Trigger-Based
Marketing
Introduction and Methodology
Definition of Key Terms
Key Conclusions
The Impact of Email Triggers
The Impact of Mobile Push Triggers
The Impact of Multi-Channel Campaigns
The Impact of AI-Powered Campaigns
Recommendations for Scaling Triggers
About Blueshift
INTRODUCTION AND
Methodology
Insights Gathered Across Billions of Data Points
Triggered messages are one of the most effective and personalized ways to interact with customers. These automated messages are delivered via email, mobile push notifications, or other channels. The timing and content of each message can be personalized based on an individual’s engagement patterns with different parts of your website or app, instead of being based on a batch-and-blast approach at a time decided by a marketer.
Methodology
Blueshift analyzed 14.9 billion messages across email and mobile push notifications sent by Blueshift customers. We analyzed this data in order to understand the variances in core engagement metrics including click rates and conversion rates between different types of communication. This dataset represents more than 12 industry verticals including eCommerce, Consumer Finance, Healthcare, Media, Education, and more.
The results of this analysis are presented in this report.
DEFINITIONS OF
Key Terms
Trigger-Based Marketing
Marketing communications that are personalized based on an individual’s engagement with your website, mobile app, emails, and other marketing channels. Triggers can also be activated by catalog updates — like price or inventory changes — or via transactions.
Batch Send
A marketing message sent by a brand to multiple recipients at once. These often include newsletters, one-off sends, FAQs, and informational emails.
Click Rate
The ratio of users who click on a specific link to the number of total users who received an email or push message, or viewed an advertisement.
Post-Click Conversion
A conversion that occurs after a user has clicked on an email or mobile push notification within a specific time period specified by a customer.
Lifecycle Triggers
Triggered messages sent based on the stage within the customer lifecycle, churn risk, or even VIP/loyalty status. Common Lifecycle triggers include Purchase Confirmation, Customer Survey, Product Review, Replenishment, At-Risk/Churn, and VIP Status.
Remarketing Triggers
Behavior-triggered messages, often referred to as retargeting, sent based on an incomplete, retailer-defined goal. These triggers are based on individuals “abandoning” a cart, browsing session, etc. and often include a time delay. Common remarketing triggers include: Abandoned Cart, Abandoned Category, Abandoned Search, Abandoned Product, Abandoned Wishlist, Abandoned Browse, and Favorites/Likes.
Onboarding Triggers
Triggered messages sent as part of a welcome series to educate and inform a customer/potential customer of “next steps” or to provide the incentive to become a revenue-generating customer. These messages are triggered upon initial sign up or initial purchase. Common onboarding triggers include: Welcome Series and Promotions.
Recommendation Triggers
Behavior-triggered messages sent based on expressed or user-defined affinities. Recommendation triggers provide an element of discovery into the user experience by providing relevant content or products. Common recommendation triggers include: Wishlist, Cross-Sell, Up-Sell, Complete-the-Look, and Favorite Brands.
Catalog Change Triggers
Triggered messages sent based on relevant product/catalog updates per user-defined or expressed affinities for particular products, brands, or categories. They can also be used when launching a new product within a category. Common catalog update triggers include: New Merchandise, Price Changes, Back in Stock, Low Stock, and Seasonal Changes.
KEY
Conclusions
+497%
Email Triggers are 497% More Effective than Batch Emails
On average, triggered emails are 497% more effective than blast emails. This is driven by a 468% higher click rate, and a 525% higher conversion rate.
+283%
Multi-Channel Triggers Across Email and Mobile are 283% More Effective than Single Channel
On average, multi-channel triggered emails are 283% more effective than single-channel campaigns. This is driven by a 234% higher click rate, and a 331% higher conversion rate.
+1490%
Mobile Push Triggers are 1490% More Effective than Batch Push Notifications
On average, triggered mobile push notifications are 1490% more effective than batch and blast mobile push notifications. This is driven by a 279% higher click rate, and a 2700% higher conversion rate.
+157%
Engage Time Optimization Campaigns are 157% More Effective than Non-Engage Time Optimized Campaigns
On average, email campaigns using engage time optimization are 157% more effective than non-engage time optimized emails. This is driven by a 81% higher click rate, and a 234% higher conversion rate.
