strategy for each segment, resulting in increased average order value, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value.

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

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

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

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

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

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Collect leads and gain new insights about your customers with our customizable forms and surveys. With up-to-date data, you can stay ahead of your customers' needs and preferences. Regularly monitoring the Net Promoter Score (NPS) allows you to promptly address customer feedback and enhance your services.

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

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

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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.

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Leverage customer data for deep segmentation. Delight your buyers with personalized offers and recommendations. Individual promo codes for regular customers will not only increase sales, but also foster long-term loyalty.

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Tune your marketing for <0>maximum</0> with Altcraft Platform

Reach your audience with personalized messages through Telegram, Viber, WhatsApp, and other messaging platforms. We can connect any messenger app you prefer to ensure your messages reach your customers without delay.

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:


Conduct experiments to find the most compelling email, push, and SMS templates. Test multiple ideas simultaneously to identify the one that resonates best with your audience. Additionally, unsuccessful variations can provide insights on how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

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.

**The customer database** is a must-have tool for the development of an organization, which leads to an increase in sales. The effectiveness of this mechanism depends on your skills in working with it. In order not to waste time, you should not collect numbers from potential customers without any further work. Therefore, we recommend finding out what you need a customer database for, how to create it if you have none, and how exactly to work with it, providing the protection of customer data.
<Img
img="/uploads/eng_kartinka_1_a08043093a.png"
alt="database"
/>
## What is a customer database
**The customer database** is the personal data of clients, which you can use effectively. On the one hand, it looks like a simple list of leads. But in fact, this tool is much more complex than it seems at a glance. A customer database is a detailed history of the relationship between an organization and a customer. It provides a personalized approach to each customer because it contains information about to whom and at what time it is best to make an advantageous offer that motivates the customer to purchase a product or service.

The emphasis should be made not only on rebuy of loyal customers, but also on a systematic, individualized approach. To clarify, here is an example. A person got interested in a certain car model on the dealer's website and left a phone number to inquire about detailed information. The sales manager contacted the potential buyer. It turned out that the person was in financial difficulty due to a job loss. What solutions could be made here? One of the probable events is that the salesperson determines that there would be no sale from this call and forgets about that person. But the best option would be to add the person's contact data into the database and contact him after a while, finding out whether his financial capabilities have changed, and offering him a bargain on the required car model. This reminder would have an effective result.
## Why do you need a customer base?
Maintaining a customer database and proper work with it brings the following benefits to the organization:

1. **Improving the quality of service by collecting personal information about your customers.** For instance, when you know the customer's date of birth, age, whether they're attending university, and more, you can track their requests and send them offers specifically customized for them: holiday promo codes or student day discounts. That's how consumers get a positive impression of the company. This means your products and services get recommended to their acquaintances.
2. **By using the client base you can segment customers**, for example, by their financial capabilities: the economy segment, the middle class, and VIP-clients.
3. **Organizing marketing promotions is far more effective** if you are aware of your customers' preferred channels of communication. For some people, these are calls, some prefer social media notifications, and others prefer email newsletters.
4. **A customer database provides an opportunity to track customers' steps through the sales funnel**, motivate them to make a purchase, or remind loyal customers about yourself. It is far more profitable to enrich the database with the personal data of customers who make purchases regularly than to attract a larger number of people who are not interested in the product.
5. **The customer database collects different kinds of information about customers.** This way you can assess the company's prospects and consider your development strategy.

## The basic types of customer databases
The customer database has two approaches: the first is based on the ways of collecting data about customers, the second is based on the specificity of this information. Let's take a closer look at the types of contact databases and their characteristics.
### 1. General customer base
In such a database potential buyers are included, who in the future may become loyal customers if you interact with them properly. This information can be provided by means of a marketing analysis of the market.
### 2. Active customer database
Customers who made at least one purchase within a certain period of time are taken into account here. The time period varies from one organization to another, but usually it is about a month.
### 3. Inactive customer database
This is a storage of information about those customers who have not recently made any purchases, but they can do it in the future.
### 4. Accountant customer database
This database stores information about customers' details and the history of orders. The current data is the data that the customer used last time.
### 5. Extended customer database
One of the most effective versions of client databases. It includes: personal data, demands, number of orders, regularity of purchases, etc.
### 6. Newsletter
This database is used for mass mailing in various situations. It stores customer contacts and their names. This database is not used for advanced marketing analysis.
## How to create a customer database from scratch
If your company is just starting out, the question of how to collect a customer base from scratch is relevant to you. Its forming is carried out in several ways, from random creation to organized work with customers (exhibitions, conferences, conducting groups in social networks, etc.), which expands the opportunities for experts in the marketing sphere. To begin with it is advisable to understand each of the methods and choose the best options for your company, helping to interact effectively with customers.

- **A lead magnet** is the most popular method, the essence of which is a special offer that the company presents to the audience in exchange for their data, such as email. A promotion, a gift for the first purchase, discounts - it all works perfectly for the customers and brings them benefits, and you in return expand your database.

- **SMM, or social media marketing** is another low-cost and effective option for expanding your customer database. Constant high-quality and interesting content, conducting various contests, advertising from bloggers - these can attract the right target audience, also, it increases coverage and the chance of expanding your database. If you "warm up" your subscribers for a long time, the number of buyers is likely to increase, because they know you as a familiar organization to which they can trust to keep their contacts or personal data.

- **Visiting exhibitions, events and forums** is a great way to increase customers' loyalty to the brand and the company. For example, fitness centers organize "open door days", where they hold various contests, training, raffle off certificates for visiting the gym, and hold workshops. Visitors get interested, leave their contact information, and subsequently buy a subscription and become loyal customers.

- **Hiring a competent manager** is also an effective way. The clients who are used to working with a particular person trust this business relationship, and therefore the brand with which the person works. But finding such a specialist is not an easy thing to do. Acquiring partners is also a technique that works. It is essential to develop mutual cooperation with companies doing business in related business areas.

- **Cold calls** is a technique that has traditionally had a low conversion rate, but it should not be disregarded at all. You should try and analyze the achieved results.

- **Ready-made client databases** are a dubious option, as buying an already formed audience will not bring you new clients. In most cases, the contact information there is inactive, and users are not interested in your products or services. It’s up to you to decide whether it's worth buying a ready-made customer database or not.

Please note that in order to create an efficient database, it is important to thoroughly analyze your target audience. For instance, your business is to sell natural tea. Who may be interested in buying it? Young people from 18 to 25 who want to stand out; women over 25 years who choose healthy food; white-collar workers who prefer tasty tea, etc. This is just a small range of possible segments. By defining your audience, you will personalize your offers, thus making it easier and faster for you to gain a customer database.
## Tools for maintaining client databases
In today's world, more and more organizations are using automated methods to manage their customer database. For this purpose, special services and programs are applied, as we analyze below.

**Excel** is the easiest and most versatile way to work with a customer database. It is appropriate if you have a small and medium business. The data is compiled in the form of a table, which is adjusted to the various purposes of the company. It is convenient to structure the information and store customer cards. This method is free. Among the disadvantages there is a threat of data loss and its copying, the inability to conduct a full-fledged audit.
<Img
img="/uploads/eng_Excel_sample_7e97de881e.png"
alt="Excel sample"
/>

**Google Sheets** is also a convenient and free option without any excessive functionality, there is the possibility to work as a team online and view changes. Among the disadvantages there is the fact that it is not suitable for big business, it is quite difficult to automate some processes, and the information security is insufficient.

**Microsoft Access** is the software that keeps your data safe and secure. You can maintain a cloud database, as well as work alone or with many users. The working mechanism is similar to Excel. Among the disadvantages there is the fact that in case of failure in the local network, the information may not be saved. There is also a risk of errors.

**CRM systems** are specially designed automated services for maintaining a customer database. It is considered the most reliable and convenient way for large organizations. It has a number of advantages over the previously mentioned programs: the ability to store any amount of data, connection to social networks, segmentation of users, statistics, tracking and optimization of managers' work, monitoring of the sales funnel. The program is set up to simplify the work of employees (for example, it processes the request left by the client, sends the necessary message, etc.). Among the disadvantages there is the complexity of training, as well as the fact that not all the functionality in the CRM is free.
<Img
img="/uploads/CRM_sample_697ba22f59.png"
alt="CRM sample"
/>

## How to segment the customer database
A thorough study of the target audience allows you to properly segment buyers. Thus, the customer base has its own criteria for dividing customers into groups. Let's analyze them in more detail.
### The extent of "warming up" of the customers
In marketing, there are the categories of **"cold"**, **"warm"** and **"hot"** customers. But what do they mean? The first term refers to a group of people who either don't know anything about the company at all, or who do, but aren't particularly interested in it. If you have some cold leads, or customers who have bought something from you on occasion, your job is to warm them up to the condition of "warm" customers. These people are potential customers who show interest in the company by signing up for email newsletters, social media, and participating in various promotions and lotteries.
A "warm" client already has the opportunity to move to the "hot" condition - a regular customer who is interested in regular purchase of goods or services. Such clients bring a regular income to the company and are the easiest from the sales point of view.
<Img
img="/uploads/eng_kartinka_2_8b83567eba.png"
alt="warming-up"
/>

### Types of customers by their purchasing behavior
Customers can be classified in different ways and there are many of them. The use of one or another characteristic depends on the activity of the organization. Below we give examples to clarify how to work with different types of customers.

**"Regular customers" or "friends"** are a category of people who are interested particularly in your product and make regular purchases. They may also recommend your company to their acquaintances. This segment generates more than a half of the organization's income.

**"Ordinary" or "average"** customers are people who have made/are making purchases at your store, but they also purchase a product from another manufacturer.

**"Thrifty" customers or "fans of discounts and promotions"** are a category of people who scan the market in search of a better offer. For such customers, it is worth thinking through various marketing activities. This type also includes " accidental", "impulsive" consumers who purchase goods occasionally and irregularly.

**"Specific"** customers always know what they want and what terms of purchase they need. By studying their demands, the company can interest them and transfer them to the group of "regular customers".

**"I'll just have a look" or "passers-by"** can become your customers if you find the right approach to them.

It's worth mentioning that every customer belongs to a certain group. The customer is also able to transfer from one category to another or leave your customer base at all.
### Level of importance of the client
Each client brings a particular profit to the company. Considering the LTV (Lifetime Value) index, interesting conclusions can be made. Customers can be ranked by their importance by means of ABC-analysis.
At the top of the hierarchy there are the customers who bring the company the largest share of profits ( from 50-80%), and at the bottom there are those who bring up to 20%. Of course, you have to give priority to the most important customers.
This requires learning how to properly segment customers (according to their financial solvency, preference for certain types of goods, etc.), and you can do this with the help of CRM.
Segmentation helps you conduct marketing activities more effectively, while working in a more targeted way.
## How to manage a customer database
For efficient work, you need to properly manage the company's database, making it more structured. The directory should include information about the organization - mode of operation, contacts for feedback, names of employees and their positions, links to social networks, etc.
Next, you should segment your customers (by the level of loyalty, engagement, location, interests or hobbies, etc.) This way, it will be easier and more convenient to track each customer at the stages of the sales funnel.
You can also record the stages of the transaction — which products the customer orders more often, what are the objections and needs of the customer, the status of the order, where it is, and so on.
Please take into account the following important points:

- **Busyness of the client** - you need to understand how much time a person is willing to dedicate to a conversation with you and put this data in the database.

- **Changes and new information** - if there is any new information, it is important to enter it into the database in time.

- **One manager works with a particular client** - it is important that the specialist who works with a certain consumer does not change, because he already knows the client "in person".
## How to analyze the received data
The customer database is an excellent reflection of the effectiveness of your marketing strategy and the efficiency of your employees. But it's important to understand what your goals are. It may be identifying the most important customers or determining the reaction to a special offer. Depending on this, different types of analysis are recommended. Let's take a closer look at the most well-known of them.

- **RFM analysis** is a method of segmenting customers by frequency and amount of purchases in order to identify those who bring more money. This method includes three evaluation categories: transaction age (Recency), transaction frequency (Frequency) and investment (Monetary). Separating by these methods helps determine which customers are loyal and which ones are inactive. This is the basis for creating advertising campaigns that are targeted on those customers who bring the maximum income.
<Img
img="/uploads/rfm_analiz_image_e0e8f7e772.png"
alt="rfm-analysis"
/>

- **ABC analysis** is one of the most popular methods of analysis. It is based on the Pareto principle: 20% of the effort provides 80% of the result. The concept is to rank customers in terms of their importance. As a result, customers are divided into three groups: group A (the most valuable customers), group B (intermediate or medium), group C (the least valuable).
## How to protect the customer data
It's important to properly protect the personal customer data that you add to the database and to keep it safe from public leakage.

**These 5 ways can help keep your database secure:**

- **Legal protection.** It is important to properly determine the information that is not to be shared by employees. They, in their turn, must sign a non-disclosure agreement.

- **Permissions and access settings.** It is essential to provide employees only with the data that you allow them to access.

- **Personal accounts.** Each employee should have their own individual password and login. This is done in order to know who works with what sections/tools and to control all the activities.

- **Screenshot protection.** This feature prohibits taking a screenshot and saving personal data of customers.

- **Reliable antivirus programs.** It is important to have good antivirus programs for protection against third-party intrusion.
## Conclusion
Creating, maintaining and expanding a customer database is a necessary factor for the successful development of an organization. By building marketing strategies for attracting new customers, data processing, analysis of information you increase company profits, increase the loyalty of your customers and estimate the effectiveness of your managers' work.

As you know, there are many services for managing a database of contacts. Your task is to choose the right one that suits the level and goals of your organization. The same applies to segmenting, maintaining and analyzing your client base.

Efficient and attentive work with the client base leads to a better relationship with consumers and increases sales. The main thing is to fill in the necessary information in time, to be able to segment the audience correctly and to provide the security of personal data.

The customer base is a must-have tool for the development of an organization, which leads to an increase in sales. The effectiveness of it depends on your skills in working with it.

Customer Database: What It Is, What It's for, How to Run a Customer Base

**Banner blindness** is a type of users' behavior when they ignore banners and other advertising. Numerous studies indicate that visitors often don't see navigation banners and advertising campaigns. Consumers prefer to ignore such content regardless of its location on the site. This phenomenon forms the effect of banner blindness. Let's try to understand the reasons for this problem, how to deal with it and how to make banner ads better.
## Causes of banner blindness
**1. Excessive advertising.** A large number of ads online stresses people. Thus, on different sites they face static, interactive, animated and other banners. In particular, ads that can not be closed immediately cause a negative reaction.

- **How to fix it:** leave room for banner ads, but do not overload [**the web page**](https://altcraft.com/blog/ways-to-keep-visitors-on-your-website). Also, avoid the pop-up windows and videos that turn on automatically.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_3082481be1.png"
alt="Page overloaded with ads"
src="An example of a page overloaded with banner ads"
/>

**2. Irrelevant advertising.** People look for certain things on the Internet. When they see a block of ads with weight loss products or another annoying offer again and again, it distracts them from their search and makes them anxious.

- **How to fix it:** decide what your target audience is, set up the right targeting and show ads to those who are really interested in them.

**3. Negative experience.** Many users associate interacting with banner ads with switching to dangerous sites. Therefore, subconsciously people do not pay attention to it. Visitors of the site do not consider that the banners have any useful information.

- **How to fix it:** To convince customers that your ad is not just another spam, put some useful information on the banner, or briefly describe the benefits of your brand, or introduce the company, or place the logo.

**4. Banner placement.** Many people are already intuitively aware of where the banner ads are to be placed. Therefore, often typical banner locations are intentionally skipped by users and are in the "blind spot".

- **How to fix it:** try the new placement of ads on the site, experiment with new locations.

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_becf696a6d.png"
alt="Banners on the right"
src="An example of the typical location of banners - the right column of the site"
/>

## How banner blindness affects online advertising
Advertising blindness cuts off all information that doesn't fit the customer's demands. If a person needs certain content and the banner on the site doesn't match it, the brain simply won't look at the ad unit.

Ads are not noticed by customers and do not bring any conversion, thus causing only the loss to the company.

**Let's turn to statistics and consider how people react to Internet banners:**

1. Clickability of a typical banner ad does not exceed 0.01%;
2. The average number of banners shown per month for a visitor - 1700;
3. Ad blindness is typical for 86% of visitors of the site;
4. 50% of people accidentally click on banners on their phones;
5. Only 14% of visitors remember what banner ads on the Internet they have recently seen.
6. The statistics do not show the most positive results, but that does not mean that banners on websites will go away.

Advertising blindness can be fixed. You should only understand the mechanism of how people perceive the site and what they focus their attention on. For this purpose, learn how to place ads according to certain rules and strategies, attract the attention of the right audience and motivate potential customers to click on ads.
## How to deal with banner blindness
### Locating a banner in the right place
The standard location of banners is in the sidebars or in the header of the page. People skip this area and do not concentrate on it, especially if there are some intrusive ads.

Studies show that readers browse the site according to an F pattern. That is, they do not see separate words, but scan the whole page by a certain route, pausing at places of their interest.

Place banners for ads in different areas of the site, so that readers would not have a chance to get bored with them. After making these changes, track click-through rates to understand which type of ad placement is the most effective

### Applying native ads
Naturally-looking ads attract much more attention from customers. These banners increase motivation to buy products by 18%. The main advantage of such ads is that the brain does not skip them, but remembers them because of associations with the information that is being read. Also, a native ad does not cause a negative reaction due to the unobtrusive context.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_15_12_01_50_ed8c792afa.jpg"
alt="Fitting banner ad"
src="An example of fitting banner ad"
/>

### Behavioral targeting
Ads should be shown to those who are interested in your products. In this case, the banners attract attention. It's important for a company to know its target audience, their demands, their problems, and find solutions through their products. Take into account the behavioral aspects and interests of customers, and create personalized offers that contribute to improving the content of the banner ad.
### Banner design
The design of the advertisement may also cause frustration in the reader. For example, garish and distracting colors, too big fonts, a huge number of pictures and other things. You should have an individual style, but do not overdo it with attracting attention. It is enough to highlight the call-to-action button with a bright color for optimization.
### Testing
Experiment with creating different banners. Create several forms of ads with different size, font, color, location. Eventually you'll realize which of the options proves to be the most effective and clickable.
### A call to action
[**CTA (Call to action)**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-cta) forms show the user how to interact with the content. If there is no call to action, people simply won't understand that they need to click somewhere and go to the site. That's why it's important to create the call to action buttons in ads like "buy", "download," "get",""watch", "learn more", etc.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_d4f8086bf4.jpg"
alt="CTA Buy now"
src="A banner ad with a call-to-action button Buy now"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/CTA_example_b3c2b77d53.png"
alt="CTA Download here"
src="A banner ad with a call-to-action button Download here"
/>

## How to improve banner advertising
### Add motion
The most clickable ads are those that have dynamics. Add animation to them, and you'll experience positive results.

You shouldn't make it too difficult to create a complicated design. It is enough to just focus on one thing, such as a call-to-action button. But if you want to be more creative and really stand out, create an ad in the form of a game or add a short video clip. It will definitely help you avoid banner blindness.
### Fit the content
If the ad fits in perfectly with the subject of the site, the likelihood that the potential client will pay attention to you increases. Getting in the reader's sight is easier if you place banners on pages with similar content. This contributes to a more loyal attitude from consumers.
### Eliminate the words "advertisement," "promotion," and so on
Words like "promotion", "advertisement", "as quickly as possible" and so on have no credibility with customers and don't increase CTR. If a person sees these terms, he is immediately aware that this is advertising content. Most likely the ad will be ignored.
## Banner advertising in newsletters
Advertising blindness occurs in newsletters as well. It is important to pay attention to the block that contains the necessary information for potential buyers.
To do this, follow these rules when creating banners for mailing lists:

- draw attention with contrasting shapes, animations, and unusual design;

- get readers interested in the text content, keeping in mind that brevity and comprehensiveness are important;

- demonstrate to the customer the benefits that are described in the ad;

- use CTAs to engage your audience in action.

To overcome banner blindness, minimize the number of ads and test different elements of the site. This helps identify the true demands of your customers.
## Conclusion
Online advertising is useful for both site visitors and advertisers. Visitors find interesting products for themselves, and vendors sell their goods.

Often advertising in the form of banners causes a negative reaction of consumers due to its obtrusiveness and impossibility to see the content. This is how the phenomenon of banner blindness occurs. To avoid this, the following rules should be followed: make ads natural and fitting to the general context, and get rid of the typical clichés in the ad.

Use testing to improve click-through rates. Try new formats, designs, locations of banners on the site and other things to find the best approach.

Banner blindness is a type of users' behavior when they ignore banners and other advertising. Numerous studies indicate that visitors often don't see navigation banners and advertising campaigns.

Banner Blindness: Its Causes and How to Deal With It

Checking the validity of your email contacts is a must for mass mailing, since it affects the success of sending messages and the deliverability rate. Let's make it clear what a valid email means, when it needs to be checked, who and how you should check the lists, and how to avoid adding invalid emails to the list.
## What is a valid and invalid email
**Email validation** is the scanning of contacts for validity and reliability. Special programs called validators and verifiers are used for this process.
Validation is necessary for organizations that send newsletters to a large number of addresses and use email marketing in their business.
**Invalid addresses include:**
1. Misspelled emails. There occur mistakes before the @ sign as well as after it in the domain part.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_cd9b1ab835.png"
alt="Misspelled email"
/>

2. Contact duplicates.
3. Mail traps specially designed for spam.
4. Emails belonging to a department or a service within an organization. For example, *delivery@organization.com* or *hr@company.us*.
5. Temporary emails created for anonymous correspondence, registration on suspicious platforms. They are created on special sites. After a certain period of time they are usually deleted.
6. Addresses with invalid MX records.
7. Emails that have been inactive for a long time.

## In what cases validity checking is needed
If any of the following situations apply to you, you need to check your contact list and figure out the valid and invalid contacts.
### 1. Using a subscription form without any confirmation.
This causes a lot of invalid emails. Visitors on your site may make a misprint, use a one-time email address, or enter a random email address. To avoid this problem, pay attention to double opt-in. When a user signs up, an email is automatically sent to them asking them to confirm their email. To complete the registration, they need to click the link and prove that the email address really belongs to them and is relevant.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_12969c2a12.png"
alt="Example of confirming an email address"
src="Example of confirming an email address"
/>

### 2. Collecting information through paper surveys
Thus, the problem is the following points: illegible handwriting of the person, inconvenient form of collecting the necessary data and errors in the given emails.
### 3. Using a outdated [**customer database**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/everything-about-the-customer-database)
People from an old database may have already deleted or changed their email, forgotten about your organization, etc. That's why it's important to update your customer list and keep it up to date.
### 4. Finding more than 10% of invalid contacts
Suppose you made a mass mailing without having verified your customer base. If the service finds more than 10% of invalid contacts, you are likely to be blocked. This will obviously ruin your reputation. It is important to monitor the list of addresses for their validity from time to time.
## How to check email validity
You can check your email using special online services and programs. Let's find out what exactly they check.


**Mail address syntax**


Addresses with spelling errors, corporate mail and duplicates are detected this way.


**Domain and server**


It determines if the MX record is real and correct in the customer database. If an email address is registered without this record or with an error, the email will be regarded as invalid.


**Email activity**


The verifier checks if the client currently uses the email address.
## Top 12 services for checking the validity of email addresses
Let's look at the list of the most popular online services that check the validity of addresses, and compare them with each other. They all have common characteristics: checking email syntax, domains, and activity in the use of email. They differ in special features and tariffs.

