THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK How to Implement Triggered and Transactional Campaigns That Increase Engagement & Conversion You can create personalized, relevant s that engage your subscribers and move them down the path to conversion and purchase all in automated campaigns that deliver greater ROI. This guide walks you through the triggered campaigns you should have in place today and how to make them successful. From the data you ll need, to best practices, and quick tips and tricks, this handbook provides ideas you can implement right away.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Series Cart / Browse Abandonment Post-Purchase Activation Product Lifecycle / Replenishment Re-Engagement Birthday / Anniversary Campaign Automation Decision Guide THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

3 WELCOME SERIES Your welcome is the first impression new subscribers have of your brand s program and sets the tone for all future communication. Set yourself up for success by encouraging subscribers to set their preferences so future s are tailored to their interests. Include a special offer thanking them for joining. Drive subscribers to your social channels, find out what content and offers interest them, and use their behavior to enable progressive profiling. And be sure the deploys immediately after a subscriber signs up, while your brand is fresh in their mind. Why You Should Invest Getting subscribers to join your list is the first step in their lifecycle. Once subscribed, a welcome series sets expectations, encourages engagement, and lays the foundation for brand loyalty. Although a welcome program doesn t drive a significant amount of direct revenue, it helps establish successful relationships early on and can drive higher subscriber lifetime value. Compared to other automated campaigns, a welcome series requires minimal implementation and doesn t necessarily require technical resources. A welcome series may also improve your overall deliverability. Encourage subscribers to add your address to their address book, inform them how often they ll hear from you, and enable them to set frequency preferences. + REQUIRED DATA address First name for personalization Additional progressive profiling data: gender, language preference, and product category, etc. SEGMENTATION Welcome #1 should trigger in real time if possible. Create a segment of users who received #1 one day ago and send the second . Then create another segment for users who received #2 three or more days in the past for the remaining welcome s Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

4 Welcome Series Inspiration ELLIOTT LUCCA WELCOME SERIES This well executed three-part welcome series starts by setting expectations and offering a discount, followed by a message highlighting social channels, and finally draws users in to shop their collection of products with large, attractive product photography. 4 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

5 CNET.COM WELCOME SERIES By walking new subscribers through an overview of what CNET.com has to offer over their fourpart welcome series, CNET.com successfully sets expectations and ensures its users will be able to get the most out of their experience Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

6 Welcome Series Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS 1. A customer signs up to receive s from your brand. 2. If you are using your ESP s sign up form, the address and preferences (if applicable) are saved to your database, and the welcome is triggered. If you are using your own form, the information is passed via an API call to your ESP, which can trigger the welcome in real time. + WELCOME SERIES TIPS AND TRICKS Send the first immediately. Reward subscribers with a special offer. Promote your social sites. Request additional information now -- limit the barriers to subscription by reducing the number of data points on sign-up forms. Use your welcome funnel to expand your subscriber s profiles. Provide a link to your preference center and allow subscribers to customize content and cadence. Set expectations and clarify what you ll be sending and when so they know what to expect from you. Educate subscribers about special benefits, loyalty programs and cause initiatives. Test performance to optimize cadence, content and call-to-action. 6 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

7 CART / BROWSE ABANDONMENT There are multiple reasons a website visitor might leave without purchasing. Cart and browse abandonment programs reach out to customers to alleviate concerns and nudge them through the sales process. The triggers when a subscriber spends a set amount of time browsing an item on your website or places an item in their cart but leaves without purchasing. You already know they have some level of interest, so keep that interest piqued. Use this to remind them about the product. Make sure they understand your shipping and return policies. Send user reviews and additional information about the product they were considering. If those approaches don t work, follow up with an additional including a discount. Why You Should Invest Since 68.07% of shopping carts are abandoned (Source: Baymard Institute, Dec. 2014), the audience for these s is significant. And so is the potential payoff. Companies see a 1.9% 9.04% increase in e-commerce revenues with cart abandonment programs, the average company experiencing a 5.14% lift (Source: SeeWhy - The ROI of Remarketing for ecommerce Brands Report, 2014). The bottom line is that these campaigns are a high revenue driver. They are personalized, targeted, and great at reminding users of a product they are interested in. Although abandonment programs require upfront work, the payoff is worth it. + REQUIRED DATA address Product name abandoned on site / in cart RECOMMENDED DATA Product picture Product info price, color, size, etc. Next logical product Related products Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

