Marketing automation by scenarios
What is an automation scenario
Scenario is one of the most useful marketing automation tools. It is a chain of conditions and a sequence of operations that will follow.
This scenario allows you not only to automate interaction with your subscribers but also to visualize a Customer Journey Map. With its help, you can track a customer journey from the moment they are introduced to your brand to the moment they perform a target action, for instance, a purchase.
Create scenarios of any complexity. Start with automating simple processes. Give the user a promo code as soon as they download your mobile app. You can also add them to a certain segment if they show interest in some product category and follow the link in your email. Step by step, you will learn how to create more complex chains and implement mechanisms such as cross-selling or notifications about an abandoned calculator.
Classic marketing scenarios
- Welcome email series
- First purchase
- Abandoned cart
- Customer loyalty management
- Reactivation of sleeping customers
- Payment reminder
How to create an automation scenario
Before you start setting up the scenario, you need to prepare the platform objects that you are going to use. Create and set up databases, resources, segments, templates, campaigns, promo codes, etc.
To create an automation scenario, open the «Scenarios» section in the main menu and then click «Create» in the upper panel.
Step 1. Setting up a new scenario
In the settings, select the database from which profiles will participate in the scenario.
Now specify the mode for re-entering profiles into the scenario.
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| Disable reentry for the customer profile | Always ignores the profile, even if it is not in the scenario. The customer profile can get into the scenario only once. Even if it is deleted from the scenario, it will never get into it again. |
| Disable reentry for already engaged customer profiles | Ignores the profile if it is currently in the scenario. If the profile is currently in the scenario, it cannot get into it again. However, if the profile is deleted from the scenario, it can get into it again. |
| Restart the scenario for customer on reentry | Resets the profile position in the scenario to the beginning. As soon as the trigger event is activated, the profile, even if it has already gone through almost the entire scenario, will go back to the first step. |
| Process each profile entry in the scenario separately | Regardless of how many times the profile has already been in the scenario and whether it is currently there, it will get into it again when the capture condition is fulfilled. Every time the profile gets into the scenario, it goes through all its stages. |
Step 2. General settings
Once in the editor, enter a name for the scenario in the top panel. In the Scenario info block you can add a description, specify tags for quick search, and assign access groups.
Step 3. Select a condition to run the scenario
A scenario can be run when a trigger condition is met.
Trigger is suitable for automating the path of a single customer within a business process. For example, you can greet a new user of an online store with a chain of emails or remind a customer about an abandoned cart.
The following triggers are available for use:
Default — this element is present in any scenario and cannot be deleted. Trigger allows you to automatically send profiles from different platform entry points to the scenario.
Action execution — activated when the subscriber performs the desired action in the message.
Form update — the trigger captures the profiles whose data will be updated as a result of filling out the form into the scenario.
Subscription add/update — the trigger is activated when a new subscription is added to a profile or the status of an existing subscription is changed.
Scheduled segment — a group of profiles that meet certain conditions is put into the scenario on a set schedule.
Static segment modify — this trigger will capture the profiles that had a certain action in the segment into the scenario.
Relation modify — the trigger is started when link between profiles changes: both forward and backward.
API import — the trigger is activated when a new profile is added to the database via API query.
Any import — the trigger is activated when a new profile is added to the database in any way: via API request or manually, from the profile card.
Manual import — the trigger is activated when a new customer profile is manually added to the database.
Pop-up import — the trigger will work if a new profile is created in the database as a result of a user filling out and submitting a form in a pop-up window.
Pixel activation — the profile enters the scenario when the pixel is activated.
Form import — the trigger will work if a new profile is created in the database as a result of a user filling out and submitting a form.
Form submition — trigger will be activated only if the form was filled out on the transition from the email.
Field value update — the trigger is activated when the specified profile field takes the desired value.
Step 4. Build a workflow
Visualize a customer journey by adding steps to the scenario.
All elements of the scenario are divided into four categories: Triggers, Operators, Channels, and Actions.
We have already described the functions and elements of triggers above.
Operators affect the movement of the profile through the scenario and include the following elements:
Pause — sets the intervals between scenario actions. With this element you can configure the start time of the element that follows.
Best send time — Sets a pause before the next element of the scenario, calculated on the basis of ML service data. The profile will not move to the next element until the optimal time to send it a message.