<Table>
| **Name of service** | **Features** | **Free functions** | **Paid functions** |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Bouncer | Easy and user-friendly; flexible tariffs; technical support | 100 checkings | From $20 to $500 per month, custom tariff plans | 
| DataValidation | A developed API for professionals; automatic list monitoring | 500 checkings | Depends on the number of addresses: from $0.007 for a base of 10 000 addresses, also custom tariffs are possible |
| Email Checker | Online API check; correction of mistyped addresses | No free checkings | $14 per 1000 addresses |
| Kickbox | API for verification at the moment | 100 contacts | From $0,008 per one contact |
| Mailbox Validator | Email address grading and scoring them | It is possible to check up to 100 addresses within 30 days | Checking a base of 5000 contacts and more it is $0,02 per 1 email |
| MillionVerifier | API integration; chat support even with free plan; one of the most cost-effective | 10 addresses, if you enter and confirm the phone number, you can check another 200 | $0,00118 per 50 000 addresses |
| Mailfloss | Daily base check; integration with other services | 7-day trial period | From $17 per month |
| QuickEmailVerification | A wide range of possible formats for downloading the client base; a wide choice of tariff plans | Ability to check up to 100 email addresses daily | $0.008 per address for a base of 500 to 3500 addresses |
| TrueMail | Synchronization with CRM; focus on professionals | 1000 checkings | From $7 per 1000 addresses |
| Xverify | Phone number verification; protection from crooks | 100 contacts | From $0.01 for a base of 5 thousand checks |
| ZeroBounce | Finding and adding user information to the report; generating detailed reports | 100 addresses per month | $0.008 per email with a database of 2 to 5 thousand contacts |
</Table>

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_85b0139268.png"
alt="An example of checking the email validity 1"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_1539013f4a.png"
alt="An example of checking the email validity 2"
src="The examples of checking the email validity"
/>
## How to avoid collecting invalid emails
Contemporary and proven tools are used to properly collect a list of clients. A company needs to try to get more people interested in contacting them. **The following guidelines help optimize the collection of email addresses:**
### Manage your own customer base
There are two methods of collecting email addresses: creating your own database or purchasing a ready-made one. The latter method is inefficient, as the ready-made database contains user contacts who do not know anything about your company or are just not interested in the offers. Therefore, this method is a waste of time and money.


It should also be noted that popular mailing services do not accept ready-made bases and block senders. Due to this, it is best to collect the addresses of potential buyers yourself, as well as to warm up their interest with newsletters.


### Run regular email checks
Customers change, delete, abandon, forget, or even sell their email addresses over a certain period of time, for example, a year. Therefore, you should check your email list in special services and get rid of unnecessary emails.
### Apply the double opt-in
Add double opt-in, so that customers confirm their registration and receive offers from you. There are times when mail is not confirmed, which means you should remove it from your list.
### Add a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter
If customers get bored with your newsletters, they put the emails they receive in spam. To avoid this, add an active unsubscribe button, which makes it easy for a person to unsubscribe from your messages. This is good for the company, because it saves the company's reputation.
### Use a subdomain
Instead of sending messages from the main domain, use a subdomain. This avoids getting spammed and improves the sender's rating. A subdomain is a specific part of the main domain. If your account gets blocked, you can simply create another one without losing your domain name.
## Conclusion
So, as we found out, a valid email is a real and active email address. In this article, we've explored the mechanism of reactivating a customer base via validation.
Let's summarize the general results:

- Create your own database and monitor it regularly. Get rid of invalid emails and keep an eye on the sender's reputation.

- Use validation checking online services. Choose the one that best corresponds to your company.

- When creating an account to send newsletters to a database, take subdomains.

- When collecting addresses, request email confirmation from the client. This way you'll get rid of invalid emails right away, and then you'll have proof that the customer allowed the company to send them personal emails.

- Add an unsubscribe link so that the customer can unsubscribe from receiving your emails.

- Remind customers of yourself all the time by sending them reactivation emails.

Checking the validity of your email contacts is a must for mass mailing, since it affects the success of sending messages and the deliverability rate.

Valid Email: What It Is, Who Should Check It and In What Way

The mass, automatic sending of messages to a group of people via email is called **bulk mailing**. The main purpose of such a newsletter is to notify you about some information without long-term correspondence. For example, to announce a certain event or send a catalog of a new product line.


To send such emails, customers are found in legal ways - through pop-ups, website subscription forms, collecting information offline, social networks, etc.


Another situation is when a ready-made database is used for bulk mailing. In this case, the email users didn't agree to receive your messages, so it's spam for them.


It occurs frequently that spam-based bulk mailings steal passwords and other confidential data, damage the device, or deceive the customer in some way.


In this article, we are going to clarify such questions: who should use bulk mailing, how to properly and legally create such a newsletter, and what types of spammy bulk mailing there are.
## For whom bulk mailing is appropriate
Bulk mailings are helpful for presenting a company's products to consumers when the company does not have a lot of financial resources.


These newsletters are used to inform customers/colleagues about a new catalog or updated terms of collaboration, or to notify employees within the organization about news and changes in documentation.


To ensure that bulk mailing is not considered as spam by subscribers or special services, use a customer database that you have collected yourself.
## How to legally create a bulk newsletter
### Get approval from the recipients for the newsletter
Use double opt-in confirmation: the customers give their email and confirm it by clicking on a link. This makes it less likely that the email will be blocked, even if one of the people marks the message as spam.
### Find out your audience's interests
In bulk mailing, messages are created for all consumers at once, but simple division of customers into segments helps you personalize your emails. To do this, use polling, surveying or interviewing techniques. Analyze the results based on which you get different groups for a bulk mailing.
### Properly automate the newsletter
Segment recipients and set up an email service. Always add information in the email that the mailing is done only after the client's permission. The person has the right to unsubscribe from receiving your notifications anyway.
## Rules for creating a bulk mailing letter

1. A bulk mailing is a one-time event without a chain of emails complementing each other. Its purpose is to notify customers of important news. To speed up the process of reading content, create emails with clear and comprehensive text without any distracting elements.

2. It is advisable to include the subject line in the title of the message, so that users can immediately understand what they want to be informed about. Thus you increase the probability that your message is opened.

3. An important rule of bulk mailing is to start the email with the main subject line. For example, if you are announcing an event, start with the date and time of the event, then go on to the details.
4. 
## What is considered to be a spam newsletter

### Illegal products or services

Casinos, gambling, narcotic and psychotropic substances, online medical consultations with diagnostics, weapons and other products are prohibited by law. Its distribution is illegal. Scammers use bulk mailing lists with a ready-made customer base to advertise these products.

### Mailings from scammers and spammers

Such newsletters inform about lottery winnings, stolen personal photos and videos, victory in some contest or prolonged access to something. For example, in order to receive a prize, a person has to send a certain amount of money. Of course, the users won't get anything in return, and the scammers will only make money.

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_f281ccd0f0.png"
alt="Scam mailing list"
src="An example of a scam mailing list"
/>

### Phishing emails

Such letters are sent to people by phishers disguising themselves as official companies, banks, social networks, and other organizations which are trustworthy among their clients. Below there is an example of such a letter. The email contains a link which, when clicked, leads the user to the site. As a result, the user's personal data is stolen. To avoid such a situation, always check the address from which the letter comes.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_03aff7cf0b.png"
alt="Phishing scam email 1"
/>
<Img
img="/uploads/image3_46aa660b71.png"
alt="Phishing scam email 2"
src="Examples of a phishing scam that leads to a phishing site to steal passwords"
/>

### Viral messages
They can have different subject matter. The point is to put a link or an archive with attachments containing a dangerous program. If a subscriber opens them, they get a virus on their device.

Viruses steal personal information, and some of them damage the device so that it then functions with errors or is completely crashed.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_7906079c41.png"
alt="Viral message"
src="An example of a viral message"
/>

## Conclusion
Bulk mailing is a mass mailing sent to customers in order to inform them of something. This technique is often used by scammers to spread spam, but it can also be used legally by companies.


For a legitimate bulk mailing, take only a customer base that you have created yourself, set up double opt-in confirmation of email users, divide your audience into segments, and do a different mailing for each of those segments.

The mass, automatic sending of messages to a group of people via email is called bulk mailing. The main purpose of such a newsletter is to notify you about some information without long-term correspondence. For example, to announce a certain event or send a catalog of a new product line.

Bulk Mailing: What it is, Who It Is for, and How to Arrange it Correctly

Let's imagine the situation: you run effective advertising, you create an original landing page, you post interesting content on social networks, but the sales do not increase in any way. There is an excellent tool in marketing for analyzing the reasons why you are losing customers: the sales funnel. Here's how it works and how you can use it in practice.
## What is a sales funnel
**The marketing funnel or sales funnel** is the customer's way from the moment you draw their attention to your offer to the purchase of the product or service. Being aware of all the customer's steps, you have the opportunity to track their preferences while gently inclining them to purchase the product.


The point of applying the sales funnel is to identify the key stages in the decision to purchase, and then to build the communication with the buyer based on what decisions he made at each stage.


But if you look at customers' actual behavior, their approach can be divergent, based on different motivations. For example, customers may return to former sales patterns or lose interest in purchasing the product at all.


Thus, the sales funnel is an essential tool for marketing analysis, which helps to identify and fix problems at all stages of sales.
Types of sales funnels
Let's look at what types of sales funnels occur, and under what business conditions it is most profitable to use them.

- **Funnel for a startup**
This type of funnel is helpful for various seminars or online marathons. Profits are generated only when the startup is running, when the event is launched.

- **Funnel for events and promotions**
This funnel is designed to increase popularity and brand reputation. The goal is to raise the interest of the audience by posting content about an upcoming event and inviting a large number of people to exhibitions, meetings, festivals, conferences and so forth.

- **Webinar funnel**
This is a great option for information platforms or online schools. The idea is that the free online webinar is recorded for the audience interested in it, and then they are offered to buy a paid course. The very advertisement of this webinar is active all the time and it is displayed non-stop.

- **Direct funnel**
Designed for small businesses. The meaning is to show advertising. Clicking on it the client immediately goes to the website of the product/service being sold and, if they want, they can buy it.

- **Consulting funnel**
This funnel is suitable for consulting in different areas: psychology, beauty, marketing, astrology, coaching, etc. The goal is to attract people to a consultation with an expert by launching an advertising campaign.


## How to build a sales funnel
The marketing funnel helps you evaluate the effectiveness of the steps on the customer's path to purchase a product and understand where you are losing your potential customers.
According to the model of the American marketer Elias St. Elmo Lewis, the funnel is built on the idea of buyer behavior as follows: **attention, interest, desire and action** - AIDA.
The top part is the initial and most extensive one, in which the user becomes interested in the offer. At each subsequent stage, the funnel gets smaller and smaller, as the closer to the goal, the more uninterested customers leave.

<Img
img="/uploads/Voronka_prodazh_3_e07c22ff0a.png"
alt="Stages of the sales funnel"
src="Stages of the sales funnel"
/>

**Let's look at the stages in more detail.**


1. **Attention** is the very first way to attract the customer to the product, that is, it is advertising that should interest the potential buyer. At this stage, all methods are used: advertising in social networks, Google AdWords, banners, media.


2. **Interest** is a targeted action of the client, when they are interested in your offer (a call, filling out an application form, registration, going to the store or the online shop).


3. **Desire** is the stage when the buyer understands that the product meets his demands and he wants to buy it. At this stage the key factor can be: a competent salesperson in the offline store, a sociable manager to communicate with customers in social networks, discounts and promotions, loyalty programs.


4. **Action** is the stage when the customer purchases the product: through social networks, website or in-store.


Once these stages are completed, you need to figure out the traffic which reflects the number of potential customers at each stage of the sale. This will show you how many people who watched the ads decided to buy the product. Then you should calculate the **sales conversion rate** using the formula: **number of real buyers / number of visitors of the store or website * 100%.**
<Img
img="/uploads/formula_fccffc7ed9.png"
alt="Formula"
/>

## The example of a sales funnel
The company offers online courses in English. Future customers are attracted through advertising on social networks (for example, *VKontakte*). The advertisement was seen by 20,000 people. 5,000 of them followed the link to the website. 1,000 filled out an application for a trial lesson. And only 400 of them bought the course. We need to investigate why that happened.
<Img
img="/uploads/kartinka_8cca1c9a67.png"
alt="The sales funnel - example"
/>

### What the funnel shows:
**75% of customers did not go to the site**

At this stage, you need to understand why potential customers are not interested in advertising. Perhaps the video ads are trivial or the target audience is not selected correctly.

**80% did not apply for courses**

Analyze the design and comfort of the landing page or site, whether users can comfortably perceive the information, perhaps they don't like that the price isn't indicated or it is too high.

**60% refused to buy a course after a trial lesson**

Most likely, it is worth reconsidering the structure of the free lesson.
Creating your own sales funnel, you will understand what your gaps are and how to fix and refine them.


## How to automate the construction of a sales funnel
**An automated funnel** is a sales funnel that works through pre-planned, automatic actions from the moment the customer is attracted to the sale.
While in the usual funnel a manager communicates with a potential customer at any stage, in the automated funnel these processes are robotic. These funnels are often used in online business when selling a variety of courses.


The automated funnel is created with the help of mailing lists, advertising in social networks, landing pages, targeting advertising, CRM, etc.
### Let's observe an automated funnel of an online furniture store.
1. A user opens the store's web page. A pop-up window offers free delivery for the purchase of £150 and over in case the user subscribes to the newsletter.
 <Img
img="/uploads/image4_6293f2168c.png"
alt="The sales funnel - example"
/>

2. The customer enters an email, and it is added to the customer database. Then the user activates his bonus card via email.

3. The customer makes a purchase and uses the free-delivery bonus. After paying for the first purchase, he is offered a discount on the next purchase for a certain period of time, which encourages the customer to make the next purchase in the near future.

4. If they don't use the discount, the client receives the store's newsletter, promotions and special offers, which will bring back their interest in the product.

## How to increase the sales funnel conversion rate
When you construct your marketing funnel, you discover at which stage you are losing your target customers. Let's look at how you can prevent this and improve conversion rates.
### Keep researching your target audience
You must know your audience "in person": sex, age, geography, financial solvency, interests and problems. It is also useful to conduct surveys. This way, you set up precise targeting, skipping the uninterested people.
### Create and promote your unique selling proposition
A unique selling proposition (USP) will make your product/service stand out in the market and help you get ahead of your competitors through value targeting. If you don't have a UTP formulated yet, get it fixed. If you have one, you should think about improving it, because today's market is constantly changing, you need to keep up with trends and innovations in customer preferences.
### Plan and analyze your funnel regularly
Take a look at what doubts your potential customers have at each stage, and figure out how you can correct them. Also, regularly (about once a month) monitor the results of the actions you've taken.
## How to make your sales funnel more efficient
These all-purpose ways help you attract more customers:


### Reducing the number of steps in a purchase
The greater the number of steps a customer has to take when buying a product, the more likely it is that they will never do it. Simplify the process as much as possible. But don't overdo it so that the site contains all the necessary information for making a purchase (e.g., product description and its benefits, information about the return process).
### Usability analysis of a website or a landing page
This analysis helps to determine the convenience of the visitors to use the site and optimize it. A low conversion rate can be a reflection of a poor website design: a long registration form, no price, too much extra information, an obscure CTA button, and so on.


If the user finds it hard to perceive the interface of your site, quickly find the necessary information about the product, delivery, payment, and so on, you are likely to lose a client.


### Segmenting customers
Dividing customers into segments should be done to display unique offers to each segment. For example, a segment of new users will find it helpful and interesting to learn about the exclusiveness and benefits of a product, while a segment of regular customers needs to provide information about loyalty programs, promotions and discounts.
## Conclusion
**A sales funnel** is a well-defined model that represents the stages of sales and the customer's movement from getting to know a product/service to buying it. The funnel helps to find problem spots and work them out through analysis. A great way is to calculate microconversions - intermediate stages of users before performing a targeted action. If microconversion decreases at any of these stages, it means that some actions need to be optimized.


You can improve the funnel by thoroughly studying your target audience and their needs, desires, fears and doubts that arise when making a purchase. It would be useful to create targeted content to divide consumers into segments and further convert them into buyers. And to test the effectiveness of changes in your sales scheme, A/B testing is a proper way to show which change works better.

A sales funnel is the customer's way from the moment you draw their attention to your offer to the purchase of the product or service. Being aware of all the customer's steps, you have the opportunity to track their preferences while gently inclining them to purchase the product.

Sales Funnel: What It Is, Its Types, How to Build and an Example of a Funnel

**A newsbreak** is an event that attracts the attention of the target audience and the media, improves a company's reputation and increases its popularity.


This notion does not include buying advertising in newspapers, columns in magazines, and so on. It is, first and foremost, some extraordinary news that hits the media headlines for free. It quickly spreads, provokes a strong reaction, and gathers lots of likes and reposts.


It is not necessary to wait for something unusual in the life of the company in order to create a newsworthy event. Brands can organize bright occasions on their own anytime. In this article we consider: why you need a newsbreak, its classification, how to find a reason for a bright event, as well as what does not belong to this term.

## Why a newsbreak is used

To increase sales of products or services, organizations need to make sure that loyal customers remember them and new ones know about them. Posting the newsbreak in the news feed is the fastest way to get on consumers' screens and thus increase the number of visitors to your website or store, as well as increase your search ranking.

**There are two options for achieving this:**

1. **Pay for mentioning the event of the company in media resources.** The disadvantage of this method is that it is quickly forgotten. Customers will not remember this publication, so after a certain period of time, you would have to spend more money to place the press release. If the conversion is not worth the money invested, the company loses money.

2. **Create a newsbreak yourself so that the media will pay attention to you.** This method is much more effective, because you remind people of your company for free and circulate online without the help of advertising. As a result, the company becomes popular and recognizable, the number of loyal customers increases, and profits increase.

## Types of newsbreak and how they work

### Newsjacking or guerrilla marketing: use internal and external newsbreaks and info-trends.
The idea is that you find relevant news and use it to come up with events for your company.

<Img
img="/uploads/E_Musk_T_Shirt_82a9e808db.jpg"
alt="T-shirts with Elon Musk"
src="An example of newsjacking: the clothing store reacted to buying Twitter by Elon Musk."
/>

The peculiarity of newsjacking is the quick reaction to the events that happen. When a trend becomes out of date, you can't get any advantage with it.


If you want to get the most out of this method and help it spread throughout the network, here are a few recommendations:

- **Follow the information channels.** It is important to choose those that are relevant to your brand or organization. Sign up for the right newsletters from specific sites. That way you won't miss any important news. Use Google Trends to find out about customer interests from all over the world.

- **Look for popular search terms.** When you've found a newsbreak, analyze the search terms that match it. Apply them to your news and add them to your text to increase the likelihood of reaching the top.

- **Always check the reliability of the information.** To do this, it is worth searching on the other sites for information about the event, to read the opinion of experts on the subject. This way you can avoid negative points, as there is a lot of unnecessary content on the Internet, which is distributed by the "yellow press".

### Research, analysis, forecasting, and surveys: use your own analytics
Research is applied to keep consumers informed about real events and projections, surveys are applied to enlighten the reader's opinion on some issue. This content is popular with editions, hence, you need to apply it to the company.

**Here are a couple of rules that will help you create a viral newsbreak based on research:**

**1. Analyze areas related to your business.** For example, a company that sells sportswear might research trends and people's preferences for different types of activities. Analyses not related to your organization do not interest your readers and are likely to cause distrust.

**2. Do not use superficial data.** If you are unsure of the figures you present, this causes outrage among experts and the public in general. Such inaccuracy is considered to be a manipulation of the company and can tarnish the reputation of the brand. That's why you should always check the information, especially when it comes to figures.

### Collaborations: reach out to celebrities, bloggers, and other companies
Collaboration is a great and loud newsbreak for business, as more people learn about you by involving others. This method is suitable for small organizations that want to stand out in a competitive market. Engage with popular bloggers or brands that have many loyal customers. Research reviews, find mentions of the future partner on the Internet. For example, it happens that the company has a contradictory reputation. In this case, cooperation will not benefit you.

<Img
img="/uploads/DG_Smeg_fa1ffb1164.jpg"
alt="Collaboration of Dolce & Gabbana and Smeg"
src="An example of collaboration of the fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana and the manufacturer of household appliances Smeg"
/>


### Special dates: let clients know about your company's history
Companies that have been on the market for a long time stand out through the anniversary of their existence. For example, one of the world’s famous sportswear manufacturers, the German company *Puma*, dates back to 1948. It all started earlier with manufacturing of sports shoes and slippers designed specially for disabled people as there were many of them after World War I. The brand itself was established after World War II when the family of Rudolf Dassler, shaken by two wars, restarted their family business. Nowadays the company runs several manufactures and numerous stores all over the world. It has had a lot of collaborations with companies and celebrities, together with sponsorship of outstanding athletes like Pelé, Diego Maradona, Michael Schumacher, Neymar.

<Img
img="/uploads/Puma_anniversary_156f6d777e.png"
alt="Anniversary of Puma"
/>

### Leadership turnover: let customers know about key changes
This method best suits large and popular companies. Information about leadership turnover demonstrates innovations and the long-term development of the brand. For instance, talk about the new CEO and their future goals. Invite journalists from the media that enlighten your sphere and arrange an interview with the new management.

<Img
img="/uploads/Sciaparelli_b643d9a71e.png"
alt="Maison Schiaparelli announced the new creative director"
src="Maison Schiaparelli announced the new creative director"
/>

### Viral and entertaining content: create a variety of flash mobs or challenges
Funny and interesting videos and game content spread across the web and various media as quickly as possible. This method helps to attract the attention of consumers and competitors at once.


Take into account the following tips for creating entertaining content:


**Use flash mobs**


A popular flash mob consists of a well-designed script and positive emotions. Study your audience to hold an event they'll love.




**Create easy challenges**


Challenges are easy-to-do tasks that users shoot or picture and then post with a certain hashtag on their accounts in social networks. A brand can create some challenge that is easy to repeat. For example, the brand *Colgate* suggested to post anything amusing and cute with a hashtag #MakeMomSmile in order to congratulate all moms on Mother's Day. 
<Img
img="/uploads/Make_Mom_Smile_Colgate_cef52feae5.png"
alt="MakeMomSmile by Colgate"
/>

**Giveaways and raffles: give your products/services to your customers and expand your audience**

Consumers love gifts and are happy to participate in contests that promise free rewards, coupons, certificates and so on. To keep people trusting your giveaways, you should post the winners on your social networks or website. If the contests are creative and interesting, your company also has a chance to get into the media.
### How to create a newsbreak
Newsbreaks are broadcast in the media or at the expense of the owner of the company. In order to understand whether an event brings marketing benefits or not, **it should meet the criteria of being:**


- global;

- important;

- positive;

- contemporary.

As a rule, the more widespread and relevant the event is, the more likely it is to attract a large number of people and media.


Before publishing a newsbreak, study your target audience and carry out social surveys to create an interesting offer. 
**There are some rules that everyone should stick to:**

- don't be too intrusive;
- be respectful communicating with your audience;
- take care in mentioning acute social issues (epidemics, politics, etc.);
- analyze the mistakes of your rivals.

**To find events or company news that will become popular, you need to:**
**Identify the event that still remains relevant.**

Some events remain on top of the news even after a certain period of time. For example, these are projections and studies for several years ahead.

**Speak of issues that are always on trend**

There are timeless topics of concern for consumers: unemployment, living comfort, economic and political situations. If a company is somehow related to them, it's worth commenting on them. For example, if it's the time before the election.

**Keep track of the holidays**

There are a lot of special dates that companies can celebrate: Christmas, Boxing Day, Valentine's Day, New Year's Day, Halloween and others. You should also get creative and come up with your own occasions related to your sphere of business. For instance, if you run a business concerning sports - a gym, a fitess center or whatever - you can offer to celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on April 6th together with your customers.

**Switch to the news of national or regional scope**

Let's say you're about to open a new branch or to expand a product line. It is a great option for a local newsbreak. You can experiment with the pitch. For example, if you are planning a new project, it is a good idea to show the audience how it solves a particular social problem.

Having thought of smart and interesting content, use a range of methods for its spreading: social networks, magazines, ads, email, even the package of products.
## What is **not** a newsbreak

- Disasters or emergencies. You should omit some events because they cause ambiguous reactions and can ruin a company's reputation.

- Personal holidays of employees (birthdays or anniversaries). Such pieces of news are part of the internal corporate environment and do not affect the attraction of potential customers.

- News about future projects. Unrealized projects should be kept secret, since you should only report your plans after you have realized them or started working on them.