8 Cart / Browse Abandonment Inspiration COLUMBIA CART ABANDONMENT SERIES Columbia s straightforward and effective two-part series starts off with a consultative, customer service tone, and follows up with a strong call to action. Subject line #1 (above): You left items in your cart. Can we help? Subject line #2 (right): Ready to complete your purchase? 8 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

9 RUCHE CART ABANDONMENT Taking a more aggressive approach, Ruche offers a 20% discount and creates a sense of urgency by having the offer expire at midnight Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

10 Cart / Browse Abandonment Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS 1. A customer visits your site and places an item in their cart. 2. The customer abandons the cart without finalizing the purchase. 3. The abandoned product data is captured and sent via API, triggering the campaign. 4. Your guest receives the abandonment and can reconsider the purchase. 5. Based on clicks from the abandonment , you can track purchases and attribute that revenue back to the abandonment program. + CART / BROWSE ABANDONMENT TIPS AND TRICKS Create a multi-stage abandonment program. The first triggers immediately, followed by a reminder and final offer over the course of 7 days. Always test multi-stage campaigns to ensure customers aren t overwhelmed by the volume and cadence of your s. Experiment with the amount of time required before triggering the first . The subject line should be direct and include phrases such as your order, your items, or reference the abandoned products. Focus on customer service. Be sure the reply address is a monitored inbox. Give customers multiple ways to contact you phone, , or live chat. Allow them to complete orders over the phone. Highlight your return and refund policies. Feature an image of the abandoned product. Include a description. Include customer reviews and testimonials from other shoppers. The call to action should be clear and prominent, for example, Return to Your Cart or Buy Now Consider additional incentives such as free shipping, free returns, or discounts if the first doesn t lead to a conversion. 10 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

11 POST-PURCHASE Don t let a customer s purchase be the last step in your relationship. Reach out to thank them for their order. Include helpful product care or set up information to build loyalty. Incorporate upsell by showing customers another product that s a perfect fit for their next purchase. + REQUIRED DATA address Product name Wait awhile after the initial post-purchase , 30 days for example, to follow up with another asking your customer to rate and review their purchase. You can also extend an offer or discount on their next purchase and highlight other products of interest. Why You Should Invest The initial post-purchase increases brand awareness, loyalty and offers you an upsell opportunity. The second provides a chance to build your collection of customer reviews, with an additional upsell opportunity, while the subscriber is highly engaged. RECOMMENDED DATA Purchase information name, product, or category Last purchase date Data for next logical product or for related product categories Post-Purchase Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS Purchase data specific to each customer is passed to your ESP and triggers this series. + POST-PURCHASE TIPS AND TRICKS In the first , create a great brand experience by showing your appreciation and focusing content around customer service. Include an image of the purchased product and as much product information as possible. Incentivize customers to re-purchase with free shipping offers on their next purchase or a discount on their next logical product Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

12 Post-Purchase Inspiration BRIGHTON POST-PURCHASE While this appears a bit lengthy, Brighton finds more copy performs better with their audience. They take the time to validate the subscriber s recent purchase and educate on the entire product line to drive additional conversion. 12 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

13 AMAZON.COM POST-PURCHASE By using post-purchase s to drive reviews and ratings, Amazon.com leverages their customers feedback to drive new sales Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