+116%
Campaigns Using Predictive Recommendations are 116% More Effective than Those that Do Not
On average, email campaigns using recommendations are 116% more effective than batch campaigns without recommendations. This is driven by a 22% higher click rate, and a 209% higher conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
Email Triggers
Email Triggers are 497% More Effective than Batch Emails
Email remains one of the most popular ways for marketers to reach their customers — but sticking to old school batch and blast emails could be hurting your business. Marketers who use triggers within their email marketing are almost 500% more effective than those who do not. This is driven by a 468% higher click rate, and a 525% higher conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
Triggered Email Campaign Types
The Top Campaign Type, Onboarding Triggers are 800% More Effective
Though all trigger campaigns perform significantly better than their batch counterparts, onboarding campaigns are the most effective when compared to batch campaigns. Onboarding campaigns are 800% more effective than batch emails which is driven by a 826% increase in click rate and 775% increase in conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
Mobile Push Triggers
Mobile Push Triggers are 1490% More Effective than Batch Push Notifications
Mobile push notifications are a great way to interact with customers in-the-moment with bite-sized communications. To make this channel as effective as possible it’s important these messages are timely — you need to ping customers when they’re in shopping mode and ready to take action. In fact, triggered messages are 1490% more effective than batch mobile pushes. This is driven by a 279% higher click rate, and a 2700% higher conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
Triggered Push Campaign Types
The Top Campaign Type, Lifecycle Triggers are 5645% More Effective
Overall push campaigns that utilize triggers perform significantly better than their batch counterparts, lifecycle campaigns are the most effective when compared to batch campaigns. Lifecycle campaigns are 5645% more effective than batch campaigns which is driven by 1231% higher click rate and 10060% conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
Multi-Channel Marketing
Multi-Channel Triggers Across Email and Mobile are 283% More Effective Than Single Channel
Customers are no longer content with interacting with brands on a single channel — they’ll browse several channels to make a purchasing decision. It’s no surprise then, on average, multi-channel campaigns are 283% more effective than single-channel campaigns. This is driven by a 234% higher click rate and a 331% higher conversion rate.
THE IMPACT OF
AI-Powered Campaigns
AI-Powered Campaigns are 137% More Effective
Predictive recommendations and engage time optimization are two of Blueshift’s predictive offerings included in the results of this report. Predictive recommendations uses AI and customer activity to build highly relevant content blocks for each customer. Engage time optimization uses AI and customer activity to determine the optimal time for engagement and conversion for each customer. On average, the use of predictive recommendations made campaigns 116% more effective and the use of engage time optimization made campaigns 157% more effective.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
Scaling Triggers
Upgrade from Batch and Blast to Fully Automated, Triggered Campaigns
The most successful marketers in 2020 are those who have left non-personalized, batch and blast campaigns in the last decade. To increase your email marketing effectiveness by nearly 500%, make the shift to triggered campaigns that scale and respond to your customers exactly where they are in their journeys.
Think Multi-Channel
Marketers that go beyond the channel-centric strategies of the past are the ones who will win going forward. Marketers that have implemented multi-channel campaign strategies have seen fantastic results such as a 234% increase in click rate and a 331% increase in conversions.
Incorporate Every Channel into Your Shift Towards Triggered Marketing
While email might be a great starting point for implementing triggers into your marketing, don’t neglect other channels like mobile push. Push notifications become 1490% more effective when triggered — these bite-sized comms are perfect for in-the-moment nudges to get customers converting.
Personalize with AI
Guessing what your customers want and like, at scale, is now possible with the power of AI. With new offerings, like our predictive recommendations and engage time optimization, marketers who take advantage of these technologies can expect their campaigns to perform better by 137%.
+497%
Increase Your Email Marketing Effectiveness by Nearly 500%
+1490%
Push Notifications are 1490% More Effective when Triggered
Blueshift’s SmartHub CDP uses patented AI technology to unify, inform, and activate customer data across all channels and applications. Through unified data, omnichannel orchestration, intelligent decisioning, and unmatched scale, Blueshift gives brands all the tools to deliver seamless 1:1 experiences in real-time.
LendingTree, Udacity, Discovery, PayPal, Groupon, and the BBC use Blueshift to drive revenue growth through elevated customer engagement. The company is backed by prominent venture capital firms including Storm Ventures and SoftBank Ventures Asia.