## Examples of newsbreaks
Get inspired with these newsbreaks provided by famous brands:

<Img
img="/uploads/Van_gogh_1_1553b99e97.jpg"
alt="Van Gogh shoes 1"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/van_gogh_2_d17a60ad56.png"
alt="Van Gogh shoes 2"
/>

The staff of Van Gogh Museum got involved into modern realities and participated in an unusual art collaboration with the sports brand *Vans*. The income from the sales was benefited to support the museum.

<Img
img="/uploads/Rihanna_Puma_d921769227.png"
alt="Collaboration of Rihanna and Puma"
/>

*Puma* was in a state of global rebranding. The competitors had already got celebrities to be the face of the company: *Adidas* had Kanye West and *Nike* had Travis Scott. The brand was in search of a person to match their status. As a result, *Puma* cooperated with Rihanna, a prominent and successful celebrity. That resulted in the improvement of the company's sales and status.

<Img
img="/uploads/Starbucks_CEO_10acca4e95.png"
alt="A CEO of Starbucks’ comeback"
/>

An example of the leadership turnover: after a series of promises to never come back Howard Schultz is announced to become the CEO of *Starbucks* after Kevin Johnson’s leadership from 2017 to 2022.

<Img
img="/uploads/Oreo_Batman_ee897c216e.png"
alt="Oreo limited edition - Batman"
/>

An example of the viral newsbreak: *Oreo* launched its limited edition of cookies with Batman on them.
## Conclusion
When you've decided what kind of newsbreak to publish, you should consider a press release, choose the media that is best for your company, then contact the editor by phone or email.

It's also worth posting news on your own sources: social networks and websites. In particular, look out for contests, flash mobs, and challenges. These methods tend to get popular online in a short period of time.

Experiment with the types of newsbreaks and how to present them. This way, you'll understand which events are more appealing to your customers and increase your profits, online mentions, and customer loyalty.

A newsbreak is an event that attracts the attention of the target audience and the media, improves a company's reputation and increases its popularity.

A Newsbreak, Its Types and How to Create It

Direct advertising is notoriously disliked by consumers, so they tend to pass it by. It is important for people to look carefully at products and get to know the brand to see if it is worth trusting. In that case, the business needs content. For example, you want to find a tutor, or order cosmetics, or build a house, or choose an advertising agency. It's hard to do without getting to closely know the companies that offer these services.

<Img
img="/uploads/expedia_travel_10ee3fcccd.png"
alt="An example of content marketing of the travel company Expedia"
src="An example of content marketing of the travel company Expedia"
/>

**Content marketing** is a type of marketing that uses helpful information to foster customer trust and loyalty. The main purpose of content is to gradually and unobtrusively turn people into readers, readers into consumers, and consumers into loyal customers. Thus, content marketing provides long and lasting relationships with the audience.
## Why content marketing is essential
Content marketing is important for organizations that want to optimize relationships with customers. This tool attracts a large number of potential customers and keeps regular ones. Firms that have their own blog with profile information draw the attention of consumers as much as 55% and more. [**Statistics**](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com) show that content marketing generates 3 times more leads than paid search advertising. Also, research confirms - 47% of customers look at about 3 to 5 publications before deciding to buy a product or service.

## What tasks content marketing can solve

### 1. Creating a positive image of the company
An important point is the brand recognition among consumers. When customers come across a brand on the Internet, they should keep thinking of it like that: "Someone I know told me about it recently" or "I read an article about this organization".
### 2. Introducing the product to consumers
Buyers need to understand the uniqueness of your offer, the target audience for which it was created, what are the benefits, how to properly use the product, etc.
### 3. Showing your competence
When a firm posts a lot of helpful content online, the level of trust in the product and the business in general gets increased.
### 4. Increasing customer loyalty
People who know your products but haven't bought them yet for whatever reason get to know more because of the content.
### 5. Getting feedback
The blog has comments and feedback from customers. They contain useful information for business development: how to change the product/service for better, what you should pay attention to, what are the drawbacks of the products and so on.
### 6. Attracting customers
Feedback determines the further way in product improvement. You learn how to properly present the product on the market and how to attract customers so that they choose you.
### 7. Increasing sales.
Create compelling content, thus interest in your products will increase.

Content marketing is not an explicit call to buy. It forms a company's image and influences the formation of strong relationships with consumers. It is important to develop a content plan. The more detailed it is, the more likely it is to increase brand credibility.
## What content to choose
Types of content marketing:

- **Viral** This is information intended for sharing it with others: "Top 5 Dresses for Spring," "The Case for Making Healthy Breakfasts," "A Guide to Photo Processing in Adobe Photoshop.

- **Expert** It means expert content that is trustworthy among people, a feeling of communicating with a professional in their sphere. The publication of statistics, data analysis, instructions, surveys and research significantly increase customer loyalty to the brand.

- **Selling** This is the type of content that best highlights the products. This type of information should take up about 20% so that readers don't consider it an annoying advertisement.
## Pros and cons of content marketing
### Advantages:

- Content marketing is one of the most effective tools for creating a brand image.

- Content marketing increases customer credibility: the growth of consumer loyalty to a company and its products depends on the expert level of your blog.

- Content advertising boosts traffic and conversion rates.

- Content marketing costs less money than other promotion methods.

- Content improves the position of sites in search engines.

### Disadvantages:
**A long process** The natural increase in traffic takes a long time. It requires patience and a well-planned strategy. If you need a quick response from customers, use contextual advertising, targeting, banners and other methods.

**A lot of resources** Content marketing requires not only a large amount of time, but also particular attention to the material produced. Posting popular information with bright pictures is no longer relevant. You have to dedicate a lot of effort to high quality content, a whole team of professionals should work on it. If you bet on content marketing, you need a competent editor.

**Difficult measurement** To analyze the efficiency of content marketing, typical online business metrics are used: click-through rates, conversion rates, delivery rates, and so on. However, there are many aspects that are not covered. For example, a person reads an article, goes to your website, gets acquainted with the goods, but never buys anything. After a while they come back to your products: they find your site through a search engine and make a purchase, but the initial interaction can no longer be traced.
## How to launch effective content marketing

If you think content marketing starts right away with creating unique articles, you're wrong. Here's a plan for launching effective content online: 

### 1. Analyze your target audience
Create content for a specific group of people. A company needs to know its potential customers - their desires and interests. Carry out research, gathering as much useful information as possible. To do this, find out the age of your audience, their occupation, hobbies, interests, status, financial capabilities, and so forth. Then write content that appeals to people from these groups.

### 2. Consider a content plan
Create a plan to reach your goals and engage your customers. Pay attention to all of your customers' needs, so you can respond to the most common requests. It's worth mentioning that planning is a very effective tool because it helps you save time, avoid repetitive moments in your publications, and achieve your goals.

### 3. Post high-quality content
To do this, focus your attention on the following aspects: expertness, uniqueness and value. An authentic blog with a professional opinion based on the company's unique experience is a great way to promote and attract clients. Sometimes it is worth looking at good rewriting, that is, the processing of ready-made texts, designed according to your style. Readers should be expecting a publication from you, so use segmentation into target groups to get positive feedback.

### 4. Experiment with the presentation of material
For newcomers, this point is not always clear. They start out trying to find the perfect format for content that clients will appreciate. There is no definite answer to the question, "Which is better: a longread or a shortread? So use both types of content: long texts and short articles in the form of notes. This way you will increase customer engagement and improve your blog in SEO.


Below, let's look at what types of content marketing can be:

- Posts;
- Articles;
- Surveys;
- Cases;
- Guides;
- Press releases;
- Photos and videos;
- Workshops;
- Glossaries;
- News;
- Research;
- Reviews;
- Content from customers;
- Presentations and others.

<Img
img="/uploads/Vidy_kontent_marketinga_2_6ada8ab1c3.png"
alt="Types of content marketing"
src="Types of content marketing"
/>

### 5. Use clickable headlines
The first thing a potential customer pays attention to is the headline. Only then will a person decide whether to read the article or not. So make the title interesting, informative and attractive, but don't overdo it: the topic of the article should completely represent the content.

<Img
img="/uploads/travel_blog_ea90514679.png"
alt="Example of clickable headlines on the site of the travel blogger"
src="Example of clickable headlines on the site of the travel blogger"
/>

### 6. Check content for mistakes
Even if the company has many loyal customers, there is always someone who pays attention to mistakes in the text and he is likely to leave because of it. Grammatical errors may be typos, but they demonstrate your attitude to your customers. Be sure to have the text checked before you publish it.

### 7. Optimize the content
You don't have to be a SEO expert to create relevant content and boost your search rankings. It's enough just to produce articles that answer readers' questions and satisfy their desires. To select topics, analyze query frequency and monitor your competitors, Google Analytics, Yandex Wordstat, Google Trends and other services will help you. With their help, you can find ideas and inspiration for your content, as well as identify relevant keys.

### 8. Configure the site for smartphones
Most consumers find products through their mobile devices. To increase your popularity, adapt your blog for smartphones.

## Conclusion
To promote your business through content marketing, take the advantages and disadvantages into consideration. Note: it is effective, but it has its own specific features, because creating content requires spending a lot of time and resources. You also need a competent content marketer in your team.


For quick results, you can use other tools: contextual advertising, email or targeting. If you do decide to launch your blog, rely on quality, expertise and uniqueness, then your readership will increase significantly, and many of them will become loyal customers and just friends of the brand.

Content marketing is a type of marketing that uses helpful information to foster customer trust and loyalty. The main purpose of content is to gradually and unobtrusively turn people into readers, readers into consumers, and consumers into loyal customers. 

Content Marketing: What It Is for and How to Launch It

Greylisting is a method of automatic protection of client emails from suspicious emails. Servers that use it block spam and report a temporary rejection error. The SMTP server then sends its message again until it is finally received. Spammers usually don't do this and thus give themselves away.
## How greylisting works
The point of SMTP is to sort unknown senders by greylisting and send messages back with a temporary rejection error. Some servers keep sending every 15 minutes again and again. If the filters reject an email as unreliable, but skip it after resending, the next messages will not be delayed in time. The mechanism captures the sender's name and other information, and then the sender is whitelisted.


One of the peculiarities of greylisting is that the temporary error is an economically positive way of doing things. It does not require a lot of resources to be implemented.


If the sender's server is incorrectly configured, the delay can be more than 15 minutes. This is definitely not appreciated by customers, as they are looking forward to receiving messages quickly. It is also worth noting that spammers often change their techniques to adjust to greylisting and immediately set the emails to resend. But the delay in any case determines that it is a suspicious server.

## Pros and cons of greylisting

### **Advantages:**


1. Blocking spam going into your inbox. Greylisting works well with blacklists.


2. No interference from the recipient, as it is an automatically configured operation.


3. Using a small amount of resources from the mail while functioning optimally.


4. A message that is in the gray list is not lost in the process of filtering. When sent again, it gets unblocked and viewed by the user.


Greylisting is great for small organizations that want to keep incoming emails sorted from spam. Given the low cost and simplicity, this method provides optimal results.


### **Disadvantages:**


1. Delayed mail delivery. It refers only to the first email, because the rest of the mailing will be without time delays. This problem occurs when the recipient's server is negatively configured. So, the message is not sent at once but after 15 minutes, for instance. This is an unacceptable interval for urgent correspondence.


2. The requirement to create whitelists on your own. It is typically used to get mailings from certain senders with no extra waiting time.


3. Creating an artificial queue in messages, as well as consuming resources to resend.


## How to avoid getting greylisted

To avoid hitting greylisting, follow these rules:

### Improve the image of the sender

The email sender's reputation is calculated by email servers which determine whether to accept emails or immediately consider them as [**spam**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters). The IP rating affects the possibility of being greylisted. The higher it is, the lower is the chance of getting to the gray list.


To optimize your image, check your customer base from time to time and get rid of irrelevant email addresses. Also increase the open and click-through rate. A smart approach to the subject line and content in emails is important for this.

### Create a reliable email domain

To be safe, use a trusted email service. It is also important to pay attention to the [**email domain**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/email-domain-what-it-is-what-it's-for-and-how-to-create-it) rating so that it is not doubtful.

### Include an unsubscribe button

It happens that the newsletter is boring to the client for various reasons, and they want to unsubscribe. To avoid getting spammed, add an [**unsubscribe link**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-win-back-email-subscribers).

<Img
img="/uploads/unsubscr_1_3311e2d850.jpg"
alt="unsubscribe button 1"
/>

The unsubscribe button should be visible to the client. After clicking on it a person confirms the decision and unsubscribes. If additional elements are added to this algorithm, such as a reason for unsubscribing or some kind of survey, the audience reacts negatively. So try to simplify the unsubscribe mechanism by minimizing the number of actions.

<Img
img="/uploads/unsubscr_2_453d41b1ba.png"
alt="unsubscribe button 2"
/>

### Pay attention to the subject line

If the header consists of the words "free", "right now", "buy", "quickly", "cheap" and so on, it looks suspicious to recipients and is likely to be placed in spam, affecting the domain's ranking. Create headers and content in such a way that they meet email and HTML standards.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_edc16fd67f.png"
alt="Examples of appropriate headlines for newsletters"
src="Examples of appropriate headlines for newsletters"
/>

## Conclusion

As we have already discovered, greylisting is a way of protection against spammers. The recipient's server blocks the email and demands that the sender sends it again. If this happens, the message is delivered and this email address is automatically whitelisted.


Greylisting has both its advantages and disadvantages. The number of suspicious emails is reduced and messages are not blocked completely. Among the disadvantages there is the fact that resending occurs after a certain period of time, which causes a certain inconvenience for urgent correspondence.


To stay off the gray list, watch your email domain rating. Also, to reduce the risk of getting spammed, add an unsubscribe button and avoid words in the subject line that are repellent to customers.

Greylisting is a method of automatic protection of client emails from suspicious emails. Servers that use it block spam and report a temporary rejection error. The SMTP server then sends its message again until it is finally received.

Greylisting: How It Works, and How to Stay Away from It

First of all, let's define what a domain is. A domain is a part of the site address by which it is registered on the Internet. In other words, it is the name of the site.

Each email address has its own email domain and is divided into two parts: the first one is before the @ sign and denotes the username, and the second one is after the @ sign and denotes the domain name. There is a huge amount of both free and paid mail domains. For example, among the free ones are gmail.com, yandex.ru, yahoo.com and others, and there are also private domains that have personalized names.

Let us consider the definition of **domain mail**, why it is required, where and how to create it, as well as what name to choose for your original mail.

<Img
img="/uploads/1_imim_9dca4abd6c.png"
alt="The structure of the email address"
src="The structure of the email address"
/>

## Why a domain mail is used

A domain mailbox is a mailbox created on behalf of your site or company. It is required for organizations to use corporate email, create catchy names of email addresses, and send newsletters that don't end up in spam.

Here's an example: *Google* is a free service for domains that end in *google.com*, but you can also create your own custom domain on it. There are many such platforms on a paid and free basis.

Regardless of where exactly the [**custom business mail**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/why-a-professional-business-email-is-required-and-with-the-help-of-what-services-you-can-create-it) was created, let's list its merits:

- **Increase trust and recognition of the company in the recipient's mail.** Your customers and partners immediately see your name or brand name when they receive your email. This means that messages received from you stand out and are easier to remember.


- **It's easy to manage mail within a single domain.** You can create individual mailboxes for employees or combine addresses into mail groups due to the company structure.


- **Low risk of [getting into spam](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters).** Emails from corporate mail get into the Inbox section because they are sent with an anti-spam method called SPF (Sender Policy Framework). Robots detect that the email is from a real user, so your mailing is not considered as spam.


- **Tracking the activity of an employee.** You can track the efficiency of an employee's response when they communicate with clients or partners via corporate email.


- **Bulk mailing.** Using bulk mailing when the domain is free often leads to blocking, unlike when mail is created on your own domain.
## Where to create a custom domain email
[**Google Workspace**](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/) is considered to be the worldwide popular service for both private and business mailing. It has a 14-day-long free trial for no more than 10 people on a team. The service offers a range of options for running corporate custom domains and automating your routine work. There are flexible tariffs for different types of businesses starting from $5.40 per month with the possibility to create as many custom mailboxes as possible. To get started, you should create an account in [**Google Workspace**](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/). 

<Img
img="/uploads/google_worksp_8fffea6454.png"
alt="Google Workspace"
/>

**Its advantages are:**

- integrated antivirus;


- management of users' mobile devices (e.g., location tracking);


- reading emails and saving drafts without internet connection;


- no ads;


- special software modules to optimize Gmail;


- option to interact with other Google services for easy collaboration;


- apps for iOS and Android.

There are many other platforms that provide the opportunity of creating domain emails in different domain zones. E.g.,in the **ru**-zone it is possible to create domain emails with up to 1000 free emails on the platforms like [**Yandex.ru**](https://360.yandex.ru/business/). 

<Img
img="/uploads/Yandex_b66a2ced17.png"
alt="Yandex Business"
/>

**Its advantages are:**

- antivirus;


- calendar;


- wide range of management tools;


- user-friendly interface;


- mailbox volume is unlimited;


- apps for iOS and Android.

## How to create a business email
It is essential not only to make the mail with your domain, but also to set it up correctly for optimizing the mail sending and receiving.

So, let's proceed to the stages of setting up corporate email:

**Stage 1: Confirming the domain** At the start you have to choose a domain. If it is not occupied, then you can take it.


**Stage 2: Add an MX record** This type of record is designed to specify the name of the mail server hosting the domain. It is important to make sure that there are no records that have been created before, as they may conflict.


**Stage 3: Add SPF record** The SPF record contains the list of servers from which emails can be sent on behalf of this domain. This reduces the probability of being spammed.


**Stage 4: Add a DKIM signature** DKIM signature proves that the email was not sent by a bot or spammer. DKIM increases the chance of emails to go straight to your inbox.


**Stage 5: Adding users** Once the previous stages have been completed, it makes sense to create an email account by setting up logins and passwords.


Note that you should check for domain availability on the sites like [**domains.google**](https://domains.google/), [DreamHost](https://www.dreamhost.com/domains/), [GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/domains) etc. It is essential that the name that you want to take isn’t someone's property at the moment. Depending on the top level domain the price on the domain you need can vary. 

<Img
img="/uploads/domains_1cc77c30db.png"
alt="check for the domain you want"
src="The site where you can check for the domain you want"
/>

## What kind of name can a corporate email have

To choose the right email domain, you need to understand your company's goals. For example, your goal can be having a catchy name or a quicker Internet search by domain name.

Depending on the purpose the name can:

- contain the name of the organization;


- be associated with the activities of the organization;


- contain the name and last name of the employees;


- represent an acronym of the brand name;

### The correct name of the mailbox

**For an employee:**

- name.and.surname.of.the.employee@domain.of.the.company

E.g: *john.doe@company.com*

**For a department or a logically connected group of people:**

- name.or.the.acronym.of.the.department@domain.of.the.company

E.g: *marketing.department@company.com*

If you need to choose a name, pay attention to the "right for a domain". For example, your task is to match the domain name with the brand name. But you discover that the name has been occupied by someone else. You have the right to challenge that name and claim it for yourself. In such a case, you must have a certificate of organization registration issued before someone else has started using the domain.

## Conclusion

By making a custom email domain, you get unique addresses, the possibility to send mass mailings, and a reduced risk of getting into spam. A unique email domain is created on a variety of platforms. They can be paid or free; they have different functionalities. Once you have registered a domain, it is important to set it up properly. Popular platforms usually have step-by-step guides for proper operation. If you do it yourself without any help, you have to configure MX records, SPF records, DKIM signatures and add users.

By making a custom email domain, you get unique addresses, the possibility to send mass mailings, and a reduced risk of getting into spam. A unique email domain is created on a variety of platforms. They can be paid or free; they have different functionalities. 

Email Domain: What It Is, What It's for, and How to Create It

What is business mail and how is it different from the usual one? Each mail address consists of a mailbox name and a domain name, with the @ symbol in between. [**The domain name**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/email-domain-what-it-is-what-it's-for-and-how-to-create-it) is what comes after the @ symbol. It can include a number of mailboxes for different departments or employees. A business email is specific because it is created not on a commonly used domain (*google.com*, *yahoo.com*, etc.), but on a domain of its own.

<Img
img="/uploads/puma_exmpl_4b930885ca.png"
alt="An example of business email address with the domain eu.puma.com"
src="An example of business email address with the domain eu.puma.com"
/>

In this article we'll analyze why you need business email, how to properly create and manage it, and how much it costs you.

## Why a professional business email is required
### Increasing recognition
Customers and partners will immediately see your brand name when they receive an email. This way, you'll stand out from the others, and the company name will be more easily remembered.

<Img
img="/uploads/thilfiger_ba700c3735.png"
alt="Recognition of the brand"
/>


- **Increasing customer loyalty**
Emails from mail created on an ordinary domain often cause doubts among recipients. That's why customers can move them to trash or spam without even looking at the content. Business mail is better appreciated by customers and is more trustworthy.


- **Optimizing deliverability**
The possibility of a business email being moved to spam is much lower, as it contains properly configured SPF and DKIM records. Due to this, emails go straight to the inbox.


- **Improving security when sending messages**
If you set up your domain correctly, your corporate email is 99 percent hackproof. Also, fraudsters won't be able to use a fake email address to send spam of all sorts on your behalf. 


- **Employee performance monitoring**
If employees communicate with customers and partners via their business emails, management can easily monitor the correspondence and check the quality of service. This is a handy feature if you need to track the work of new specialists or find a certain message.


## How to properly name a business mailbox
The name of the mailbox should match either the name of the company or some kind of work activity, or both, like in the example here: *headhunting@company.com*.


It is also better to use zones like *.org*, *.online*, *.com* and like these. They are reliable and do not cause problems with the delivery of messages. If you come up with a domain name, and it is not available, try changing zones.
## How much it costs to create a business email
There are several ways to create a business email:
### Email hosting services
You can create the business email for your company with the help of Email hosting services. Although there are many of them, [**Google Workspace**](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/) is considered to be a worldwide famous one.
[**Google Workspace**](https://workspace.google.com/intl/en/) is a trustworthy service offering several pricing plans for your business. It has no free trials.

<Img
img="/uploads/google_tariffs_0bc8b3925b.png"
alt="Google tariffs"
/>


### Standalone hosting organizations
Hosting refers to an organization providing a certain location for your domain in its online space. To start it is enough to make a one-time payment and purchase a domain. The cost depends on the exclusiveness of the domain name and varies from the cheapest price up to thousands or even millions of dollars. E.g., this is how you can choose a domain for a company of your own on [**GoDaddy**](https://www.godaddy.com/) at any price you can ever afford:



<Img
img="/uploads/godaddy_cheap_07c4dc2f0f.png"
alt="GoDaddy cheap domain"
src="An example of the cheap domain name that you can buy from $0,01 on GoDaddy"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/godaddyexpensive_5a0e521f91.png"
alt="GoDaddy expensive domain"
src="An example of the domain name that varies from $1000 to over $16000 on GoDaddy"
/>


There are numerous organizations providing hosting services on different domain zones: the previously mentioned [**GoDaddy**](https://www.godaddy.com/), also [**DreamHost**](https://www.dreamhost.com/hosting/shared/), [**Zoho Mail**](https://www.zoho.com), [**A2 Hosting**](https://www.a2hosting.com/), [**HubSpot**](https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/email-hosting), [**Bluehost**](https://www.bluehost.com/) and so forth.


[**DreamHost**](https://www.dreamhost.com/hosting/shared/) offers a range of tariffs configured to fit all types of businesses and solvency of the client. The peculiarity of [**DreamHost**](https://www.dreamhost.com/hosting/shared/) is that it has a 97-day trial period within which you can bring your money back and refuse to go on with the service.


<Img
img="/uploads/image8_9ceca6bf59.png"
alt="Dreamhost page"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_9fc205e8a3.png"
alt="Dreamhost tariffs"
/>

[**Zoho Mail**](https://www.zoho.com) offers cheaper tariffs than the services mentioned above. Besides, it provides a 15-day trial for a premium tariff plan. 

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_a61f2e545e.png"
alt="Zoho tariffs"
/>


### A server of your own
It consumes a lot of time as well as resources. To set up your own server you need hardware, your own server room with the right installation, and staff to keep it running properly. It is not the cheapest way, as well as it is not appropriate for small business, though, it is the secure one.