14 ACTIVATION If new subscribers have yet to make their first purchase, an activation program can help close that first sale. Your series should establish trust, highlight products and offerings, keep your brand top of mind, answer questions and help subscribers down the path to purchase. Why You Should Invest These people signed up because they had some level of interest in your brand. An activation program can help fan the flame and keep them warm until they re ready to purchase. + REQUIRED DATA address Date subscribed RECOMMENDED DATA Any additional triggers to increase personalization and relevance: Last browsed category date Last open date Opened s Clicked links SEGMENTATION For the initial , create a segment of subscribers who joined within the past 90 days, for example, but have not purchased. Next, create a segment of those who received #1 X days ago, but haven t made a purchase, and send them #2. Repeat for each in your activation stream. 14 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

15 Activation Inspiration PET360 ACTIVATION S The first in this two-part activation series does a great job of highlighting the benefits of using the Auto Ship feature, while the second follows up with a harder sell and includes a discount Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

16 MODCLOTH ACTIVATION ModCloth not only offers an incentive for first time buyers, they address all the reasons a customer might hesitate to make their first purchase. ModCloth highlights free shipping, exchanges, returns, and that their inventory is always changing so there s always something new. 16 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

17 Activation Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS + 1. A customer signs up to receive s. 2. After 90 days (for example), they have not completed their first purchase. An is triggered. 3. If after 3 days they have not made a purchase, another is sent. 4. If after 8 days they still have not made a purchase, a final is sent. ACTIVATION TIPS AND TRICKS Don t let your subscribers forget you. Set the segmentation criteria to target subscribers while their interest level is highest. One isn t enough to sway most subscribers. You will need a series of s. Use click behavior to drive personalization through progressive profiling. The closer you get to 1:1 messages, the more likely you are to drive action. Find ways to make your messages urgent; offer flash sales or limited time products Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

18 PRODUCT LIFECYCLE / REPLENISHMENT Many products have a finite lifespan, presenting a natural opportunity to reach back out to the purchaser for repeat, cross and upsell purchases. A printer will need more toner or ink. A car will need an oil change, new tires and a tune-up. Create an program based on these product lifecycle milestones. Like a postpurchase series, product lifecycle messages are great vehicles for building trust. Help your customers with warranty information, product care guides, loyalty programs, and additional resources and services available. Why You Should Invest in a Product Lifecycle / Replenishment Program Aside from the direct sales opportunity, a product lifecycle program helps build brand loyalty and can convert purchasers into brand advocates who drive referrals, the highest performing revenue driver. If your customer is happy with their product or service, they ll likely become repeat customers, and tell others. + REQUIRED DATA address Last purchase date Product replenishment or lifecycle date Purchase category RECOMMENDED DATA Next logical product Related products SEGMENTATION Look for subscribers who have purchased X product with purchase date Y to trigger the THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

19 XEROX PRODUCT LIFECYCLE SERIES After a printer purchase, Xerox has a six-part replenishment series complete with clever creative and copy, sending follow-up s after 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 210 days to promote their consumable supplies Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

20 + PRODUCT LIFECYCLE / REPLENISHMENT TIPS AND TRICKS Creative should be clear and precise. You bought X product. It s time to buy again. Messages should focus on customer care and retention. Consider a series as the time to repurchase nears. Use the opportunity to cross and upsell related items, warranties, and services. Product Lifecycle / Replenishment Flow Chart Example 20 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

21 RE-ENGAGEMENT Re-engagement programs target your dormant subscribers. In the , give them the choice to continue receiving your s or unsubscribe from your program. If they show signs of life, great! Move them to an active segment and keep ing them. If not, remove them from active sending as they can negatively impact deliverability. + REQUIRED DATA address Last open date Last click date Why You Should Invest Having inactive or disengaged subscribers on your list can hurt deliverability and prevent you from getting messages to those users who want to hear from you. Quality over quantity is the key here. Use a re-engagement campaign to weed out subscribers who are not opening your messages and keep your list clean. SEGMENTATION Create a list of subscribers who have been subscribed for X months, but who have not opened/clicked in that period. Re-Engagement Inspiration ACTIVE YOGA RE-ENGAGEMENT S This is a great example... it is concise, direct, has some personality, and the call to action is perfectly clear Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