Condition — Realizes logical selection of the next step of the scenario for customer profiles.
JSON filter — when running a scenario via API, you can pass a special "content" field that will contain data in JSON format. Based on this data you can define further actions of the profile.
Jump to scenario — sends the profile to the beginning of another scenario or to a certain element of another scenario. In this case, the current scenario and the scenario to which the profile moves must use the same database.
Distribution node — creates multiple elements that separate scenario options for customer profiles regardless of any conditions.
Channels — elements that are used to send a message to a profile.
Email — allows you to send the most content to your customers, as the email can include a variety of graphic design elements as well as interactive elements to increase customer engagement.
Placement — a tool that allows you to post content to subscribers on a specific resource and then cancel it.
Push — much more cost-effective than SMS, as it costs virtually nothing to send. At the same time, mobile and browser-based notifications can dramatically increase customer engagement.
SMS — help you organize transactional notifications most effectively, because to receive an SMS a customer only needs to leave you their phone number. All messages are opened in one way or another, unlike Email.
Telegram bot — allows you to send personalized messages to subscribers who have joined a chat bot.
Viber — a fast and convenient communication channel. Send promotional, transactional and triggered messages to your subscribers. They cost less than SMS.
WhatsApp — an effective communication channel that allows you to build a dialog with your customer in real time. You can use this channel to notify your subscribers about important events, changes to order statuses and upcoming events.
Actions — elements that trigger a certain action in the platform at the moment of profile login.
Update profile — updates the data of selected fields of the subscriber profile or deletes values in these fields.
Import to database — copies a subscriber's profile from the profile database for which the scenario was created to another one.
API request — send a GET or POST request to another system.
Static segment update — adds a customer profile to the static segment of the audience or removes it from the segment.
Subscriptions — subscribes a client to a specific resource or updates existing subscription data.
Promocode — assigns a promocode from the selected loyalty program to the customer profile.
Suppression list — adds certain client contact details (email address and phone number) to the stop list of the platform. Communication with the customer using this data will be blocked. Or vice versa, removes contact details from the stop list, restoring the ability to communicate with the client.
You can learn more about how to use each step here.
To add a step to a scenario, click the + Element icon:
So, let's assume that the customer registered on the website and thus got into the scenario. The first step is a welcome email. Your customer receives it and proceeds to the next step — audience segmentation. The scenario checks whether the user has confirmed the subscription.
If the condition is fulfilled, this user gets a promo code for new customers. If the condition is not met (the user ignored the link), another action is triggered — an email reminder to confirm the subscription.
Depending on the further customer’s actions, the scenario can send another reminder to the user, but this time through the SMS channel. Thus, each customer who will be captured by your scenario will go through it step by step.
Step 5. Activate your scenario
Click the "Activate scenario" button to run the scenario and then save it. After activation, the scenario will start capturing profiles according to the set conditions.
To stop the scenario, click "Deactivate scenario" and save it.
You can also activate and deactivate a scenario from the general list:
Step 6. Analyze your scenario
You can analyze the effectiveness of your scenarios directly in the form of scenario editing, and the Channel Report will allow you to see detailed statistics on the campaigns that have been activated.
Customer scenario completion statistics
The bottom panel of the scenario shows:
Total number of profiles entered into the scenario.
The number of profiles that completed the scenario.
Errors that occurred during the scenario.
The scenario itself shows above each element how many clients reached that stage and how many of them then moved on to the next stage:
Viewing statistics is available in two modes:
Statistics for the period
Real-time statistics
Analytics of mailings in a scenario
Use the Channel Report to see the effectiveness of the mailings that were run by the scenario. Go to the "Analytics" section.
Checklist
- Prepare email templates.
- Go to the "Scenarios" section and create a new scenario.
- Specify the base whose profiles will participate in the scenario.
- Select what to do with the user if he/she enters the scenario repeatedly.
- Configure the trigger: when it is triggered, the profile will be included in the scenario.
- Build a workflow using elements.
- Save the scenario and activate it.
- Evaluate the effectiveness using the channel report.
Conclusion
Once you set up an automation scenario, you will no longer have to waste your time on the same routine activities. It takes a few minutes to automate your campaigns, segment the target audience and give promo codes to customers. scenarios will allow you to manage customer loyalty, motivate them to perform target actions, and even add gamification to your marketing.