## Conclusion
Business email is created on [**its own domain**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/email-domain-what-it-is-what-it's-for-and-how-to-create-it). It has a number of advantages over personal mail, including: increased customer loyalty and deliverability, security, and employee performance monitoring.


Creating your own domain is possible in several ways: with business mail services, such as Google Workspace, Zoho Mail and others, on a separate hosting, such as GoDaddy or through your own server. The most affordable way is mail hosting, because this way business email is attached in a least resource-consuming way.

A business email is specific because it is created not on a commonly used domain (google.com, yahoo.com, etc.), but on a domain of its own. It has a number of advantages over personal mail, including: increased customer loyalty and deliverability, security, and employee performance monitoring.

A Professional Business Email: Why It Is Required and How You Can Create It

**A landing page** is a one-page website aimed at motivating the client to make a certain action: to buy, to subscribe, to order a service and so on. Such a web page is intended to advertise and sell products, as well as to collect personal data of the leads.

A landing page is one of the means of promotion which highlights the product from the best sides, eliminates doubts and gradually guides a person to a particular action.

## Why a landing page matters

A landing page is a great way to increase a company's recognition, increase sales, optimize SEO indicators and attract new customers. It is an efficient way to expand your [**customer base**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/everything-about-the-customer-database).

**Here is the statistics to demonstrate the positive aspects of the landing pages:**
- Brands that increase the number of their landing pages from 10 to 15 experience a [**55% increase in leads**](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33756/why-you-yes-you-need-to-create-more-landing-pages.aspx).
- [**68% of B2B organizations**](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics) use landing pages to attract new customers.
- Videos on a single-page site [**increase conversion rates by 86%**](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics).

## How a landing page works

A landing page functions as follows: the consumer clicks the link and goes to a one-page site. At the top of it there is the headline with a certain offer. If users are interested in it, they scroll on to get more details. Each following module increases the interest of the visitor and eliminates all doubts. At the end of it the CTA (call-to-action) button or a form of subscription is placed. It is the essential element of a landing page. To receive a special offer they're interested in, the visitors should leave their contact information. Thus, they become leads.

Usually the form has a couple of boxes that ask for email and username. This information is enough to expand the customer base and solve marketing problems. After filling out the subscription form, the person receives a thank-you email.

## Advantages of a landing page

Let's look at what are the pros of using a landing page:

- **Easy lead generation.** A relevant landing page with thoroughly worked out content can quickly attract a visitor and convince him to perform a targeted action.

- **Collection of personal data for the customer base.** A landing page collects the necessary information about potential customers. So the company gets to know its audience better, understands its desires and interests. As a result, brand advertising campaigns get better and more personalized.

- **Improving search traffic.** A landing page is developed to match specific search phrases. This is done for free promotion by natural means or through special paid services, such as [**Google Adwords**](https://ads.google.com/intl/en_us/home/). The landing will significantly increase your search ranking, making you stand out among other firms.

- **Effective promotion of new products.** You can leave a link to the landing page for potential customers when you come up with new products. This way customers pay attention to the product offered and show activity on the web page.

- **Easy process of making a decision.** Only the most relevant information is included on the landing page. This makes it easier for consumers to make a decision. They can quickly figure out whether to buy a product/service or not.

## The common types of landing pages

- **Product/service landing page**

It motivates the customer to buy a certain product. This page contains information with product descriptions, pictures and videos, cost and reviews.
Motivators (e.g., special offer, reduced price) are used to encourage the purchase, and doubts and fears are eliminated (return guarantee, a manual, [**reviews of the consumers**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-use-customer-feedback-to-increase-sales)).
This type is suitable for advertising a single product. If the brand has several positions, a separate page is created for each, as here in the example [**Tala**](https://www.gettala.com/product/mango) promotes its product offering to buy it at a discount.

<Img
img="/uploads/Tala_mango_49a90d08b5.jpg"
alt="Tala offers mango"
/>


- **A landing page for services**

It is similar to the previous type aiming on the visitor's applying for the service, or a call, or whatever of this kind.
Such pages present the process of the service, photos and videos, reviews. It is important to show customers what problems your service solves and in what way.
In the example below, [**Row House**](https://lp.therowhouse.com/try-row-house) offers the first visit for free. To take it, the user should fill out the online form leaving the contact information.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_27_11_20_55_cf6ef1714d.jpg"
alt="Row House"
/>

- **A subscription offer landing page**

This type of landing page aims to get agreement to send a newsletter. Through it, the organization gathers a client database more quickly.
It is easier for a user of the site to subscribe to topical news than to buy something right away. But keep in mind that intrusive advertising is not appreciated by consumers. Tell them what kind of emails you plan to send. It can be a series of helpful articles or something of a kind.

Be sure to note the benefit that the person will receive in return: a discount or a free trial period. Here [**Social Media Examiner**](https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/subscribe/) offers to give you helpful information about the trends of social marketing for free if you subscribe.

<Img
img="/uploads/Subscr_form_a665af5fb3.png"
alt="Subscription form"
/>

- **A branding landing page**

This type of a web page is designed to present a brand or a new product. It is suitable for promotion aimed at advertising, increasing the interest and loyalty of customers. As a rule, these products are sold through online or offline stores, or other channels, so there is no targeted action on the page.
This example shows the elegantly designed landing page of [**Mercedes-Benz**](https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/) aimed at warming up the interest of loyal customers through representing their collaboration with the italian fashion brand [**Moncler**](https://www.moncler.com/).

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_27_11_22_47_7fd7d63f2c.jpg"
alt="Mercedes-Benz"
/>

## A home page vs a landing page: the difference

The aim of the home page is to convert users into buyers. A landing page contains only basic product information and a subscription form to collect visitors' personal data.

Also, home pages are designed for a wide audience, while landing pages are designed for highly specialized segments that are more likely to convert.

## How to come up with a landing page

### **So, what do we need to design a landing page that really converts?**

### Specify the targeted action

Figure out why you need a landing page and what would be the visitor's action. needs to do, e.g., to buy a product, or to subscribe to a newsletter, or to download a manual.

### Structure the page

The main blocks in a landing page are the brand logo, headline, relevant text, CTA, and a subscription form. You don't have to come up with your own structure: for popular business spheres, there are many free ready-made samples. Or you can look for examples from other companies.

### Create a clear headline

The headline is a very important element of your landing page, because customers pay attention to it in the first place. Come up with a brief, clear and catchy headline that will convince the reader to view the web page and push a CTA button.

Below there is an example of a brief and catchy headline that shows the benefits of the offer: [**Floom**](https://www.floom.com/same-day-flower-delivery-london) offers to buy flowers that are quickly delivered right to your door.

<Img
img="/uploads/flower_delivery_91c473be1b.jpg"
alt="Same Day Flower Delivery London"
/>

### Provide the relevant information
The text after the headline should effectively complement it and be informative to visitors. Use this element as another method of attracting customers. Briefly explain your headline and emphasize the merits of your brand.

Pay attention to how the world famous jewelry brand [**Cartier**](https://www.cartier.com/en-us/home) highlighted its great history in one phrase.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_27_11_25_01_362b0eda53.jpg"
alt="Cartier"
/>

### Think over creative visualization

Pictures and photos reflect the general message you're conveying through the landing page. Interesting and appropriate images attract consumers, motivating them to leave their contact information.

For instance, a travel agency [**Royal Caribbean**](https://www.royalcaribbean.com/mediterranean-cruises) offers Mediterranean cruises by providing a lot of pictures of dramatic Mediterranean views so that everyone dreams about being there. 

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_27_11_25_58_bd07dc55b9.jpg"
alt="Mediterranean cruises"
/>

### Characteristic features and advantages

These aspects complement each other perfectly. The best way to gently lead a customer to a purchase is to demonstrate product features with a detailed description and explain the benefits of buying the product/service. Analyze offers from your competitors, find your own exclusive features and mention them on your landing page.

### Subscription form

The subscription form is an important aspect of the landing page. Thanks to it there is a possibility to add new clients to the database. The form can be short (email and user name) or long (email, full name, phone number, location, etc.).

Consider that the more fields there are, the fewer site visitors want to spend time on them. So try to simplify the form and make it quick to fill out. Below there is an example of an application form for those who are interested in education online from [**Capella University**](https://www.capella.edu/). People may not be ready to buy a full course right away, so there is the *Want-to-know-more?* form for subscribing to the newsletter.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_03_27_11_27_00_9384bb00b0.jpg"
alt="Capella University"
/>

### A clear CTA button

[**The call-to-action button**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-cta) is another component that needs attention. It directly influences the visitors' desire to leave their information. This element should be appropriate to the overall meaning and style. It is important that people understand the benefit they will receive, so make the CTA brief and clear.
The example below shows a well-designed CTA button: a user clearly understands that they try the [**Express VPN**](https://www.expressvpn.com/go/home) service for free and without any risks.

<Img
img="/uploads/vpn_ad_bd37891b6d.png"
alt="VPN offer"
/>


### Developing and analysis

There are two options for creating a company website: order it from developers or make it with the help of special services ([**Wix**](https://www.wix.com/), **Weebly** and so on). Online designers quickly create one-page sites, however, they do not take into account the specifics of your business and do not make you stand out among your competitors.

Pay attention that the site looks properly both on your computer monitor and on your smartphone screen, and then connect the analytics services (e.g., [**Google Analytics**](https://analytics.google.com/)) to the webpage. Through them you will monitor the effectiveness. This way you understand which elements need to be changed to make it convert more.

### Launching ads

Use the main sources of traffic for advertising the landing page: contextual advertising, publications in social networks, email marketing. We'll talk more about the promotion methods below.

## Ways to promote a landing page

- **Organic search**

It involves adding keywords and phrases to make it easy for your audience to find your site. If the landing page is relevant to search engines, the likelihood of visitors leaving contact information increases.
The search results are below the ads, and the keys are in bold, as you can see in the example below.

<Img
img="/uploads/Search_results_0d45fd36d9.png"
alt="Search results"
/>

- **A PPC model**

A Pay-Per-Click model is an advertisement model offering payment for the clicks of the clients. You should properly choose the segment of consumers as well as thoroughly plan your budget.

- **Emailing**

Newsletters are one of the most effective promotional ways which converts leads to consumers. You should send emails to your subscribers with a link to your landing page, attracting them to your one-page site. This method is most appropriate for new products/services or to promote an upcoming event.

- **Ads in social networks**

This is a great way for promotion because you are running ads on one of the sites where you already have your audience. To increase conversions, study targeting and take into account more personal details about your customers (gender, age, place of residence, status, hobbies, etc.).
It is important to create a catchy headline and choose relevant images that highlight the merits of your products.

<Img
img="/uploads/Dogs_social_netw_c804dc095b.png"
alt="An example of an ad in social network"
src="An example of an ad in social network"
/>

- **Guest blogging**

Guest blogging is also an efficient technique for finding customers and promoting your brand's products. For a good result, you need to choose the right platform. So look for [**opinion leaders**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-influencer-marketing-how-to-build-strategy) and bloggers who correspond to your company. Do a subscriber analysis and make sure that your offer will attract them. It's not always efficient to call on popular bloggers with an audience of millions. Sometimes it's worth dealing with less famous personalities, but those who have a close connection with their blog readers.

Get in touch with these people, tell them about your products, ask them to test the product/service for free and write a review about it for subscribers. Then create a guest post on their page with a link to the landing page.

## Conclusion

A landing page is an effective way for promoting products and developing the brand. This tool contributes to replenishing the customer base, increasing company recognition, generating leads and increasing sales. It is worth bearing in mind that the landing page has a narrow focus and promotes a certain product. Pay special attention to the design of the landing page, the headline, the meaningful text, the CTA and the application form.
Follow the advice of this article to create an effective and original landing page, with which you can easily attract your potential customers.

A landing page is an effective way for promoting products and developing the brand. This tool contributes to replenishing the customer base, increasing company recognition, generating leads and increasing sales. It is worth bearing in mind that the landing page has a narrow focus and promotes a certain product.

Landing Pages: What Are They and Why They Matter

Ordinary "point blank" advertising has bored the audience. It is much more effective to arouse users' natural interest with content. That is why brands strive to apply unobtrusive and interesting advertising that is difficult to recognize. One of these solutions is **native advertising**, which is content that is useful to customers, though created with the support of a specific organization. It attracts customers with content that is as informative and media-friendly as possible. This way of promotion is not aimed at sale, it does not use direct and indirect calls to purchase, it demonstrates the benefits of the product and brand capabilities in a loyal and careful way. The main task of native ads is to convince the audience of the brand's ability to properly meet their needs.

Native material comes in the form of articles, posts, and videos on all sorts of topics, making it harder for companies to draw attention. Compared to banners and direct advertising, users see native ads 53% more often and are much more interested in the product.
Thus, native advertising has a number of key features: relevance to the interest of the audience, unobtrusiveness, the presence of useful and informative content, the lack of interactivity.
## Why using native ads is profitable 

Users often fail to recognize native ads, resulting in a more loyal customer experience. According to IPG & Sharethrough analysis, 32% of the audience is willing to share sponsored content with family or friends.

According to [**Deloitte**](https://www.deloitte.com/global/en.html) statistics, in 2021 customers have become more loyal to advertising, especially if it does not violate personal privacy. Research shows the benefits of company nativeness in advertising. In 2021, for example, brands were increasingly turning to media to attract attention using a variety of formats. Checking 335 placements on various sites, it turned out that materials were represented in seven different forms: promotional articles, cards, tests, games, special projects, videos and [**podcasts**](https://altcraft.com/blog/podcast-marketing).

Another advantage is the certainty that readers read the branded content as well as the content of the edition.
## What are pros and contras of native advertising

### Advantages

- **It's hard to recognize that it's advertising.** Native ads are customized to the platform on which they are placed. Potential buyers can see it just as they see other articles. Therefore, the likelihood that your message will reach the buyer is very high.


- **It doesn't annoy potential customers.** The native ads don't not urge customers to buy or immediately order products. It informs about something useful. There's a good chance the customer will like it or send it to a friend. This promotes your product.


- **The [**loyalty**](https://altcraft.com/en/blog/customer-loyalty) to the brand increases.** When readers see the article with natively integrated brand among the topics that are interesting to them, they subconsciously keep it in mind and can come back to it or become your buyer in the future.

### Disadvantages

- **Hard to be implemented.** Creating original and high-quality content is a must for providing efficiency of native ads, and to do it experts are required. Thus, extra resources should be spent as it is quite hard to create and promote native ads.


- **High cost.** Advertising of this type on third-party resources is quite expensive, so that small businesses or start-ups can hardly afford such a budget.


- **Hard to be scaled.** Each native ad is created for a specific content and style. It cannot be just transferred from one resource to another, as it may be very odd and irrelevant for a different platform.

## Types of native ads and its examples
The secret of the efficiency of native advertising is that much attention is paid to the usefulness of the content and the needs of consumers. To understand it better, we suggest considering **the main types of native advertising:**
Native integration with bloggers. For example, on *TikTok* there’s a video blog of an influencer *@huddy* with more than 31 million of followers mostly under 25. There’s a video where he eats junk food *Canes* tagging it *#raisingcanes*. 



<Img
img="/uploads/Peek_2023_03_30_18_13_3_1_1_1_1_819b0f7c7f.gif"
alt="An example of native ad integration with youth influencer on TikTok"
src="An example of native ad integration with youth influencer on TikTok"
/>

**Sponsored content.** This is one of the most expensive types of advertising. The product has its main sponsor and is published on information and entertainment resources of any format, that can be a blog, social networks, TV series, etc. For example, one of the most famous references to Nike sneakers is the movie *Forrest Gump* featuring Tom Hanks, where the protagonist dreamed of *Nike "Cortez"* sneakers.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_0338b7570e.jpg"
alt="Nike Cortez advertising in Forrest Gump movie"
src="Nike Cortez advertising in Forrest Gump movie"
/>

**Content as a recommendation.** This can include compilations, ratings and reviews that are smoothly integrated into the content. This format is excellent for mobile applications or games. It is considered one of the most effective ways of advertising.

**Native advertising in social networks.** The main advantage of this method is the combination of targeted and native advertising: you create what your target audience needs in their favorite communities, pages, and blogs. For example, a potential customer browses your feed in the social net and sees sponsored posts related to the topic they want. It is interesting and worth reading for them, and also the popularity of the company increases in this way.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_28088fbf1b.png"
alt="Native ads in a social network"
src="Examples of native ads in a social network"
/>

## Where to place native ads
Nowadays, native content is shown in the digital space, but sometimes magazines, banners, and television become platforms for ad placement. Let's take a look at some of the sites where native content can be placed online.

Social networks. This includes advertising on the largest social networks of the world:
*Twitter*, *TikTok*, *YouTube*, *Instagram**
, *Facebook** and others. And everywhere it takes different forms. These are posts, paid publications, sponsored videos etc.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_4ec8e144e2.png"
alt="Ad on Instagram*"
src="Ad on Instagram*"
/>

**Advertising platforms, expert articles and blogs specializing in a certain sphere.** This advertising is interesting for the user because the content which is posted is helpful and informative for the audience. For example, you can record a podcast on the topic "How to make your morning more productive" and at the same time unobtrusively promote a new coffee drink.

**Search engines.** *Google* uses native ads in the form of contextual ads that appear alongside your search results. Users may not even notice where the ads are and where the natural results are. 

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_87a0ac7cfd.png"
alt="Examples of native ads on Google search engine"
src="Examples of native ads on Google search engine"
/>

### How to create effective native advertising:

- Get in touch with your audience's interests (what sites they prefer).


- Find out if you can create the content yourself or if you need to involve partners.


- Choose the right content and adapt it to the format of the platform.


- Calculate how much it costs to create and host it.


- Choose ways to measure the effectiveness of advertising.

### Note the important tips:

1. Native integration should be appealing for the audience, fit the format of the site, and should not be annoying. At the same time, it should be indicated as advertising content.


2. This type of advertising is unobtrusive.


3. Native advertising is viral, which should circulate among readers as word of mouth.

## How to check the effectiveness of native ads
Native advertising, like other types of promotion, needs to be assessed for effectiveness. If the published material contains a link to the brand site, such indicators as CTR and leads are used. If the ad is [**affiliate content**](https://altcraft.com/blog/affiliate-marketing-for-beginners) without a link, then it is evaluated through the engagement and audience coverage, the number of likes, comments and reposts.
When evaluating effectiveness, the following criteria are used:

- **CTR** (Click Through Rate/clickability of ads) is the transition from the ad to the site, that is, the number of clicks on the link;


- **view rate** the number of people who viewed the ad;


- **scroll-down rate** this metric shows what proportion of visitors have scrolled to the end of the page;


- **engagement rate** is the way subscribers interact with content;


- **conversion** is the number of users who performed a targeted action after viewing the content.
### How to increase the effectiveness of native advertising

The effectiveness of this type of advertising depends on many factors: the relevance of the information or the choice of promotion method. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the following aspects:

**Use the platforms that your customers prefer**

For example, your target audience mainly uses social networks, and they are not particularly interested in expert blogs and portals. So you need to focus your attention on those platforms, research your competitors there, and then choose an advertising format.

**Determine the interests of your audience and the format**

There are many formats for native sales. Which one to choose depends on the platforms where you're going to advertise and on the preferences of your audience. You can experiment with the types of content: useful articles, tests or games with a focus on a certain topic. And then you can analyze and understand which information is better and more effectively perceived by the audience.

**Don't overdo it with clickbait**

Using headlines that are too eye-catching and unrelated to the topic of the article will not lead to a positive result. The users first get interested in the title, then they read the material that they don't appreciate. This often leads to disappointment with the brand.

**Use prelending**

Unlike [**a landing page**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/what-are-landing-pages-and-why-they-matter), prelending gently gets the customer prepared and interested. It doesn't have a direct and obvious willingness to sell the product as quickly as possible. Therefore, the potential buyer gets warmed up before the possible purchase and does not treat the advertisement negatively.

## Conclusion

**Native advertising** is a type of product advertising where the brand attracts attention in the context of the site and user interests. Such content is appreciated by users because they get useful information. Therefore, for the audience it is good advertising without being intrusive.

There are several types of native ads: promotion with bloggers or in social networks, sponsored content, and recommendations. It is placed on absolutely different platforms, from blogs to search engines.

To increase the effectiveness of native content, it is important to place it on the platforms used by the company's target audience, to select the right format and to provide high-quality material.

**Meta and its products are considered to be extremist in the Russian Federation*

NNative ads are those in which the brand attracts attention in the context of the site. Such ads are appreciated by users because they get useful information.

Native Advertising: Its Pros and Cons, Its Types and Benefits

Newsjacking is drawing the attention to a company with the help of public news and loud [**newsbreaks**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/what-is-a-newsbreak-its-types-and-how-to-create-it). The point of this tool is to ride the wave of popularity and get the benefit for the brand.

## How newsjacking works

Keep an eye on what's going on in your business and subscribe to online news sources so you can be the first to know what's coming. The [**newsbreak**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/what-is-a-newsbreak-its-types-and-how-to-create-it) has to be related to your company, otherwise you won't make the right impression and customers will react negatively to the brand. Newsjacking is not explicit advertising. Consumers will think about buying your product if it has a strong connection to an outstanding event.

## Benefits of newsjacking

- fast traffic growth;


- recognition of the company;


- increase in the ranking of the site in search;


- improvement of the corporate image;


- traffic increase in social networks;


- higher conversion.

## How to implement newsjacking

### 1. Monitor current events

To perform it, subscribe to famous news sites in your field and related ones. Find out if your customers read the content there. If they don't, the newsbreak won't be a significant event for your target audience. Pay attention if the facts are true, because fake news is a common phenomenon on the web. Once you confuse people, they are unlikely to believe you.

### 2. Choose the popular search queries

It is important to pay attention to search queries. Analyze which of them are the most popular. Use *Google Trends* or its equivalents to do it.

### 3. Take up the positive information

Don't boost your popularity through negative things (tragedies, illness, political problems, etc.). Customers come to you looking for positive feelings.

Here is an example of newsjacking that failed. Kenneth Cole, the owner of a famous clothing brand of his name, wanted to increase the popularity of his company at the expense of the protests in Cairo in 2011. He wrote a very controversial message: *"Millions are in uproar in Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online”* He later apologized, but such a failure cannot be forgotten.

<Img
img="/uploads/Cole_6dc2b64002.png"
alt="Kenneth Cole’s fail"
src="Kenneth Cole’s failure: an example of how not to advertise"
/>


### 4. Check the relation of the news to your organization
Take only the most interesting and appropriate events for clients. The connection must be easy to comprehend, otherwise you will have to come up with an explanation. An example is *Godiva*, a chocolate manufacturer. They made an advertisement for their products related to Thanksgiving Day. This caused weird feelings among customers, since the brand makes sweet products, but promoted itself through a holiday where the traditional meal is turkey.

<Img
img="/uploads/Godiva_a667ec6fe6.png"
alt="Godiva"
/>

## Examples of successful newsjacking
The NFL, an American sports league, likes to use news marketing. They have no problem with events, and sometimes they come up hard with surprises. For example, after the news of the birth of an heir to the royal family, the company posted a post dedicated to the event. They published photos of football players with "royal" names and advised them to name the child after one of them.

<Img
img="/uploads/royal_names_of_fotb_players_14541f5853.png"
alt="A weird advise of NFL"
src="A weird advise of NFL to the royal family"
/>

Another good example relates to the Sochi Games, where one of the Olympic rings in the symbol did not come out. Many companies have taken up this event. *Audi'*s marketers were quick to react and related the news to their brand. People took it as a pre-arranged trick, since *Audi'*s slogan was *"When four rings is all you need"*.

<Img
img="/uploads/audi_1bdd3e9702.jpg"
alt="When four rings is all you need"
/>

*Assorti* sushi bar chain took advantage of the news in a different way. Their use of newsjacking became so popular that it was even mentioned in American media.

<Img
img="/uploads/sushi_2d6186eb86.png"
alt="An Olympic ring that couldn’t"
src="An Olympic ring that couldn’t became a source for food hijacking"
/>

An extraordinary example of newsjacking is the turn from *IKEA Canada*. At a conference, soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo pushed away *Coca-Cola* products and noted that he prefers to drink plain water. A video of the event immediately went viral. *IKEA* reacted at once having launched a bottle of minimal design strictly for water.