22 Re-Engagement Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS 1. Review and analyze your program performance and current segmentation strategy to identify the point of engagement metric on which to center your re-engagement program. For example, if you are a swimwear brand, you would assume some subscribers may only open your s and purchase from you in the summer. You may want to reach out to those who ve been un-engaged for over a year. 2. Send these inactive subscribers an that states that if they wish to continue receiving your s regularly, they need to click the call-to-action. 3. If the subscriber takes action, move them to a re-activated segment. If not, send them a second and third Transition subscribers that don t open after the third out of your regular sends. + RE-ENGAGEMENT TIPS AND TRICKS Use the subject line to tell your subscriber you miss them and want them back. For example, Do you want to stay together? or Is it something we said? If possible, include an aggressive offer. Keep the content of the short, simple, and compelling. Ensure the unsubscribe button is clear. Create two or three re-engagement s, with escalating offers, and give subscribers multiple opportunities to continue receiving your s. Remove those who don t take action from your sending pool. 22 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

23 BIRTHDAY / ANNIVERSARY The concept here is simple, yet powerful set up an that sends to subscribers on their birthday or subscription anniversary. Depending on your industry and offer, your strategy could go a few different directions. If in hospitality, reach out with enough advance notice so they can book a trip and follow up with a reminder or greeting on their special day. If in retail, offer a discount to treat themselves. If a restaurant, inform them they can make a reservation and that dessert is on the house. (They ll bring their friends and family and everyone wins.) The same concept applies to similar milestones with your brand -- when subscribers reach a loyalty membership tier, at renewal, when it s time to re-order, etc. + REQUIRED DATA address Birthdate Subscription date SEGMENTATION Birthdate/anniversary is zero days in the past OR birthday/ anniversary month is X month. Why You Should Invest Celebrate your subscribers while taking advantage of this opportunity to reach out to them. According to BlueHornet s 2014 Consumer Views on Marketing Report, subscribers are just as comfortable sharing their age with you as their name 4.9 on a scale to 7, where 7 is most comfortable. Only sharing gender (5.3/7) and address (5.1/7) ranked higher. It s important to make the about them, but offering a deal can lead to increased revenue. Plus you re building brand loyalty and increasing engagement Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

24 SEPHORA BIRTHDAY Who doesn t want a free gift for their birthday? Sephora gives their subscribers a choice of two, complete with nice product photography and calls-to-action for both online and in-store redemption, for their entire birthday month. 24 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

25 ROCKLER BIRTHDAY How can a company send you a birthday if they don t know when your birthday is? Rockler Woodworking and Hardware sends this to collect that data point. And they do a wonderful job of incorporating their brand in the imagery Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

26 Birthday Flow Chart Example HOW IT WORKS 1. Make sure you are collecting birth date and date joined in your preference center. 2. Define how you want your birthday program to run. Send a pre-birthday message, a post-birthday message, just on the day -- or all three? 3. Automate your program by setting up recurring s based on your program criteria. 4. If you re offering a promotion, track conversion by or unique coupon code to trigger a follow up to only those who didn t take advantage of the special offer. + BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY TIPS AND TRICKS Don t have birthday data? That s a great excuse to ask subscribers to update their profile. You can tease with a special offer as an incentive. 26 THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.

27 CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION DECISION GUIDE Having trouble deciding where you should start? Here s an at-a-glance guide to the effort and benefits of the automated programs covered in this handbook. This overview will help you prioritize the programs you want to implement, and in what order Digital River, Inc. THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK

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30 REALIZE YOUR POTENTIAL Whether your business is large or small, looking to implement basic marketing programs or develop more sophisticated lifecycle messaging campaigns, BlueHornet can help. Our unique combination of enterprise-scale marketing solutions and award-winning services will ensure your marketing program is a success. Contact us for a demo today. BlueHornet (866) Northside Drive Suite B250 sales@bluehornet.com San Diego, CA THE CAMPAIGN AUTOMATION HANDBOOK Digital River, Inc.