<Img
img="/uploads/christiano_cb8b4b7fc7.jpg"
alt="IKEA Canada"
/>

## Applying newsjacking to a newsletter
Newsjacking is also used in email newsletters. A great and prominent example is *Spirit Airlines*. When the American public worried about an increase in tax rates (the "fiscal cliff"), subscribers to the newsletter from this organization received emails with the title *"The cliff that scares"*. These emails offered a $50 discount.

<Img
img="/uploads/Spirit_airlines_11aafbc4eb.png"
alt=""
src="Spirit Airlines’ newsletter hijacked the fiscal cliff of US"
/>

When everyone in America was concerned of the upcoming inauguration, *Benefit* cosmetics hijacked this event, though, they stayed off the politics paying attention to the event itself. In their newsletter they transformed the phrase *”Hail to the Chief!”* into *“Hail to the Cheek!”* and their headline was *”Take the oath of beauty to the office!”*

<Img
img="/uploads/image7_be508e9b7a.png"
alt="A Hail-to-the-Cheek campaign of Benefit"
src="A Hail-to-the-Cheek campaign of Benefit"
/>

## Conclusion

Now you know about newsjacking, its benefits, tips on how to use it, and good and bad examples. It's a great way to increase traffic, company recognition, sales, and brand reputation.


Keep in mind that newsjacking is a rather dangerous tool if used improperly. It is important to follow all the rules and to avoid trying to stand out through whatever means, for instance, by using negative words or events that have nothing to do with your organization.

Newsjacking is drawing attention to a company with public news and loud newsbreaks. Its point is to ride the wave of popularity and get benefits for the brand.

Newsjacking: What It Is and How to Use It in Marketing

**An offer** is a benefit to the user, consumer or affiliate after a targeted action (such as a purchase or subscription) has been taken. It is a suggestion to potential customers to buy something useful and appropriate in a specific period of time. The benefit comes as a discount, a bonus, helpful material, a guide, a gift, a free month of use, etc.


The offer is similar to a unique selling proposition, but they have one significant difference - the offer is valid only for a limited period of time and motivates to buy quickly, while the **USP** describes the features of the product, which are always current.


In this article we will consider why we need an offer in Internet marketing, where it is used, how an offer looks like, how to properly create and improve it.
## Why an offer is required
Of course, the most attractive product for customers is the one that offers a benefit. Such an option is 90% more appealing 90%.


Let's take a closer look at why we need offers in business:


- **To increase the target audience.** Tools for increasing traffic (banners, ads, etc) are offers in online marketing.


- **To increase engagement of potential and loyal consumers.** Successful offers increase customer loyalty and keep the company's customer base.


- **To increase sales.** A high-quality offer draws the attention of the target audience and motivates them to make a purchase here and now.


- **To create value for the product/service and to form a successful image of the organization.** In today's highly competitive marketplace it is not enough for companies to simply demonstrate the characteristics of their product line. For constant sales, it is necessary to convince the customer of the value and exclusivity of your product.


- **To expedite the sale of the product.** In commerce, an offer is a discount or a total sale. Often there are selling "discount" offers - 30-50-80%.

## Where an offer is implied
The offer is used by companies in different industries. Let's consider the most popular among them:
### 1. Goods and services
In this sector, an offer states what exactly the consumer gets if he buys a product. Often they are based on discounts and promotions that demonstrate economy to customers.


For instance, the jewelry brand [**Puravida**](https://www.puravidabracelets.com/) often provides marketing offers among their customers.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_03_12_10_29_fd5621d646.jpg"
alt="Puravida offers to buy the latest new items online."
src="Puravida offers to buy the latest new items online."
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_03_12_11_42_154dc2ebd7.jpg"
alt="Puravida gives a 20% profit for ordering their jewels."
src="Puravida gives a 20% profit for ordering their jewels."
/>

And here’s an offer of *Bit.ai* providing a platform that organizes your digital files in one environment. The service has its free trial and offers to start using it right away.

<Img
img="/uploads/bit_ai_8493cea689.png"
alt="An offer from Bit.Ai to try using their service for free"
src="An offer from Bit.Ai to try using their service for free"
/>

### 2. Marketing

In marketing, the purpose of an offer is to determine how a particular product satisfies consumers' desires.
Such an offer should not only increase sales, but also expand the customer database. To do this, visitors to the site leave their contact information in a subscription form, take a survey or a questionnaire.
**A marketing offer consists of:**

- an interesting headline that attracts attention;


- the text, which reveals the benefits of the product or service for the client;


- [**a call to action (CTA)**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-cta) that leads a user to perform a particular activity on the site.


<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_03_12_13_59_178772d76f.jpg"
alt="The CTA offering to subscribe to two TV channels at once."
src="The CTA offering to subscribe to two TV channels at once."
/>
 
### 3. Affiliate model
**CPA (cost per action), or an affiliate model** is a model of Internet marketing in which a company outsources the promotion of its product to intermediary advertisers. The partners' task is to bring visitors to the site so that they perform the target action: buy a product, register, leave their personal information and so on.
What is an offer in an affiliate program? This is a technical task describing the benefits of participating in this program. Usually it is stated what the reward will be, from which site the traffic is required, what the products are, etc.

<Img
img="/uploads/image6_664100f702.png"
alt="Affiliate marketing from Amazon"
src="Affiliate marketing from Amazon"
/>

### 4. Recruiting
Vacancies and resumes are recruiting offers that are related to the labor market. These offers are created for job seekers. They contain positive aspects that will benefit future employees.

Job offers are placed on special sites in the job description or are announced during the interview. 
**An offer in recruiting includes:**

- job title;


- job duties;


- work hours;


- salary;


- career opportunities;


- social package and other bonuses;


- brief information about the company.


<Img
img="/uploads/job_offer_22bfab1308.png"
alt="An example of an offer for a position of Marketing Strategist"
src="An example of an offer for a position of Marketing Strategist"
/>

## How to make an offer
Start designing a successful offer with market research: identify the target audience, identify its needs and problems. Once you know this information, begin to develop the offer.

**The perfect offer formula is like this:**


<Img
img="/uploads/formula_1_variant_a83ef77178.png"
alt="Formula of an offer"
/>

1. **Benefit** is the most important component in making an offer. You should first attract the customer with a unique offer. Don't confuse value and cost. For example, the following description demonstrates the value of a cell phone from its brief characteristic: *"A smartphone with ultra-thin body that is easy to hold, having fancy design and delighting people."*



2. **A product** is what provides the benefit for the consumer. Use the following effective formula: "We offer you (benefit) through (product or service). For example: *"We offer you glowing, healthy-looking skin through our special line of facial care products."*



3. **A discount/promotion** is something that the offer can't do without in the minds of customers. In other words, it is a "bribe" to the customer for choosing your product or service. Promotions, as a rule, imply free delivery, product samples and various gifts with the purchase. For example: *"Only today buy one pizza and get extra one free”*.



4. **The call to action button** is a crucial element in the formula of a successful offer. It's not enough to just demonstrate the product, you need to motivate customers to buy or take other targeted actions. For example: *"Subscribe for a month and get free consulting from an expert"*. Offers with different restrictions bring excellent results: order or buy before a certain date or time; there is only a couple of items left, etc.



**Instructions for coming up with an offer:**



1. **Analyze the target audience, make up a portrait of your customer.** The purpose of the offer is to combine the benefits with the desires of people. To do this, study the needs, doubts, objections, values of your target audience. Also, list the merits of the product and explain what problems it solves.



2. **Define the message of the offer.** Make an understandable offer for the client: what exactly you are selling, what are the benefits for the buyer. Finally, the result is an offer, having seen which the customer will say: "Yes, I need it."



3. **Apply discounts, promotions, features** - anything that makes you stand out from the crowd.



4. Add a call to action and restrictions.
## How to improve an offer
1. **Create a brief offer, consisting of a few sentences and conveying the main point.** A large amount of information makes the offer more obscure, the client is then unlikely to focus on it.



2. **Customize the offer for your target audience.** A successful offer solves the problems of certain people. For this it is important to understand: who exactly is your customer, what are his needs and his doubts, what motivates him to buy.



3. **Take the figures into account.** Show in numerical values how much your customers will save and how much they will get as a gift. The benefits shown in clear values are highly appreciated by customers.



4. **Make an offer for a single item.** The consumer's attention will be focused on a specific product.
## Conclusion
An offer is a suggestion to buy a product and get a profit. The offer is used in such areas as commodity business and services, recruiting, marketing, affiliate networks. It consists of a small number of offers. Be sure to add a call to action and benefits such as unique features, promotions or discounts.


Consider the needs and fears of your audience to create an effective offer. Demonstrate the benefit in figures, limit the time and number of products. Also, make an offer for a single product or a group of products, so customers don't get distracted.

An offer is a benefit to the user, consumer or affiliate after a targeted action has been taken. It is a suggestion to buy something useful in a specific period of time.

Offer: What It Is, What for It Is Used and How to Come up With It

A media plan is a detailed project of advertising campaigns that are launched within a certain period of time. Typically, a media plan is created in the form of a table that contains information about advertising platforms and formats, main tasks, budget, forecasts, and plan implementation deadlines.


The article explains what a media plan is, why it is necessary to create one, and how to conduct media planning for a company effectively.


## The reasons for compiling a media plan

You can launch advertising without a plan: choose platforms for placement, create several ads on them, pay the required amount and wait for the results. However, this approach is not efficient. To avoid wasting financial resources, a media plan is necessary.


A media strategy is an important process for large organizations investing significant amounts of money in advertising. Media planning consists of complex calculations, expert reviews, and specific arguments for the spread of the investment.


If you have a small budget and only a few platforms to place, creating a plan is also important because it contributes to better work and efficient fund management.


**So, media planning is required in order to:**


- **decide on the steps for product promotion.** Planning reflects what exactly, in what way, with what budget and with what expected profits will be done in a specific time period.


- **keep track of interim results and manage the situation.** By matching the actual results with the expected ones, you can adjust media planning for the better in time. For example, you can spend your budget on more effective advertising.


- **make a conclusion about the progress of the work done for a given period.** It is essential for both marketers and businessmen to understand how effective the strategy has been. In the future, this will help to avoid mistakes.

## What media planning consists of

### Brief

The brief is an important document that includes the goals of the project and the necessary requirements. The brief formulates the client's expectations from the advertisement, as well as the performer's expectations of the tasks to deal with.

**Important aspects of the brief are as follows:**



- what exactly is advertised;


- who’s the buyer;


- what competitors the company has.
The format of the brief can vary. The main thing is the questions that structure the source data into a coherent and understandable assignment.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_2b823f6f1c.png"
alt="Example of a brief for an online shoe store"
src="Example of a brief for an online shoe store"
/>


### Media strategy


This strategy determines the place, frequency and duration of advertising.

**Its main goals are:**



- identify the target audience;


- find the right platforms to promote products;


- understand what the cost estimate for each platform will be.

At the beginning of media strategy development, a specialist decides which promotion platforms to choose and allocates financial resources to them. Then the issue of the frequency and quantity of publications is resolved.


### Launch schedule for advertising announcements


The launch schedule for advertising usually includes days, hours, and sometimes even minutes (for example, on the radio). It is compiled separately for each channel. The promotion period on different platforms may vary.


### Summary table


When you have completed all of the previous steps, combine the information obtained into a single table.


**It should include:**


- Names of advertising platforms;
- The volume of the target audience on these channels;
- Launch schedule for advertising announcements for each platform separately;
- The amount of published content;
- Advertising format (publication by bloggers, social media posts, or video ads);
- The cost of each campaign;
- Total budget;
- Forecasting.


Feel free to include any additional items that are relevant for your organization.


## How to create a media plan
If you have not previously created a media plan and are new to this business, start with the basics: analyzing the current market situation, defining the portrait of the target audience, and monitoring competitors.


### Step-by-step instruction for successful media planning creation:


**1. Market analysis and analysis of other companies' activities**


This stage determines the position of your product in the market: what advantages it has, what problems it solves, how it differs from competitors' offerings. Also, pay attention to the disadvantages. They need to be identified in order to position yourself correctly.


Conduct an analysis of market saturation: how many similar products/services there are, which ones are the most popular, and which ones are losing in competition. To do this, use services that reflect customer requests in search (*Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs* etc). Study your competitors' advertising announcements in more detail, how they present themselves, where they promote their products, and how they run blogs on social networks. Note their advantages, adapt successful ideas for yourself, and learn from other companies' mistakes.


**2. Identifying your target audience.**


For effective advertising, make a clear portrait of your customer. You need to know what desires your product satisfies and what problems it solves. For example, many people buy branded items for a sense of "high status". Clothes for them are something like a mark of success in life. Another example is that people are more likely to go to organizations that have been in business for a long time to avoid the fear of the unknown in choosing services from new companies.


Think about the following points: why the consumer should choose you, what needs your product covers, whether your company matches the beliefs and hobbies of the buyer or not.


Then detail the portrait of the customer, such features as sex, age, place of residence, status, solvency, hobbies, place of work and more.


Once you have gathered the necessary information, you can easily create a portrait of your target audience. This way you position your products with more success, choosing relevant platforms for promotion.


**3. Formulating the goal of advertising**


Before you get started with media planning, it's important to define your goals. They affect the following steps: selection of platforms and advertising formats, setting KPIs and analysis of effectiveness. Statement of goals depends on the existing problems and desires of the company. For example, a new company needs to make a name for itself in the market and attract a large audience in order to get a good start in business. Organizations that have been operating for a long time and already have their own [**customer base**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/everything-about-the-customer-database) need to increase profits, maintain their rating and consumer attention.


There are a variety of goals, and it is important to set them clearly and thoughtfully. The SMART system is a great way to set measurable and effective goals.




<Img
img="/uploads/SMART_goal_bfcb9e1cc0.png"
alt="The SMART goal"
/>


**4. Choosing advertising сhannels and formats**


At this stage, a media plan is being created. There are several options: using ready-made templates, creating a plan yourself in a table using *Microsoft Excel*, or turning to special services.


The following information is entered into a summary table: the timing of advertising campaigns, their placement locations, and formats. As a result, you form a schedule for releasing different types of advertising on various platforms.


Advertising channels are selected based on the features and objectives of the company, the presence of target customers, and the planned budget. Also, consider other places to promote your products: advertising on radio and TV, in magazines. There is internet advertising of various formats - banners, guest blogging, advertising on social networks, targeting or teasers.


Platforms are evaluated based on various indicators. To determine the popularity of an information resource, request data on coverage, placement costs, and so on.


**5. Budget allocation**


The organization's management or client allocates a specific budget for advertising, after which the marketing specialist's task is to distribute the funds wisely among different channels to maximize profits. Platforms are arranged hierarchically and the budget is distributed taking into account the expected conversions. There is also an opposite approach: the marketer proposes their promotion plan, calculates how much money is needed, and then justifies the budget. For this purpose, the cost of each platform is calculated and future profits are forecasted.


**6. Establishing KPIs**

KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a value that demonstrates how effectively an organization achieves its main goals. They are established for the overall plan and separately for each platform.


The choice of performance indicators depends on the goals of the company. For example, if you need to increase profits, choose the following metrics:


- **ROI (Return on Investment)** - a value that reflects the return on investment. It is calculated as the ratio of advertising profit to marketing expenses (employee compensation, budget, etc.);



- **ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)** - another coefficient that determines whether the money invested in advertising promotion is returned. The formula for calculation is the ratio of the profit received from one campaign to the total amount spent on the advertising budget.


For each channel, its own KPIs are established. Let's consider the most commonly used metrics for analyzing internet advertising:


- **CTR (click-through rate)** - the ratio of clicks or clicks on an ad to the total number of impressions.


- **Audience coverage** - a value that shows the number of people who saw the ad or publication.


- **[CR (conversion rate)](https://altcraft.com/blog/conversion-rate)** - the ratio of the number of website users who have taken a specific action to the total number of visitors. It is measured as a percentage.

**7. Tracking the effectiveness of media planning**

After launching a campaign, constantly compare the initial indicators with the planned ones. The effectiveness of online advertising should be monitored daily. This way you can quickly modify non-clickable ads and avoid wasting money.
If you have a large organization, consider manually reviewing requests from each channel using analytics services (for example, *Google Analytics*). Outdoor advertising requires independent verification, as it is difficult to automate its effectiveness evaluation. Monitoring online channels is best done through end-to-end analytics, where information is collected from all sources. This allows you to compare actual performance with expected performance at any planning stage. If there is a significant difference from the KPI, review the strategy and desired metrics.
Experts establish the groundwork for the upcoming campaign when crafting a media plan.If you thoughtfully think out the structure, set the right goals and objectives, choose the necessary performance indicators, advertising will lead you to success.


## How to determine if a media plan is working
It's important to track the following metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your plan: cost per click, website traffic, and conversion rate. Check the number of leads generated by the sales department. Also, keep an eye on the latest news in the market. For instance, if any advertising channel is no longer in demand by the audience, make urgent changes to it.
A great method to analyze effectiveness is to use a comprehensive analytics tool that combines all the necessary instruments, called cross-channel analytics. It provides regular access to current data.


## What does an example media plan look like?
A media plan for each company is unique. The only thing that remains constant is the format in the form of a table, the content and filling of which is determined by the marketer. When creating a media plan, templates available online can be used, and then the ready-made sample can be expanded according to the company's goals and specifics.

Изображение:
<Img
img="/uploads/image2_3167d368fb.png"
alt="The media plan"
src="The media plan can look like the example above"
/>


## Media Planning Software 
The following specialized services are used for creating large media plans:



- **Galileo** is an excellent choice for advertising firms, publishers, and television organizations.



- **Mediator** is a Windows-only program that calculates the main advertising indicators on all channels.



- **TV Planet** is a program designed for planning advertising campaigns on television. It functions for those who place, create, and sell advertising.



- **Schedule Builder** is also designed for TV advertising. This program takes into account factors such as competition, prime time, and viewer preferences.



- **SuperNova** is a program for advertising on radio platforms. It is mainly used by advertising agencies, media companies, and various publishers.



- **Excom Media Planner** finds and analyzes ratings data on radio, print, television, internet, and outdoor advertising.
## Conclusion
**A media plan** is a table developed by specialists that contains information on launching advertising campaigns. The media plan presupposes the availability of a budget, forecasts, advertising platforms, formats, and so on.


At the beginning of media planning, it is necessary to obtain a brief with a specific task. Next, conduct a market analysis, determine the target audience, establish the main objectives of the campaign, create a schedule, choose channels, and for each of them, create a budget, after which all data is entered into a common table.


Be sure to monitor the effectiveness of advertising using analytics and adjust the plan as necessary. For example, move from outdated spaces to new platforms, redistributing the budget.


Large organizations typically use specialized services for media planning. Note that creating a plan there occurs only for one medium.

A media plan is a detailed project of advertising campaigns that are launched within a certain period of time.

Media Plan: Why You Need It and How to Create It

Personalized marketing is a marketing strategy that uses individualized messages and offers for each customer. It includes promotions, discounts, email campaigns, bonuses, and more. 


To create these offers, specialists analyze personal information about the audience, such as gender, age, location, status, marital status, hobbies, interests, and more.
## What is personalization
Personalization is a tool for increasing sales and successfully launching new products on the market. The main goal is to better understand customers and their preferences. When a company knows the personal desires, it offers exactly what the audience needs.
To create a personalized offer, marketers gather information about customers' previous purchases, demographics, etc. To maintain [**customer loyalty**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-loyalty), it is important to warn them about what information will be used and how.
### The features of personalized marketing are as follows:
- applying individual methods of communication with customers;



- focusing on increasing customer loyalty.


This type of marketing exists due to the high competition in the modern market. Companies need to attract new people and maintain the attention of those who already interact with them. Nowadays, there are many new methods and technologies for collecting and analyzing customer data.
## What are the peculiarities of personalized marketing?

Traditional marketing works like this: specialists create an offer, and then target an audience. The goal is to attract a large number of consumers and sell them the product.


Personalized marketing, on the other hand, aims to offer customers the exact product or service that will solve their problems and satisfy their desires. For example, a company that provides computer services should offer personalized products for each segment of its audience: gaming computers, mice and keyboards for gamers; fast diagnostics of devices for busy people; convenient and compact laptops for employees.


Therefore, before creating an individual offer, it is necessary to study the portrait of the potential customer in order to know exactly which product or service will interest them.
## Why personalized marketing is needed


### Advantages of Personalization in Marketing


**Standing out from the crowd**


Personalization sets you apart from other organizations. It is not enough to simply create an image with a logo and a slogan. Consumers remember companies that offer them solutions to their problems.


Here's a simple example of personalization. For many brands, delivery operates throughout the day: that is, a person sits at home and waits for a courier. Companies that offer a choice of any time interval to save customers' time (for example, from 12:00 to 14:00 or from 16:00 to 18:00) are focused on an individual approach. After all, consumers will plan their day as they wish. This way, you will subtly push people towards becoming your regular customers.


**Creating relevant ads and content**


Personalization helps create organic advertising that engages buyers. If people see an ad related to their problems, they are more likely to study it.


**Building long-term relationships with customers**


When customers buy a product, the company makes a profit. However, after the purchase, consumers often forget about the company since the problem is already solved. Personalized marketing maintains relationships with buyers after the targeted action. Email newsletters, [**SMS notifications**](https://altcraft.com/blog/sms-marketing), pop-up windows are tools that help to constantly interact with the audience.


**Gathering leads**


When a company is ready to offer something valuable and useful for free, it creates trust among potential customers. Users leave their email address or phone number to get a guide, instruction, book, video, etc. To create a useful product, a lead magnet, study people's needs and use personalized marketing.


## Types of strategies in personalized marketing


### Differentiating your company from competitors


Often, customers don't know which company to prefer if they all have similar products, prices, and websites. Personalization sets you apart from others. Offer individual discounts, promotions, bonuses, [**promo codes**](https://altcraft.com/features/loyalty-programs) depending on the customer's actions on the website, their purchases, and browsing history.


Below is an example from [**Benefit cosmetics**](https://www.benefitcosmetics.com), where everyone can download a photo and try the beauty items on.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_07_12_04_58_fc7608e20f.jpg"
alt=""
/>


### Communication with consumers

Communication with customers is an important part of marketing strategy. It is created through email newsletters, online chats, social media, and SMS.


The main goal of communication is to learn as much information as possible about consumers in order to offer them an individual discount or offer.


*Here is an example of communication with customers. The company sends a newsletter. There’s a link to the [**survey**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-satisfaction-survey-mistakes) and the invitation to pass it in the email.*


<Img
img="/uploads/image3_78fec94369.png"
alt=""
src="The example of email invitation to pass a survey."
/>


Often, companies give promo codes, bonuses, and discounts to customers after they complete surveys, questionnaires, and other forms of feedback.


### Useful content

Create useful materials and help potential customers solve their problems. It can be, for example, a guide to cooking recipes for children or instructions for quickly processing photos.


When a person learns something new and interesting, they are more likely to subscribe to the newsletter and news. The company will continue to communicate with customers until they make a purchase.


### Website design

Personalized marketing is used in website design. If a company knows its customer profile, it can adapt the interface to their needs.


For example, many online clothing stores remember the search history of website visitors. In the future, customers are shown products similar to the ones they viewed.


## How to collect data for personalization

**Customer information can be collected using various methods:**


### Lead forms

This tool collects various data and requests left by users. The information that the organization receives depends on the questions in the form. For example, if the form includes a "date of birth" field, the company will learn this information after it is filled out.


This is the example of a lead form for a food delivery service that collects the information from a company that needs to order food.



<Img
img="/uploads/image1_15fb3ea3c3.png"
alt=""
src="The example of a lead form"
/>


### Surveys

They are created to determine customer preferences, hobbies, and other information. After completing the survey, the person's profile in the database is updated with new information. This [**form**](https://altcraft.com/features/forms-and-surveys) of collection is conducted on websites, social media, or via email.


### Web analytics services

Such services collect information about consumer behavior on the website: which web pages are most popular, how long customers take [**to complete their purchases**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-reduce-cart-abandonment-rate), etc.


Web analytics also provides information about the age, gender, time of website visits, and devices used by the user. This information is displayed in reports.


### Interviews
Directly learning about consumers' doubts and desires is possible through interviews. This method is great for personalization. Interviews can be conducted in stores, over the phone, or through focus group invitations.
## How to figure out a customer profile


After collecting information about your audience, it is worth creating a customer profile. The profile is a detailed description of a person that reflects real brand customers. Without creating a profile, it is difficult to determine the style of the letter and the type of content.


### The main points in the customer profile are:

- **Demographic:** date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, values.



- **Geographic:** place of residence, climate, culture, local features.



- **Socio-economic:** ability to pay, status, education, profession.



- **Behavioral:** needs, doubts, fears, average customer check, seasonality, consumer basket.


Not all points are equally important to a company. For example, for a snowboarding store, climate is more important than marital status. And for a store selling children's goods, information about marital status and the presence of children is a priority.


## How to use customer data


**There are several ways to use data obtained from customers:**


### Improving newsletters


Use trigger email messages when consumers are ready to see them. Don't forget to add content that interests subscribers. This will increase the likelihood of the message being read.


### Interesting offers


When you [**segment people**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-and-why-to-segment-target-audience) in your database by profession, age, marital status, and payment capacity, you can create [**a special offer**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/what-are-landing-pages-and-why-they-matter) that fully satisfies the desires of consumers.


### Communication with website users


It's important to know what actions the customer performs on your website. At the right moment, show a pop-up window related to their actions on the web page. For example, if a customer is browsing the selection for a long time without taking any further action, add a window with a consultation from a manager to help with the order.


## Examples of personalized marketing


### Personalized [**landing pages**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/what-are-landing-pages-and-why-they-matter)


This method divides customers by their requests and directs each one based on their individual interests. For example, when opening the website of the *Proof* organization, the starting page is the same for everyone. However, to view the video, users should provide their personal information (field of activity, profession, or position). This information is processed, and a new page headline is formed, personalized for each type of consumer.


### Retargeting for cart


The marketing strategy of the brand Revolve involves using [**retargeting**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-retargeting) for cart products. The company shows customers on social media the exact products they added to their cart but didn't purchase.


## Conclusion

**Personalized marketing** is an approach in promotion where an individual offer is applied to each customer: a discount, a special offer, an email, a landing page, content, and more. 


Personal data and personalization are necessary for standing out among competitors, creating successful ads, and maintaining beneficial and strong relationships with customers. Lead forms, surveys, analytics services, and interview methods are used to collect personal data. 


Thanks to personalized marketing, a company applies various strategies. For example, a strategy for improving communication with consumers, creating a user-friendly website, or gathering necessary information about the audience.

Personalized marketing is a strategy that uses individualized offers for a customer. That is,  promotions, discounts, email campaigns, bonuses, etc. 

Personalization: What It Is and Why Personalized Marketing Matters

A mail server is a program that transmits electronic messages from one device to another. In this article, we will consider why an email server is needed, what protocols exist, the advantages of having your own mail server, methods for creating corporate email, and also the specifics of mass mailings.
## Why you need a mail server

The mail server provides instant email delivery over the internet, where the system of information storage is well-organized. The most common mail servers are Gmail, Outlook, etc.


An important element of this system is the email client. The scheme of its work is as follows: a person logs into the client, writes a message, which goes to the server and then is sent to the recipient.


Email servers are usually used for individual purposes or mass mailing.


## What email system protocols are used for

To ensure proper delivery of emails and guarantee security, the following email protocols are used:


- **IMAP** - transfers emails from the server to the recipient. Messages remain on the recipient's server, which is very convenient. The requests to the server are high because a large amount of information needs to be implemented without reducing the quality. IMAP is recommended as it is considered the most reliable.



- **POP3** - performs the same function as IMAP. The difference is that POP3 saves data to the device's memory. When the recipient clicks to view the email, the protocol immediately erases it from the server. This is inconvenient for the user, as they will have to regularly delete unnecessary information.



- **SMTP** - created to complement the previous two. It sends the email to the server and then to the recipient.

## Benefits of creating a personal mail server


Most companies prefer to create their own server instead of using well-known ones. This solves **the following important tasks:**


- organizing communication between employees;
- mass mailing to customers.


What are the advantages of a personal server? First of all, it provides [**security of customer personal information**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-protect-customer-data). Well-known external servers are large-scale systems on the network with their own methods of protecting data. However, by using them, you cannot be sure that confidential information will not fall into the wrong hands. Small firms can use popular services for safe communication with consumers, as their degree of protection is sufficient. Data protection is especially important for government institutions, banks, and enterprises where valuable information is carefully guarded.


Also, an organization with a personal server can operate even without access to the internet. If there are problems with the internet, the internal network ensures uninterrupted operation.


In addition, a personal server significantly saves traffic for sending large volumes of information.




## How to create a business email


A personal server is a good choice, but there are other ways to implement communication within a company. Let's look at the methods of creating [**a business email**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/why-a-professional-business-email-is-required-and-with-the-help-of-what-services-you-can-create-it). Remember that your decision depends on the characteristics of the company, its goals, size, budget, and other factors.


### Free email service

Email service provided by one of well-known email servers allows performing common functions such as communication with customers, document flow, etc. This method is usually used for personal purposes, but it is also worth considering for small businesses starting out due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The main advantages of this choice include ease of use and saving money. However, the disadvantages include limited storage space, unreliable security, and the lack of a personal domain name with the brand's name.


### Email on a domain


In this option, you register [**a domain**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/email-domain-what-it-is-what-it's-for-and-how-to-create-it) with your company name and create email in a convenient service. The domain with the company name does not change, but the name before the "@" sign shows different information - the department name, employee surname, etc. For example, news@skyteach.com or makarov@organization.com. When the email address includes a brand, the reader understands right away who the email is from. The advantages of having an email on a domain are low cost (you only need to pay for the domain, and email services are usually free), and wide functionality. The disadvantages include dependence on the server.


*Below there is an example of creating a professional email with [**Google Domains**](https://domains.google/get-started/email/)*

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_b81c6ff4a2.png"
alt="Creating a professional email address with Google Domains"
src="Creating a professional email address with Google Domains"
/>


### A server of your own 

In this option, you have both a server and a domain, so the work is configured specifically for your company: setting up forwarding rules, storage limits, and more. In case of failures, you can always identify the source of the problem and quickly restore the system. The downside is the high cost of equipment and personnel.


### Mail server for mass mailing


When setting up [**mass mailing**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/bulk-mailing-what-it-is), a special approach is required because it has its own specifics. For example, the main goal is to send a message, while the availability of advanced statistics, the ability to reject incoming messages, and other features are also important. Setting up this system on your own will be difficult as it requires a large amount of resources. Many organizations rely on third-party companies or specialized services for this matter.


## Conclusion

**A mail server** implements email message delivery. Its main components are the mail client and protocols.


There are three methods of creating email for business: free email on well-known services, email on your own domain, and a personal server, which can be configured to meet the needs of a particular company. The main advantage of a personal server is the ability to provide protection for confidential information and configure operations according to the specific needs of the business.


For mass mailings, a mail server requires a significant investment, so it is more logical to rely on the help of professionals or use special services.

A mail server is a special program that transmits electronic messages from one device to another. Its main components are the mail client and protocols.

Mail Server: Why You Need One and the Benefits of Having Your Own

**Email client** is a software that combines email accounts in one place and provides email functions such as sending emails, storing them, sorting incoming emails, and setting notifications.


Let's discuss why email clients are needed, their pros and cons, how they work, and how to choose the right client.


## What are email clients for?
Email accounts are usually created on the following email services: [**Google**](https://mail.google.com/mail), [**Outlook**](https://outlook.live.com), [**ProtonMail**](https://proton.me/mail), [**AOL Mail**](https://login.aol.com/), [**Yahoo! Mail**](https://login.yahoo.com/), [**Zoho**](https://www.zoho.com/mail/) etc. To check the mailbox, you need to log in to the browser/application on your phone or computer. If work emails come to different email addresses, you need to log in again. Also, these services display distracting ads.



<Img
img="/uploads/image2_24fa699a98.png"
alt="An example of the ads in the right panel"
/>


The email client is perfect if you don't want to constantly enter login details for your email. This tool will combine all of your email addresses. The emails will be in one place and without distracting banners.

## Advantages of an email client

### Notification of the received letters

You don't need to constantly open the email client to check if you have new letters. Set a time for the client to check if there are new letters in your inbox. If there are, it will download them right to your device. This ensures that your emails are accessible even if you lose internet connection.

### Combining an unlimited number of email services

The email client can connect to an unlimited number of email accounts, which can be viewed together in a single folder or separated into different ones. If you want to organize your emails into different categories, you can create multiple folders for things like newsletters, personal emails, or communication with colleagues.

### Easy search and fast opening of messages

With the email client, you can easily find the message you need using the search function. Messages are stored on your computer's hard drive, so they open quickly, even if they contain large files.

### Continuing to work through a browser

The email client doesn't block the email services that are connected to it. You can open your mailbox through a browser at any time.




## How an email client works

After sending an email, it does not immediately appear in the recipient's email inbox. First, it goes to a relay server. The transmission to this intermediate server is carried out using the SMTP protocol, while receiving emails is done via the POP3 or IMAP channel. When choosing a protocol, it is important to consider that a good internet connection is not necessary for POP3 to function, whereas a stable connection is needed for IMAP. With the help of an email client, the user can read emails without opening each mailbox separately. The recipient also has the ability to immediately respond to incoming mail, delete it, or move it to another folder.
## How to choose an appropriate email client

### What to pay attention to while making a choice:

- **Cost.** To start working with an email client, it is not always necessary to purchase a license. There are many free programs with basic functions such as sorting messages, sending, filtering, searching for emails, etc.


- **Operating system compatibility check.** Before installing an email client on your laptop or computer, it is important to determine whether the email client is available for Windows, macOS, or any other operating system you are using. If you need a version for your mobile device, check whether the client can function on Android or iOS.


- **Mobile version.** If you are constantly traveling or on the go, it's easier to check your incoming emails on your phone. Choose a client that has [**a mobile app for smartphones**](https://altcraft.com/blog/mobile-app-as-a-marketing-channel).


- **Compatibility with email services.** Email clients work great with popular email services (such as *Gmail, Yahoo!* and more). There are also email services created on rare platforms. Therefore, it is important to check whether the client works with them or not before starting to use it.


- **Interface.** There are no specific recommendations here. The most important thing is that the interface is convenient and visually appealing to you.
## Review of email clients
### 1. The Bat!


**Pros:**


- 30-day free trial period.
- Use of basic functions and installation of antivirus.
- Connecting offline address books.
- Installation of plugins and spell checking.


**Cons:**


- A small number of additional extensions.
- Paid tariff.


<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_10_13_35_13_ad3d4e0ac5.jpg"
alt="The Bat"
/>


### 2. Microsoft Outlook


**Pros:**


- Performing basic email functions and having an organizer.
- Customizing sound notifications based on templates, sorting of new emails into personal and work categories, and regulation of email filtering rules.
- Supporting VBA macros, which enhance functionality through the use of program code.
- Free access to *Office* applications.

**Cons:**


- Only paid option.
- High price starting with a monthly cost of $6.00 per user for business, and $7.00 for personal use.

<Img
img="/uploads/image5_b2079ccf14.png"
alt="Outlook"
/>


### 3. EM Client


**Pros:**


- A free email client that allows you to connect only two email accounts. If you need more, you will have to purchase a license.
- Spell check.
- Built-in chat, where you can communicate with each other and save your correspondence.

**Cons:**


- Lack of virus and other threat scanning for attached files.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_0dcbf41c26.png"
alt="EM Client"
/>


4. SeaMonkey


**Pros:**


- Free use of the client.
- [**Spam checking**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters).
- Customization of SeaMonkey through a large number of add-ons. For example, connecting the file download status or changing the menu.
- Navigator with tabbed browsing, popup blocking feature.

**Cons:**


- Unconventional interface that may be unfamiliar at first. For example, the search button is absent on the workspace.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_c909fcec2c.png"
alt="SeaMonkey"
/>

## Conclusion
**An email client** is an excellent tool for tracking incoming messages on multiple mailboxes. 


The client organizes the work of all mailboxes through a single platform. At the same time, you will have access to typical email functions, such as sending and receiving messages, sorting by folders, filtering messages, and more. 


Working with email programs is possible through a free version or by purchasing a license. To make the right choice, analyze the functionality of different clients and determine which one is optimal for your company.

An email client is an excellent tool for tracking incoming messages on multiple mailboxes. The client organizes the work of all mailboxes through a single platform.

Email Client: What It Is, Why You Need One, and How to Choose the Right One

Imagine you open your mailbox and receive an incoming email. First, you see the sender's name, then the subject line, and then a small text (subheading). This text is not yet the actual email. It contains information about what will be discussed: gifts or discounts, interesting articles or various promotions.

A preheader, also known as a snippet, is a text for an email newsletter located after the subject line. Below are examples of what a preheader looks like.

<Img
img="/uploads/image5_104eec1b84.png"
alt="A preheader viewed on a desktop screen after the subject line"
src="A preheader viewed on a desktop screen after the subject line"
/>

Next, let's discuss why a preheader is needed, how to create it, what types of snippets exist, how to add them correctly, and which email services are used for this.
## Why a preheader in an email is to be used
The following advantages of using preheaders when sending emails are distinguished:

- **Email preview.** The main goal of the preheader is to show the recipient what is in the email. The subject's task is to motivate the recipient to open the message. Therefore, these components should be used together.



- **Increasing email open rates.** Before reading your message, a person looks at the sender's name, the attractiveness of the subject line and the preheader. A well-designed preheader encourages opening the email.



- [**Avoiding spam complaints**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters). When the sender does not set up a preheader, mail programs automatically display a randomly chosen part of the text. Preheaders may contain such fragments as "unsubscribe" or "click the link." This does not interest the client, so these emails often end up in spam or are deleted.


## Recommendations for creating a preheader

There is no single template for a snippet. It constantly changes depending on the subject of the email.


### General rules for creating a successful preheader:

1. **Create a summary of the message.** Explain briefly what the email is about. Include only the most important information, and leave the details for the content.



2. **Add a deadline element.** Only a few days left until the end of a special offer or the coupon expires tomorrow? Write about it. Subscribers will read such an email immediately rather than put it off for later.



3. **Encourage action.** If you need the recipient [**to take a survey**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-satisfaction-survey-mistakes) or read an article on your website, mention it in the preheader.



4. **Create intrigue and interest.** For example, share a tip on how to create something without spending any money, come up with an original question, or tell readers about a surprise.


### Recommended preheader sizes:


**For desktops:**


1. Use up to 130 characters in the snippet.



2. Check what length is allowed in your email service, as it varies for each of them.


**For mobile phones:**


1. Try not to exceed the limit of 50 characters, as phones shorten the preheader length.



2. Move the key information to the very beginning so that the reader understands the main message.



3. Keep in mind that when the preheader text is very short (up to 20 characters), email services use the beginning of your email instead of the preheader.


### Mistakes to avoid when creating a preheader:


1. **Avoid repetition.** Subscribers won't appreciate it if the headline and snippet are the same in meaning. It's better to make the preheader a clear continuation of the topic.



2. **Change the preheader in different emails.** Otherwise, it won't attract the reader, and that's an important task for the subheading.



3. **Don't use "flashy" words.** "Shock", "Urgent", "Quickly" are perceived as spam. The reader is likely to delete such an email.


## Examples of preheaders

- **Idiomatic expressions, popular phrases, quotes**

<Img
img="/uploads/image6_324e9cb345.png"
alt="Shakespeare's citation"
/>


Such an email contains the citation from Shakespeare's *Hamlet* both in the subject line and in the preheader. This phrase captures the reader's interest by standing out from other emails with its uniqueness. 
- **Current events and news**

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_2b690effb3.png"
alt="Strava"
/>

People are often interested in trends and current events. The app customers use experienced some changes, and people got an email informing of it. 
- **Reminder or announcement**

<Img
img="/uploads/image11_cc019831be.png"
alt="Sale announcement"
/>


The store announces [**the sale**](https://altcraft.com/features/loyalty-programs). Such a letter is very likely to be opened, especially if the time limits are added. 


## What types of preheaders are

### Visible

The preheader is visible to the user both under the subject line and when viewing the email. It is used when the subheading logically fits into the overall style of the message.

<Img
img="/uploads/image13_ecd7ba4fa8.png"
alt="An example of a visible snippet in the inbox"
src="An example of a visible snippet in the inbox"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_17_16_15_47_113c1cb781.jpg"
alt="An example of a visible snippet in the email"
src="An example of a visible snippet in the email"
/>

### Disguised
The preheader is shown after the email subject line, but it isn’t viewed upon opening. This option is suitable when you do not want the email to start with a certain phrase, or if your layout does not require any extra text.

<Img
img="/uploads/image10_b9c80f8253.png"
alt="An example of a disguised snippet in the mailbox"
src="An example of a disguised snippet in the mailbox"
/>

<Img
img="/uploads/image12_dae486ab91.png"
alt="An example of a disguised snippet in the email"
src="An example of a disguised snippet in the email"
/>

### Hidden

In this variant, there is no preheader at all. If you need no preheader, but at the same time you don't want any links to replace it, follow this way.

<Img
img="/uploads/image14_4e149d04ff.png"
alt="An example of a hidden snippet in the inbox"
src="An example of a hidden snippet in the inbox"
/>


<Img
img="/uploads/image8_5f497868a4.png"
alt="An example of a hidden snippet in the email"
src="An example of a hidden snippet in the email"
/>


### Within a pixel

In a pixel format, a small transparent image is used instead of a preheader, for which an HTML attribute Alt is written with the necessary information. Use this format carefully, as some email programs may display Alt incorrectly or mark such emails as spam.


## How to add a preheader into the letter


To add a preheader to an email, there are two options: through the settings of an autoresponder (a tool for sending automatic emails) or through HTML. If you are using an autoresponder, find the Preheader field and fill in the information there. If you choose to use HTML code, decide on the type of preheader you want and use the necessary code.


### Instructions for adding a preheader:

**Without using code**


The algorithm differs for different autoresponders, but the actions are similar. In the email settings, find and fill in the Preheader field.

**Let's go through the specific steps that usually need to be done:**


1. Select "Send newsletter" in the menu.



2. Fill in the newsletter settings.



3. Check those who will receive this newsletter.



4. Decide on the template (a ready-made one or designed by your own).



5. Find the "Settings" column and click on Preheader.



6. Fill in the snippet.


**With code application**

To add the preheader, copy the necessary code and paste it into the email.

**A code for a visible snippet is as follows:**

<Img
img="/uploads/image9_5e3ba4f851.png"
alt="Visible snippet"
/>

In this case the text will be displayed along with the subject before and after opening the message.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_65bfccdf84.png"
alt="division"
/>
**Code for a disguised snippet:**

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_19ddee78d9.png"
alt="Disguised snippet"
/>

This text will be displayed together with the subject only before opening the email.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_65bfccdf84.png"
alt="division"
/>

**Code for a hidden snippet:**

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_eb0731d94c.png"
alt="Hidden snippet"
/>


This text won’t be viewed anywhere.

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_65bfccdf84.png"
alt="division"
/>


These methods of adding a preheader are suitable for both one-time email sending and mass mailing from companies. For the second case, don't forget to change the preheader text.


## Features of different email services


The display of characters in email depends on the devices and services you use:


- **Gmail.** The snippet must appear after the subject line. If it is not present, the service will use the beginning of your message as the preheader. The length of the string is about 180 characters. For the subject line, 70-80 characters are intended, and everything else will be cut.



- **Rambler.** The preheader is not shown under any circumstances.



- **Outlook.** Its older versions do not support preheaders. For Outlook, the maximum length is 35 characters, and for Outlook for Mac, it is 55 characters.


It is important to consider the allowable length of the line in the service you use. If it is too long and gets cut off, the subscriber may not understand the meaning of your message. When the subject line and preheader are small, part of the beginning of the message is used for the remaining space. Also, consider which email services are most popular among your subscribers. You can find out this information using analytics.
## Conclusion


**Preheader** is an essential element when sending an email to a client. When you use it, the likelihood of the email being read increases. If the preheader is absent, the subscriber is likely to delete the message or not notice it at all.


To find the optimal and effective header options, experiment with different formats. Check the open rate percentage and analyze the data obtained. This way, you can build an effective strategy for communicating with your clients.

A preheader, or a snippet, is a text for an email newsletter located after the subject line. When you use it, the likelihood of the email being read increases.

Preheader: Why It's Required and How to Create It

**A tracking pixel** is a special code created for analyzing email opens. People receive a large number of emails daily, as organizations strive to keep their customers informed about current events. But the more such emails are sent, the less likely they are to be opened.


To know whether email messages are being opened or not, companies use tracking in email marketing. They use pixels to determine consumer engagement.


## What is an email tracking pixel

An email tracking pixel appears as a 1x1 pixel image added to an email. Typically, these are invisible images in the *.gif* or *.png* format. 


Tracking pixels are usually placed in the top or bottom of an email.


The tracking element records whether or not the pixel has been loaded. To do so, all the components of the email (except for the text) must be loaded in order to add the pixel.


Tracking pixels are popular in online marketing, as companies need to know if their messages are being read by their customers. They are not used in personal correspondence.


Pixels are added through a marketing or sales email address that collects data on clicks and views. Tracking pixels can be manually embedded, but it can take a lot of time.


## What email pixels track

**Email pixels are used to measure:**


- the number of people who opened the email;



- the click-through rate of the advertising offer and how interesting it is to users.


Pixels also indicate the geolocation of the people who viewed the email. Companies analyze geographical factors to expand their reach beyond certain groups.

## Where tracking pixel is applied

**Pixel tracking is used in any business field. It performs the following functions:**


- monitoring user behavior on a website;



- recording the date and time of website views;



- tracking the duration of each session;



- evaluating the effectiveness of advertising;



- improving ad targeting;



- [**personalization**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/personalization-what-it-is-and-why-personalized-marketing-matters) in newsletters.


Pixel tracking shows what products are of interest to the consumer.
How to set up pixel on the site
You can also set up a tracking pixel on a website. There are 3 ways to implement a pixel on a web resource, which differ in the action that sends information about the client.


1. Tracking data after specific actions. The client is assigned a personal ID containing information about their activity on the online resource. Everything depends on what the client does: clicks on a link or navigates to another page.



2. Sending data on page reload. In this method, the pixel is designed to obtain information about the pages that the user has visited.



3. Sending data when clicking on a link. Here, the pixel informs about the user's interest in links placed [**on the website pages**](https://altcraft.com/blog/ways-to-keep-visitors-on-your-website).


## The principle of operation of tracking pixel

When a visitor opens a website, they receive a unique identifier, which is added to [**the client database**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-build-an-email-database). Usually, it is stored for no longer than a month.


When the user leaves their contact information on the website, their data is supplemented with new information.


As a result, marketers can create a "map of desires and interests" of the visitor, and use it to make personalized offers. This leads to an increase in conversions.
## Conclusion

**Tracking pixel** is a useful tool for marketing purposes. It determines whether customers open emails, links, advertising offers, and more. By analyzing the data received and applying it correctly, the company increases its revenue and competitiveness.

A tracking pixel is a special code created for analyzing email opens. It determines whether customers open emails, links, advertising offers, and more.

Tracking Pixel: What It Is, How to Set It Up, and How It Works

Rebranding is a marketing strategy aimed at changing the perception of a company or its components (name, design, mission, and ways of communication with the audience). In this article, we will explain what rebranding is, in what situations it is necessary, its tasks, types, and stages, and also provide several interesting examples.


## When rebranding is necessary
Rebranding is a costly and quite risky undertaking. If the strategy is carried out improperly, the brand will suffer losses or lose part of its audience.

### Reasons for rebranding may include:

- The brand has become outdated.
- A competitor with a similar strategy has entered the market, and changes are needed to win against them.
- The company has set new goals and objectives.
- The company has changed or expanded its activities.
- Specialists have made mistakes in positioning the products.
- The company's reputation has suffered.
- The brand is transitioning to an international level.
- Customers are not familiar with the organization.
- The company has merged with another company.

## Objectives of rebranding

In the process of rebranding, the following tasks are addressed:


- **In relation to the audience:** [**maintaining the loyalty of current customers**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-loyalty) and acquiring new ones;



- **In relation to the company:** emphasizing the positive elements of the brand, adding components, and eliminating disadvantages.
During the changes, the brand undergoes a transformation. The long name is shortened to something small and catchy, and the faceless aspects are changed and strengthened, thus increasing recognition.


## Types of rebranding
- **Full rebranding.** The brand undergoes a complete transformation, from market positioning to image. Internal and external changes occur.


- **Restyling.** Only the visual components of the company are changed. This is perfect for well-known organizations that want to update their brand without changing the product. It is also possible to change the name, color scheme, and logo.

<Img
img="/uploads/image2_2101e50c4f.png"
alt="How famous brands changed their logos"
src="How famous brands changed their logos"
/>


- **Facelift.** A facelift involves minor changes so that the brand remains recognisable. It is used when it is necessary to transform the style to current trends, but not to push away regular customers with too drastic changes.

<Img
img="/uploads/image7_c24f245794.jpg"
alt="How Apple changed its logo"
src="How Apple changed its logo"
/>


- **Repositioning.** The product remains the same, but its positioning is changed: communication with customers or advertising methods. For example, *Johnson & Johnson* was selling body oil for children. But in 2005, the organization decided to increase the number of customers and launched a product labeled "for the whole family". The product composition did not change, but it started being used not only by children, but also by their parents.
## Stages of rebranding

1. **Determine why rebranding is necessary.** If you are simply tired of the old logo, it is not a reason to immediately change the brand image.


2. **Conduct a competitor analysis.** Understanding how the audience perceives similar companies will indicate the direction for rebranding.


3. **Listen to your customers.** When attracting new consumers, there is a risk of alienating the existing audience. Therefore, it is important to carefully study the interests and desires of those who make regular purchases.


4. **Conduct an audit.** Before starting, find out what the company's positive and negative points are. This will determine how deep the rebranding will be.


5. **Identify the company's DNA.** What are your goals, principles, and why you created your business. The DNA is used to formulate the organization's mission.


6. **Create a new marketing strategy**, if necessary. Decide how the brand will be promoted and how to interact with customers.


7. **Update the visual identity**, if necessary. The design should be adapted to all products and clearly reflect the ideas behind the rebranding.


8. **Present the changes to employees.** Employees may not like the updates in the organization, so you can't rebrand and put everyone in front of a fact. It is necessary to introduce new communication methods with customers and explain the reasons for the changes and their value for the brand.


9. **Introduce the new concept to consumers.** Tell them about the rebranding of your company and the advantages of the changes.
 
## Examples of rebranding

### Examples of unsuccessful rebranding
*Tropicana*, a company that produces juices, decided to update its packaging design in 2009 and turned to a famous art director for help. As a result, the company's logo was changed beyond recognition, and the new packaging design did not appeal to consumers. This led to a $27 million decrease in revenue. The organization realized its mistake and soon returned to its previous design.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_f00a4269f5.jpg"
alt="Tropicana’s failed rebranding"
src="Tropicana’s failed rebranding"
/>


In 2010, the well-known brand *GAP* changed its logo. Usually, fashion companies announce their rebranding and hold events to celebrate the occasion. *GAP* just quietly updated their logo, without informing their audience. Consumers did not like the changes and expressed their dissatisfaction on social media. As a result, a week later, the company acknowledged the change as a mistake and returned to the old version of the visual identity.

<Img
img="/uploads/image5_a407105650.png"
alt="GAP’s failure in visual identity"
src="GAP’s failure in visual identity"
/>


### Examples of successful rebranding

***Old Spice***, a men's deodorant brand, had an old-fashioned image that was unappealing to younger generations. To rebrand itself, *Old Spice* worked with NFL Player Isaiah Mustafa on a series of commercials aimed at women, portraying the brand as something seductive and alluring. The brand referred to its deodorant and body wash line as "scent vacations" to differentiate itself from other deodorant brands. *Old Spice* didn't change its logo, but changed people's impressions of the brand by associating it with youth, fun, and attractiveness. This successful rebranding helped *Old Spice* stand out among thousands of deodorant options.



<Img
img="/uploads/image6_6702282afd.png"
alt="Old Spice’s successful rebranding"
src="Old Spice’s successful rebranding"
/>


***Facebook***'s*
 founder Mark Zuckerberg announced in 2021 the company's rebranding with a new logo and a new name, *Meta**. This rebranding achieved several goals: a change in the company's area of activity, attracting users and media attention, and improving *Facebook*'s* reputation after a range of scandals.


**One of the brightest examples of image rebranding is *Goldstar*.** Before 1995, the company was perceived as a manufacturer of low-quality electronics, but after merging with *Lucky*, the corporation was renamed *Lucky GoldStar Group*. Eventually, the name was shortened even further to *LG Group*.


This was not just a renaming, but a whole strategy: over 20 years, the organization aimed to improve quality and expand its range of products. The goals were achieved – *LG* became one of the most well-known companies. By 2010, sales amounted to $124 billion, compared to the planned $40 billion.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_112fc37f22.png"
alt="Logo since 1958 to 1995"
src="Logo since 1958 to 1995"
/>


<Img
img="/uploads/image3_4e86789379.png"
alt="Logo since 2015 on"
src="Logo since 2015 on"
/>


## Conclusion


At the beginning of a rebranding process, it's important to make sure that it's truly necessary and based on objective reasons. You can't solve quality issues by simply changing your image.
Define your goals and strategy first.

Then, proceed with repositioning – changing the company's philosophy and restyling – changing the visual identity. Sometimes, implementing just one of these steps is enough.

Keep up with trends and consider them. Don't launch a rebranding without notifying your customers and use relevant channels and means to inform them.

Remember that any branding change is aimed at the consumer and their understanding of the company.


**Meta and its products are recognized as extremist in Russia.*

Rebranding is a marketing strategy aimed at changing the perception of a company or its components (name, design etc).

Rebranding: Why It Is Required and How to Manage It

Rebranding: Why It Is Required and How to Properly Manage It

If an organization wants to increase sales volume, it should have a good understanding of its customers: their fears, doubts, desires, needs, interests, problems, and unique characteristics. Such information helps to find an audience that is genuinely interested in purchasing the product. Otherwise, promotion becomes a useless waste of budget.


To make wise use of finances, study the audience, conduct market segmentation, and focus on acquiring the right consumers.


## Why to manage market segmentation
Market segmentation involves defining the target audience and dividing customers into different groups. This approach allows for the calculation of market share, the development of positioning and strategy.


To sell a product or service, it is important to understand how to attract and retain customers, and to emphasize the particular features of the product. Understanding the desires, preferences, and problems of your audience can help with this.


When you are familiar with your customers, it is easy to establish long-term relationships with them, choose the right communication channel, and increase loyalty.


Market segmentation varies because there is no universal method for everyone. Organizations individually choose the criteria for market segmentation.
## Types of segmentation


There are several types of market segmentation in business for consumers:


- **Demographic segmentation:** gender, age, religion, marital status, presence of children, solvency, etc.



- **Geographic segmentation:** place of residence – country, city, climate, local peculiarities.



- **Psychographic segmentation:** hobbies, interests, values, beliefs, fears, and doubts (a complex factor, as it is subjective).



- **Behavioral segmentation:** specific patterns of customer interaction with the brand, such as readiness to make a purchase, the stages of the customer journey, level of loyalty to the company.


Additionally, [**customer databases can be segmented**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-and-why-to-segment-target-audience) by activity:


1. **Active:** are regularly interested in the organization's products/services, consistently make purchases.



2. **Semi-active:** rarely purchase products but keep an eye on the company's news and updates.



3. **Passive:** are subscribed to your mailing list but do not open emails or visit the website. If you interact with passive customers correctly, they can transition to the "semi-active" or even "active" group.


**There is also another segmentation criterion: by type of product.** Different groups of consumers prefer certain categories of products. 

**The audience is divided based on:**


- **motivation** – why the customer makes a purchase, what they are guided by, whether they need the product now or it is just an interest;



- **situation** – when and under what circumstances the customer makes a purchase;



- **needs** – what desires the customer fulfills thanks to the product.

## The main stages of market segmentation


The main stages of market segmentation are as follows:


### 1. Preparation


Look at your product through the eyes of the consumer:


- What problems and tasks does it solve?
- How do customers choose it?
- What expectations do the clients have?


Determine the main characteristics and requests, moments, and influences that affect the decision to purchase the product or service.


### 2. Collecting Information


At this stage, information about real and potential customers is collected. The following methods can be used for this purpose:


- [**surveys and questionnaires**](https://altcraft.com/blog/customer-satisfaction-survey-mistakes);

- [**reviews**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-use-customer-feedback-to-increase-sales);

- discussions on social media;

- special forums;

- accounting programs that provide reports on customers;

- registration forms;

- CRM.


### 3. Analysis of collected information

Next, a detailed analysis is conducted, and characteristics are compared. Track how customers use the product: whether it meets their needs and solves their problems.

### 4. Division into segments

Customers are divided into groups with similar behavioral characteristics. Segments should be fundamentally different from each other.
When choosing criteria for segmentation, follow this algorithm:

- Determine the products that make up 70-80% of the sales volume;

- Characterize them: what benefits do they provide to customers;

- Find out which people your product is relevant to;

- Choose criteria that distinguish your target audience from other people;

- Form groups.





<Img
img="/uploads/Example_of_market_segmentation_04be31c845.png"
alt="Example of market segmentation for car sale"
src="Example of market segmentation for car sale"
/>



### 5. Identifying target segments
This stage involves testing hypotheses and identifying target segments.
The evaluation of the selection is based on:
- alignment with the company's goals which are the most important at the moment;



- quantitative values, such as the number of potential customers, market size;



- feasibility of the segment, whether it is reasonable to focus on this category of customers;



- accessibility through various distribution channels;



- expected profit and effectiveness of working in this segment;



- competition in this area;



- risks for the brand.

### 6. Development of marketing strategy
After conducting segmentation based on important criteria for the company, start targeting the identified customer segments. Develop a marketing strategy that takes into account all the unique characteristics of the targeted group of customers.


What to do next? There are several options:


- Improve the offer to completely solve the problems of potential consumers.


- Use advertising techniques that capture the attention of a particular segment: remove doubts and fears, demonstrate the benefits and advantages of the product.


- Come up with personalized offers for each separate group.

## Examples of market segmentation
Let's go over examples of market segmentation using different marketing tools. Apply these recommendations to communicate with your target audience.


- **Facebook***


The advertising customization options in *Facebook* are very extensive. There is segmentation by demographic characteristics, interests, geography, and other criteria. To attract people from different cities, you can set up an ad by location. Below there is an example of *Facebook* advertisement configured by location and age.
<Img
img="/uploads/image1_f1301d8ae0.png"
alt="Facebook ads"
/>


- **Chatbot**


A convenient way to interact with potential customers is a chatbot that segments them. To do this, you need to assign certain tags to action buttons. For example, you sell confectionery products. Divide consumers based on the type of product they are interested in and then use this information for personalized offers.


<Img
img="/uploads/image4_f3654e78a0.png"
alt="chat bot"
/>


- **Subscription form**

To expand the customer base and communicate with buyers, a subscription form is used. It helps to segment consumers even at the very beginning of acquaintance.
For instance, the online shop *Fabletics* offers to view a specific range of products for a certain group of visitors. People indicate what kind of goods they want to see.


<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/image3_5e52140e57.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/image3_5e52140e57.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/photo_2023_04_26_11_24_55_92a787ad11.jpg"
thumbnail="/uploads/photo_2023_04_26_11_24_55_92a787ad11.jpg"
/>
</Gallery>


The purpose of segmentation is to interact with customers who are truly interested in the product. Remember, dividing consumers into groups is a regular process. Distribute the target audience based on average check, types of purchased goods, loyalty, etc. This approach contributes to stimulating sales and maintaining strong relationships with customers.
## Conclusion


Mass typical advertising is not interesting to customers. When a company does not know the needs, interests, doubts, and problems of its target audience, it gets lost among stronger competitors.


Market segmentation is necessary to stand out among other companies. Through it, the company finds its customers and builds the most effective relationships with them.


However, it is not enough to simply divide consumers into groups. First, it is necessary to conduct analysis, gather information, and then decide which groups of customers are worth interacting with. The resulting segments must be measurable, substantial, and accessible for communication through different channels.

Market segmentation is necessary to stand out among other companies. Through it, the company finds customers and builds effective relationships with them.

Market Segmentation: What It Is, Its Types and Main Stages

Market Segmentation: What It Is, Types of Segmentation, and Its Main Stages

A blind carbon copy (Bcc) is a special feature in an email service. It is used when you send an email to multiple recipients and it’s essential for some addresses to remain unrevealed.


In [**email clients**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/email-client-what-it-is-why-you-need-one-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one), you can select not only the primary recipient but also additional recipients. The latter are indicated in Cc (carbon copy) or Bcc (blind carbon copy).


In this article, we will discuss what a Bcc is, why it is used, how it differs from a Cc, and how to implement it.




## Cc vs Bcc: difference between them
### Carbon copy

It is sent to those recipients who do not communicate directly, but should see the correspondence.


For example, you face problems with a program at your work, and you turn to technical support for help. The "To" field specifies the support service mailbox, and the "Carbon copy" field specifies the boss. The manager needs to know why your activity has stalled and track the progress of events.


The support staff will see that the message is marked with a copy to the organization's boss.


<Img
img="/uploads/image2_8e85ca03e3.png"
alt="Carbon copy to a boss"
/>




### Blind carbon copy

It is created to allow additional recipients to view the correspondence, while the main recipient does not see those who are in the blind copy.
<Img
img="/uploads/image4_4b224191f3.png"
alt="Bcc new message"
/>



This email format is useful for [**maintaining the confidentiality of addresses**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-protect-customer-data), for example, of consumers, or for main recipients not to know about additional recipients.


## How a letter with Bcc looks like


Let's test this function. Let’s create a message and select the main recipient 1. In the Bcc field, let’s indicate the recipient 2.



<Img
img="/uploads/image6_ec40de4355.png"
alt="Creating an email via Gmail service"
src="Creating an email via Gmail service"
/>


After sending, let's check the mailbox of recipient 1. Having opened you can see only one addressee. 


<Img
img="/uploads/image1_cad8596c6c.png"
alt="Recipient 2 can’t see the address of recipient 1."
src="Recipient 2 can’t see the address of recipient 1."
/>



Then let’s view the email in the inbox of recipient 2 who was indicated in the Bcc field. Both recipients are visible.
<Img
img="/uploads/image7_bb7ebcedb3.png"
alt="Inbox of recipient 2"
/>


## How to create a blind carbon copy of the letter


In *Gmail* service “Bcc” field opens below the “To” field. After clicking on it, you can insert the address of the undisclosed recipient. Although, it is important to admit that not only previously mentioned *Gmail*, but all the email services have this feature.


<Gallery>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/image3_0e0bb9d751.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/image3_0e0bb9d751.png"
/>
<GalleryItem
original="/uploads/image5_ea3874fb96.png"
thumbnail="/uploads/image5_ea3874fb96.png"
/>
</Gallery>


## Conclusion


A blind carbon copy (Bcc) is created for sending a message not only to the main recipient but also to other recipients. The feature is that the main recipient does not know about the message being sent to other users. This is a basic function that is available in every email service.


This tool is useful when you need to hide contact information or when the main recipients need to know who else is on the mailing list.

Bcc is a special feature in an email service. It is used when you send an email to multiple recipients and want  some addresses to remain unrevealed.

BCC: Why It Is Needed and How to Create It

BCC: Why It Is Needed and How to Create It in a Mail Client

Positive results can be achieved by advertising products that are shown to customers at the right time and in the right place. Targeting is designed precisely for this purpose. Targeted online marketing is a set of data pre-configured for a specific target audience.





<Img
img="/uploads/image3_c6186da8d9.png"
alt="Chaco send their newsletter right on time"
src="Chaco send their newsletter right on time"
/>


## What for targeted online marketing is required


Targeted mailing has the following advantages:


1. The audience in targeting is potential buyers of the brand. It is easier to explain the benefits of purchasing to interested people. Their doubts and fears are also easily worked out. As a result, they move faster into the regulars.



2. Targeted mailing increases the likelihood of a purchase, which reduces [**the sales funnel**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-sales-funnel) and saves time.



3. Targeting is suitable for promoting new products/services of the company.



4. Targeted emails are excellent for promoting new low-cost products, for which it is unreasonable to spend a lot on advertising.



<Img
img="/uploads/image6_773273c2c7.png"
alt="Newsletter ad offering a tour at a discount & a gift for booking it right away."
src="Newsletter ad offering a tour at a discount & a gift for booking it right away."
/>


## Where to imply targeted marketing

### Targeted email marketing

Email campaigns are used for targeting products that require detailed descriptions, the addition of visual elements, videos, and other information.

<Img
img="/uploads/image5_3aaee2229a.png"
alt="An email newsletter from Sephora offering a gift for an order"
src="An email newsletter from Sephora offering a gift for an order"
/>


### Targeted mailing in messengers


In the news channels like this the opening rate of links in the messages is high: people check their [**messengers**](https://altcraft.com/blog/messenger-marketing) more often than their email.

This type of targeting is popular among bloggers, service-based businesses (food delivery, various consultations, educational courses, etc.), and news projects.



<Img
img="/uploads/image1_54ae747326.jpg"
alt="Newsletter in Telegram"
src="Newsletter in Telegram"
/>


### Targeted SMS marketing


The advantages of targeting through SMS include:


- a real [**customer database**](https://altcraft.com/glossary/everything-about-the-customer-database);



- a wide range of characteristics to choose from, such as geography, age, device type, etc.;



- fast message delivery.


It should be noted that SMS targeting is carried out no more than once a week.



<Img
img="/uploads/image2_514f80245b.png"
alt="Sms newsletter"
src="Sms newsletter"
/>


### Targeted mailing in social networks

Most consumers fill in information about themselves in their profiles, join interest groups, and subscribe to various channels. Organizations use this information to analyze their target audience and to effectively set up mailings.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_06aa1cc5d8.png"
alt="Newsletter in Instagram* direct offering a promo code"
src="Newsletter in Instagram* direct offering a promo code"
/>


## How to find audience for targeted marketing


To determine their target audience, companies need to pay attention to the following criteria:


- **Interests and hobbies:** pages that customers visit, subscriptions, communities, topical groups on social networks;



- [**Geographic location:**](https://altcraft.com/blog/messenger-marketing) ad targeting is adjusted depending on the city or country where the customer lives, as well as their current location (store, pharmacy, shopping center, etc.);



- **Time:** relevance of the mailing, for example, a clothing online store sends a catalog of swimsuits during the summer period;



- **Gender, age, marital status, income level, education**, and others;



- **Consumer behavior:** what they search for, what they subscribe to, how they show activity (comments, likes).

## How to evaluate the result of targeted mailing


To calculate conversions from targeted mailing, the following markers should be used:


- specific numbers that customers use to contact the organization;


- UTM links in emails;


- code words, for example, promo codes.


Email mailings are also analyzed through analytics systems (e.g., *Google Analytics*). They show the number of openings and clicks on links. [**Special platforms**](https://altcraft.com/en) come in handy for detailed analysis.


## Conclusion


Targeted mailing is a marketing tool that provides information about products to interested customers.


Targeted mailing is launched on different channels: email, social networks, messengers, and SMS.


Consumer segmentation for targeting is carried out based on interests, socio-demographic characteristics, behavior, and other characteristics. The result is tracked through markers in the messages.




**Meta and its products are considered to be extremist in the Russian Federation*

Targeted mailing is a marketing tool that provides information about products to interested customers. Targeted online marketing is a set of data pre-configured for a specific target audience. 

Targeted Mailing: What It’s for and Where to Imply It

Targeted Mailing: What It’s for, Where to Imply It, and How to Evaluate Its Results

Each email message has two important elements — the subject line and the body of the email. The purpose of the subject line is to show who sent the email and to briefly demonstrate what it is about.


The body of the email is a message with content inside. It is created using HTML code, which distributes text, images, and other components through certain tags.


In this article, we will discuss how to properly format an email and what it consists of.


## How to format the body of an email


The type of content to add to an email message depends on the type of business, style, and marketing strategy of the company. The body of the email may include text, photos, videos, and GIF animations.
Many companies consider that a single text is enough.



<Img
img="/uploads/image2_8825aa61ae.png"
alt="text email"
/>


Some brands focus on using images in their email campaigns.



<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_04_28_12_22_34_42d750159c.jpg"
alt="visual content in the email"
/>


Some people like simple design. 

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_b8efbca42a.png"
alt="simple design"
/>


Some companies use original designs in their email campaigns, while others prefer a simpler style. However, there are common components that every email from an organization should have:


- subject line;


- introduction: a brief overview of the email's contents;


- main content: the body of the email;


- [**CTA**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-cta) or a link leading to the website;


- contact information: links to social media, phone number, etc.


Not all emails include an introduction or contact information, but the main content should always be present.


Here’s an example of the newsletter’s structure. The email contains a header, an image, the introductory line, main information and a CTA.


<Img
img="/uploads/image4_6ac7dc63e4.png"
alt="components of the email"
/>


## What the body of an email consists of


### 1. Header of the email


This is the beginning of the message that the user sees right away. This area contains:


- the logo or other distinctive brand elements;


- a menu with links to various sections of the website;


- a special offer.



<Img
img="/uploads/image6_b7cf22950d.png"
alt="header"
/>


### 2. Main information


This is the content of the message and the essential message for the subscriber. It is located between the header and footer of the email.
<Img
img="/uploads/image1_57318b2673.png"
alt="body of the email"
/>


### 3. Email Footer


This is the area below the main content. The footer contains additional information about the company, including:


- an opt-out button;


- contact information;


- a disclaimer, e.g., the organization is not responsible for the actions of subscribers.


<Img
img="/uploads/image5_5ccc637c9e.png"
alt="footer of the email"
/>


## Conclusion


The body of an email is the content that is contained in the message. It can include text, images, videos, or GIF animations.


There are several elements in an email message, including the subject line, introduction, main content, CTA, and contact information with links to social media. An email is divided into a header, body, and footer.

Each email message has two important elements — the subject line and the body of the email. The body of the email is a message with content inside. 

Email Body: What It Is and How to Design It

What Is an Email Body, How to Design It and What Are Its Elements

What is needed for effective teamwork in an organization? Material rewards don't always motivate, so the right feedback comes to the rescue. 


Let's figure it out together: what it is, why and who needs feedback, what strategies exist, and also consider the benefits of feedback.


## What feedback is


**Feedback** is a form of response or reaction from an individual or a group regarding something, typically in the form of constructive and detailed evaluation.


**A feedback that motivates development exhibits the following characteristics:**


### Accuracy


According to statistics, more than 50% of employees receive feedback that is either too general or non-constructive criticism. Remarks directed at individuals can cause discomfort and tension. To avoid this, be precise and clear. Instead of saying "You always delay the reports," use "This month, you sent the report 5 days later. Let's discuss why this happened and how we can fix it."


Common expressions can evoke a negative reaction. It creates the impression that the person giving feedback is not interested in the situation.


### Elaboration and assistance


When we are in a hurry or want to finish the feedback quickly, we tend to provide evaluative judgments. They can sound like reprimands, even if the initial intention was positive. Therefore, strive to express your thoughts objectively and in detail. Also, provide advice on how to solve the problem.


### Context


It is important to pay attention to the context, meaning the situation and circumstances. People may not perceive your message if they are under stress or having a bad day. In such cases, your words may lead to a loss of motivation among employees. Therefore, after providing constructive feedback, make sure it is appropriate for the current moment.
### Focus on development


Feedback is always aimed at improvement. Ask yourself, "Does my feedback motivate growth?" Provide feedback only when the answer to this question is positive. In other cases, it becomes criticism.
### Process


Feedback is an ongoing process in a company. Doing it once a year is ineffective. It is important to dedicate attention to employees, their daily responsibilities, communicate with them, and provide feedback regularly, every day.
### Communication, not monologue


It is important to understand that feedback is not a one-way process. Always listen to the other person. If the dialogue is not working, wait and revisit the situation later.
### Personal Approach
The source of feedback is the person providing it. You cannot address an employee with a speech and say that it is the opinion of colleagues, managers, and others. It is important to express your own opinion.
### Response Speed 


If something goes wrong during feedback, address it immediately. Don't waste time and solve problems right away, rather than later when it becomes irrelevant.


## Why feedback is important


**The purpose of feedback** is to improve work processes, correct errors, and provide support and motivation for employees.


Continuous feedback eliminates uncertainty when employees are unsure whether they are performing their job responsibilities adequately. Otherwise, they may feel that their work is not valued by management.


Companies with high levels of employee engagement have lower turnover rates and higher sales levels. Therefore, feedback is beneficial for both employees and organizations as a whole.
## Whom can feedback be given to

- **Employees** – it’s the most common format. Feedback from management is almost always given, but sometimes it may not be constructive.


- **Colleagues** – for comfortable work within the same team. Implementing this type of interaction can be challenging since people often don't listen to those who are not in a higher position than them.


- **Management** – a necessary but challenging format to implement. It is beneficial when the supervisor actively seeks feedback or when the relationship with employees is comfortable and close enough that they are not afraid to initiate such a conversation.
## Feedback strategy


To provide successful feedback, follow these recommendations:


**1. Prepare in advance.** Come up with your speech, gather facts, and gather specific examples to support your opinion.



**2. Practice.** Once your speech plan is ready, you need practice. Rehearse, especially if you need to talk to someone in a higher position. This is done to gain confidence in communication.



**3. Choose the right tone.** How you present your words is important. Make sure your intonation reflects respect and support.



**4. Ask for permission.** Find out if the person is open to receiving feedback. For example, write or ask personally, "Are you okay if I share my perspective on...?". Communication in this way will be much more effective.



**5. Focus on progress.** Use feedback to inspire the other person. Speak to them in a way that makes them want to grow and explain how to improve the work process.



**6. Use only one type of feedback at a time.** There are three types of feedback:



- Appreciation: express gratitude for good work.



- Coaching: explore different approaches to a specific task with someone.



- Evaluation: provide an assessment of a person's work from an external perspective.


Do not mix these types. If you want to express appreciation, simply say "thank you."


The general mistake is combining coaching and evaluation. If you give someone coaching first and then evaluate them, the listener will focus only on the evaluation.


## Feedback framework


Using a feedback framework is a great idea for providing high-quality feedback. It helps you stay focused and conduct a productive feedback session.
### AID

**Actions** – describe the situation that occurred. Be objective.


**Impact** – focus on the results of this situation for both the surroundings and the listener.


**Desired** – offer your ideas and suggestions on how to rectify or improve the situation.


**Example of feedback from a director to an employee:**


"During my presentation at the meeting, I noticed that you were surfing in your phone (*Action*). Later, you asked questions that I had already answered, which took up time and set a poor example for other employees (*Impact*). I suggest that in the next meeting, you put your phone aside and focus on my presentation to avoid missing important issues (*Desired result*)."
### SBI

**Situation** – explain the situation for which feedback is being given. Use only facts.


**Behavior** – describe the person's behavior in this situation. It is effective if you provide information based on personal observations rather than others' opinions.


**Impact** – describe the impact (thoughts, emotions, reactions) that arise in response to the situation.


<Table>
| Option | Situation | Behavior | Impact |
| ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| A | At a meeting with a customer | You listened to him and conveyed our ideas to him. | The client said you handled the situation very well. |
| B | At a meeting with the director | You've been talking for too long. | I thought he was very tired of your speech. |
</Table>


### BOFF
**Behavior** – explain the person's behavior objectively and in detail, avoiding judgmental statements.


**Outcome** – note the consequences that have arisen or will arise as a result of the discussed behavior.


**Feelings** – share your emotions regarding the situation.


**Future** – come up with an action plan for the future. Find out what the listener will do to prevent the situation from recurring.


**Example:**


"I found out that this week you added two tasks at the request of the client a few days before the completion of the overall project (*Behavior*). As a result, the team had to change their plans: they shifted their focus to the new tasks without completing the previous ones. As a result, not all goals were achieved (*Outcome*). I am disappointed because the approved plan was not executed. The other team members are demotivated (*Feelings*). What will you do to prevent such a situation from happening again in the future? (*Future*)."




## Group feedback
Group feedback is not a typical form of communication. During such meetings, discussions revolve around collective tasks, development, and achieving common goals.


**When providing criticism or praise to a whole group, it is important to be attentive and thoughtful because:**


1. Risks and consequences can be greater.



2. Misunderstandings may arise. Employees may not understand who specifically the feedback is directed towards. They may either take everything personally or, conversely, think that the criticism applies to someone else.

**Use the following recommendations to avoid risks:**


1. Encourage development. The main goal of feedback is to assist in growth and talent development. Focus on areas where improvement is possible.



2. Acknowledge each individual's contribution. This will eliminate misunderstandings.



3. Avoid criticizing one person in front of others. Individual criticism is best delivered privately, rather than in front of a group. After the general meeting, discuss personal matters with specific individuals through a phone call, message, or conversation. For example, praise someone for their valuable contribution to the company's development.

## How to request and receive feedback


**It is important to understand how to properly receive feedback. There are fears that make this process difficult:**

1. Perception of criticism. Many people struggle with feedback because they fear evaluation.



2. Psychological discomfort. Another person's opinion, if presented or understood incorrectly, is difficult to perceive and can cause shame, anger, anxiety, and so on.



3. Fear of imposition. When we ask for help and advice, we may create the impression that we are imposing and wasting someone's time.


**Therefore, it is important to realize that:**


1. Feedback is a source of information about you, and your manager is just one of those sources. To get a complete picture, seek feedback from colleagues, superiors, customers, etc.



2. Benefit and growth as a result of feedback. If you receive feedback in a not-so-pleasant manner, don't dwell on that. Instead, think about how you can improve your work. This way, the perception of feedback will become a positive and effective practice.



3. Requesting feedback is a characteristic of a developing professional. To become an expert in your field, it is necessary to find out what others think of your performance. Don't be afraid to "impose" yourself, as you are simply seeking advice, not asking someone to be your coach.
## Benefits of feedback


**The benefits of feedback include:**


1. **Identifying blind spots.** Feedback helps you uncover qualities and actions that you may not be aware of in yourself. For example, while you may consider yourself caring and hardworking, your colleagues may perceive you as stubborn and not respectful of others' opinions. The only way to truly understand is by asking people for their perspective.



2. **Preventing problems.** By understanding how your actions are perceived by others, you can uncover your talents and avoid mistakes. Therefore, it is important to take into account the opinions of others.



3. **Advancing in your career.** Sometimes, we get stuck in our daily routines and become complacent. Feedback is necessary to take a holistic view of your career and become more productive in your work.



4. **Developing emotional intelligence.** Emotional intelligence is an important skill that requires constant practice. Through feedback, you can become more aware of your own and others' emotions and learn to manage your reactions effectively.
## Conclusion


Feedback is an important component of any organization. By using feedback, employees can develop their careers, identify their weaknesses, and work on improving them.


Feedback is beneficial for everyone involved: employees, colleagues, and management. Therefore, don't be afraid to listen to others' opinions about your actions and provide feedback to others as well.

Feedback is beneficial for employees, colleagues, and management. So listen to others' opinions about your actions and provide feedback to others as well.

Feedback: What It Is, Benefits, Strategy of Providing It

Feedback: What It Is, Benefits, and the Strategy of Providing Feedback

A subscription form is one of the most effective tools for collecting email addresses and attracting potential customers to your mailing list. In many organizations, this method has become a crucial element in their marketing strategy. By using an original and eye-catching form, companies can gather additional contacts.


Let's explore why a subscription form is used, the different types of forms, how to create and improve them, and provide a few illustrative examples.


## Reasons for using a subscription form
- **Lead generation.** In online marketing, a subscription form is a general method for [**lead generation**](https://altcraft.com/blog/MQL-and-SQL). When customers provide their email address on your website, it indicates their interest in your product/service. These are not random visitors, but individuals who actively seek to receive communication from your organization.


- **Collecting consumer data.** Through a subscription form, you can gather valuable information about users, such as gender, age, geographic location, and more. This data allows you to establish trusted relationships with potential customers.


- **Easy and quick creation.** You don't need programming knowledge to create a subscription form. The process takes just a few minutes. You can create a newsletter subscription form online and for free, using a simple form builder that allows you to customize the elements to match your organization's individual style.


- **Reduced likelihood of [ending up in spam**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-send-millions-of-emails-and-avoid-spam-filters). By using a subscription form, you can legally collect email addresses. This approach is much more effective than, for example, purchasing a ready-made email list, as subscribers have given their consent to receive your newsletter and are already interested in your products or services.
## Types of subscription forms
### 1. Static form:
This form is fixed on a web page in a specific location and cannot be hidden. Typically, it is placed in the footer (the bottom part of the website) because if a visitor has scrolled down to that point, it indicates genuine interest. This type of form is suitable when you want to have a form present on all pages of the website.


**Pros:**


- Ability to have the form present on every page of the website.



- Collecting targeted subscribers if the form is placed in the footer.


**Cons:**


- Some users may not notice the form when it is placed in the lower part of the website.



<Img
img="/uploads/image6_182af76826.png"
alt="Example of static subscription form"
/>


### 2. Pop-up Form:


Pop-up forms automatically appear covering web pages. These windows can be more intrusive to customers, but [**according to research**](https://sumo.com/stories/pop-up-statistics), they can generate one-third more leads compared to static forms. To minimize customer annoyance, you can adjust the timing of the pop-up appearance (for example, after a certain period of time spent on your website). Alternatively, you can use pop-ups selectively on specific pages (such as sales pages) or in cases when making changes to the website's layout is not feasible.


**Pros:**


- It can be added to any page without modifying its HTML code.



- It can accommodate a larger amount of information (such as images and text) because it is not constrained by the website's design.


**Cons:**


- It can be perceived as annoying by users.



- It may sometimes be blocked by browser settings.


<Img
img="/uploads/image7_c44ce4a48c.png"
alt="An example of a pop-up subscription form"
/>


### 3. Fixed form
There is a pop-up form that "sticks" to your screen, meaning it remains in one place as you navigate the page. This type of form attracts attention on the website and is ideal for conveying brief information to customers.


**Pros:**


- The form is always visible to the customer.





- It does not take up much space on the website and is not intrusive.





- It can be fixed on multiple pages.


**Cons:**


- The size is limited.





- Space for adding information is also limited.

<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_05_19_13_07_51_d1bcc4c097.jpg"
alt="An example of a fixed form."
src="An example of a fixed form."
/>
 
## How to create a subscription form


There are several ways to create a subscription form.


### Using ready-made form builders


Currently, there are many platforms available for creating a subscription form using a builder without any programming knowledge. Here, you can customize fields, fonts, labels, color schemes, and more.


When choosing a service, consider the following parameters:


- Functionality: There should be options for the placement of the subscription form and conditions for its display.



- Availability of ready-made templates that can be customized.



- Cost.


### Manual coding


If you have a programmer in your company who is capable of coding, you can choose to manually code the subscription form. This will make it unique and tailored to your specific preferences.


### Hiring a freelancer or agency


You can also hire a freelancer or agency to create the subscription form according to your requirements. It is important to note that the more complex your requests are, the higher the cost may be.


## Recommendations for creating subscription forms

- **Keep the form simple and easy to understand.** Request only the necessary information from users to avoid overwhelming them and discourage them from providing their email. If you want to learn more about your subscribers, consider including optional fields. *For example, make email address and name mandatory, while gender and age can be optional.*


- **Maintain your own style in the design.** Use colors, fonts, and shapes that align with your company's branding. You can frame the subscription form or use visual cues to draw attention to it, but avoid using overly loud and bright colors that might distract and annoy visitors.


- **Create compelling** [**CTA buttons**](https://altcraft.com/blog/what-is-cta). These buttons are usually placed at the bottom of the subscription form. Use color contrast to make them stand out and include a short but motivating call to action.


- **Pay attention to the area around the subscription form.** Ensure that there is nothing distracting or unnecessary (such as videos, images, or ads) near the form placement.


- **Define the value proposition of subscribing to your newsletter for customers.** They should understand what they can expect after subscribing. Send them a welcome email with necessary information and introductions. You can also express gratitude for their engagement.


- **Conduct A/B testing.** This method helps evaluate the effectiveness of different parameters (text, fields, images, buttons, etc.) and determine which ones perform the best.

## Where to locate a subscription form


Subscription forms are an integral part of web page design, and they should grab the attention of consumers. Here's what is required to achieve that:

- The subscription form should be visible. It is important for visitors to notice the form and be prompted to fill it out. If consumers overlook it, you may miss out on potential customers.


- Highlight the form. Emphasize it by placing it in a frame, as a separate window, or using a distinct color.


<Img
img="/uploads/image5_6dac2fdce8.png"
alt="An example of the form highlighted by color "
src="An example of the form highlighted by color "
/>

- Apply directional cues to the form. Use various arrows and pointers to draw attention to the form. This increases the chance that the customer will notice it and fill it out.


- Make subscription forms persistent. As customers browse through website pages, they should always have the form in view, allowing them to subscribe to the newsletter at any moment.



- Use multiple forms. Employ both pop-up windows and static subscription forms simultaneously. This way, when a customer closes the pop-up window, they can still find the form and [**subscribe to your email newsletter**](https://altcraft.com/blog).


- Analyze customer activity for each form. For example, you can add different IDs or segment contacts into various groups. This will show you which form is performing better and which one may need improvements.

## Examples of subscription forms


*TimeOut* is a very bright site though its subscription form is extremely simple. 

<Img
img="/uploads/image3_c0bc1deb49.png"
alt="TimeOut"
/>


Here’s the form suggesting to get tips on how to be a successful blogger.

<Img
img="/uploads/image4_bb67ffaa4a.png"
alt="Blogging"
/>

A creative example of a subscription form from *Depositphotos* blog with a catchy picture is as follows:

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_ef4a798c38.png"
alt="Depositephotos"
/>


## How to improve a subscription form


After creating the form and testing it, proceed to its improvement:


- **Provide an open and honest proposition**


To increase the likelihood of people leaving their email addresses, they need to understand what information they are subscribing to. Therefore, it's important to improve the form by clearly stating what the subscription includes and why it is valuable to the users.


- **Pay attention to the CTA**


The CTA plays a key role in the form. It should feature a short and compelling action prompt (*Save*, *Get News*, *Subscribe*) and stand out visually from the rest of the form.


- **Use tooltips for user comfort**


A great improvement is to add helpful tooltips in places where users may not understand what information to enter. These tooltips can be in the form of text placed below the main field or in the form of a dropdown list.


- **Adaptation for mobile devices**


Create forms that are responsive and do not distort based on the device used. For example, for user convenience, you can break the form into multiple sections so that users don't strain their eyes while reading the text.


## Conclusion


Thus, a subscription form is a necessary component on a website that helps interact with customers and encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter. Lead generation, customer database expansion, and easy and quick creation are clear advantages of using subscription forms.


As we have discussed, forms can be static, pop-up, or floating. The choice of which type to use is up to you, but for better effectiveness, you can consider using multiple types and see which one yields the optimal results.


You can create a subscription form yourself using specialized services, or you can have it designed and developed by an agency. It should be prominently placed in front of website visitors, and using a persistent form that remains visible as visitors browse the website can be highly effective. To improve your form, pay attention to aspects such as design, mobile responsiveness, and user comfort.

Lead generation, customer database expansion, and easy and quick creation are clear advantages of using subscription forms.

Subscription Form: How to Create It, and Where to Place It

Subscription Form: What It Is, How to Create It, and Where to Place It

Trigger email campaigns are electronic messages that are sent after a predefined condition is met. Here are several examples of such emails: welcome emails, holiday greetings, new product updates, purchase confirmation, discounts or bonuses, and others.


## What Trigger Campaigns Are


A trigger in marketing is associated with events (reminder emails: a product of interest to the customer is back in stock), specific actions (registration, leaving a product in the shopping cart), or external factors (holidays, seasonal promotions, birthdays). A trigger email differs from regular email campaigns in that it is sent automatically when a potential buyer takes a certain action or meets specific conditions.


Such email campaigns are typically automated, especially when dealing with a large customer database.


## Why are trigger emails important?


As we have already discovered, [**trigger email campaigns**](https://altcraft.com/help-center/marketing-campaigns/how-to-launch-a-trigger-campaign) are sent in response to specific user actions or events. This approach brings higher conversion rates, including higher email open rates, lead generation, orders, and more. Trigger email sequences are part of email marketing automation. By creating the necessary email scenarios once, subscribers can receive timely and relevant emails.



<Img
img="/uploads/image7_512ddd31d9.png"
alt="An example of a welcome email"
src="An example of a welcome email"
/>



<Img
img="/uploads/photo_2023_05_25_11_58_27_65be5dcac1.jpg"
alt="An example of a holiday greeting email"
src="An example of a holiday greeting email"
/>


Advantages of triggered emails:


- **Timely reminders:** Customers receive reminders at the most suitable times for them.



- **Automated setup:** Once set up by an expert, the emails are sent automatically only when specific triggers are activated.



- **Relevance:** Triggered emails are appropriate and personalized for each individual recipient.


The primary goal of triggered emails is to prevent potential customers from leaving the sales funnel. Triggers help to maintain continuous communication with customers.


In marketing, triggers optimize interaction with the audience. They are launched for:


- Getting acquainted with new website visitors.
- Generating interest among potential buyers.
- Maintaining communication with existing customers.
- Sending event reminders.
- Informing about new updates.
- Re-engaging potential and existing customers.

## Types of trigger emails


Let's consider the types of trigger emails that can be divided into two categories: simple and complex.


**Simple types include:**


- **Welcome email for new customers (after registration).**



- **Confirmation of subscription, order, or payment.** They are sent immediately after the action.



- **Review.** This can be a request to leave a review, a video of product unboxing in exchange for a discount, and more.


- **Holiday and special events.** There is a wide variety of options: birthday gift, bonus for Mother’s Day, discounts for Black Friday, and more. It's also possible to create your own event, such as bonuses for the first day of summer or a gift related to a specific date since the customer's registration.


<Img
img="/uploads/image3_b8908faa1b.png"
alt="A holiday greeting email "
src="A holiday greeting email "
/>

- [**Abandoned cart emails**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-reduce-cart-abandonment-rate). It is important to pay attention to this moment and try to regain the customer's interest in purchasing your product. One option is to send a personalized offer of the kind: "Buy this item and get 200 bonus points for your next purchase."


<Img
img="/uploads/image6_512d5ccc34.png"
alt="An example of the abandoned shopping cart newsletter"
src="An example of the abandoned shopping cart newsletter"
/>


- **Product update notifications.** Subscribers receive notifications about the availability of a product that interests them, price reductions on it, or upcoming promotions.

<Img
img="/uploads/image1_234fa3ac40.png"
alt=""
src="A notification email from Icebergs"
/>

- **Thank you emails.** It is important to express gratitude to customers for their actions, such as making a purchase or subscribing to a service.


<Img
img="/uploads/image2_a1dfa2892c.png"
alt="An example where the brand thanks the client for sharing with a friend"
src="An example where the brand thanks the client for sharing with a friend"
/>


- [**Reactivation**](https://altcraft.com/blog/how-to-reactivate-inactive-email-subscribers) is for situations where a customer has not made conversions on the website for a long time.

**The second category, complex triggers, includes:**

- **Abandoned session.** For example, a customer in a sports online store browsed several categories of products but did not add anything to the cart. Based on analytics, it is known that the customer was interested in a stationary bike. Send them emails related to that particular product, experimenting with different approaches ("Only three stationary bikes left in stock, get ready for summer without leaving your home!"). The complexity lies in setting up scripts that can identify even non-registered customers based on cookie data.


- **Post-purchase email.** It is important to offer customers related products after a purchase. The challenge here is to provide a personalized and professional offer to the customer. If the offer is generic and recommends irrelevant products, the customer may lose interest or unsubscribe from the mailing list.


- **Multi-channel email marketing.** The effectiveness of email campaigns is significantly enhanced by integrating different marketing channels such as social media, [**messaging apps**](https://altcraft.com/blog/messenger-marketing), SMS, and more. The challenge here is to have a CRM system where information about your customers' contacts is gathered.


The most challenging aspect is considered to be the configuration of trigger offers based on analytics. With this approach, it is necessary to identify customers' non-obvious interests and send them highly personalized emails. Predicting customer actions helps a brand obtain valuable information by anticipating future customer behavior. Companies use this analysis to improve customer engagement but face the challenge of finding experts who have a deep understanding of predictive analytics.
## Who needs trigger newsletters


Trigger email campaigns are beneficial for almost every company, especially those engaged in online sales. They allow for quick and personalized interaction with customers. Let's explore who can benefit from trigger emails and need them:


**E-commerce and Info-business:** Trigger emails are well-suited for notifying customers about new arrivals, abandoned cart reminders, discounts, promotions, and soliciting reviews.


**Service industry:** Emails can inform customers about service offers, promotions, discounts, highlight the benefits of a product/service, and prevent potential customers from leaving.


**Media:** Triggers can help re-engage the audience and generate interest, encouraging discussion about the content. Examples include welcome emails, requests for feedback, or expressing gratitude. For instance, if a reader leaves a comment on an article, you can send a thank-you email in response to their engagement on your website.


In general, trigger-based emails are valuable for businesses that want to enhance customer engagement, improve conversion rates, and provide personalized experiences.
## Trigger emails *vs* transactional emails


Trigger and transactional emails are automatically sent to customers in response to their actions, but the difference lies in the fact that the main goal of triggered emails is to increase revenue and [**motivate customers to make a purchase**](https://altcraft.com/blog/5-marketing-techniques-to-push-customers-to-buy).


The purpose of transactional email campaigns is to notify you of a specific transactional event, such as payment or refund confirmation, order processing or shipment, tariff change, password reset request, various notifications, and more. 


<Table>
| Trigger emails | Transactional emails |
| ------ | ------ |
| The email can be sent immediately after the target action of the customer or after a certain period of time. | Emails are sent immediately in response to a specific action. |
| The goal is to sell a product/service and increase conversion on the website. | The goal is simply to notify the client about a completed action. |
| To send emails, it is necessary to have the client's consent to receive them. Clients should have the option to unsubscribe or opt out of the email subscription if they no longer wish to receive such emails. | To receive emails, it will be sufficient to enter your email address, and no subscription to the mailing list is required. |
</Table>


## Analyzing the effectiveness of trigger email campaigns


It is not enough to simply set up a trigger email sequence and wait for an increase in conversion. It is important to understand that something may go wrong at some stage, so it is necessary to be able to analyze the effectiveness of trigger email campaigns. This can be done using the following metrics:


- **Deliverability:** Measure the number of emails successfully delivered to recipients' inboxes. It indicates the effectiveness of your email delivery system and the quality of your email list.


- **Open rate:** Calculate the percentage of recipients who opened your emails. A higher open rate suggests that your subject lines and sender names are engaging and enticing.


- **Click-through rate:** Determine the percentage of recipients who clicked on the links in your emails. It indicates the level of engagement and interest generated by your email content.


- **Unsubscribe and spam complaint rate:** Monitor the number of recipients who unsubscribe from your email list or report your emails as spam. High unsubscribe or spam complaint rates may indicate issues with your email content or targeting.


- **Conversion rate:** Measure the percentage of recipients who take the desired action after clicking on a link in your email. It could be making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or filling out a form. Tracking conversions helps evaluate the effectiveness of your call-to-action and landing page.


- **Revenue generated:** Calculate the monetary value generated from your email campaign. This metric considers the overall revenue from the conversions made as a result of the email campaign.
## Conclusion


As we have found out, trigger email campaigns play a significant role in a company's marketing strategy, as they deliver higher conversion rates, save time for marketers, and contribute to increased profitability. First, you need to determine the goal of your emails, then plan and create a sequence for trigger sales.


To determine which specific triggers are needed for your brand, it is recommended to create several simple test emails and analyze their effectiveness.

Trigger newsletters deliver higher conversion rates, save time for marketers, and contribute to increased profitability.

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