The Difference Between Inbound Marketing And Content Marketing

Would you like to generate more leads, engage and retain your customers, and save time simultaneously? Then, you need to use marketing automation workflows.  It’s no wonder that automated messages drove over 29% of all email marketing orders in 2022. Workflows help to increase sales and engagement. For example, a welcome automation workflow would be sent to new subscribers, whereas a cart abandonment workflow would be sent to visitors who added items to their cart and left without purchasing (something 85% of consumers did in 2022!). In these instances, the recipients would need very different messages. What is marketing automation workflow? A marketing automation workflow is a series of automated actions that are executed based on predefined triggers and rules. It is designed to streamline and optimize marketing tasks.  These workflows can include sending emails, scoring leads, posting on social media, and more, all aimed at nurturing leads, engaging customers, and driving conversions. By automating repetitive tasks, businesses can ensure consistent and personalized communication with their audience, improving efficiency and effectiveness in their marketing strategies.  An automated email workflow frees up your time, contacting your subscribers while allowing you to focus on other tasks with the help of marketing automation services. What do you need to know about marketing automation workflows? McKinsey research has even demonstrated a 40% revenue increase for companies that have mastered personalization.  Before you create your first marketing workflows, here are a few things that can help to improve their performance: Segmentation: Segmenting your audience ensures you send the right message to the right person at the right time and allows you to create much more personalized campaigns. Instead of sending the same email to everyone, you can tailor your communication based on the recipients’: Location Demographics (e.g., age, gender, occupation) Browsing or purchasing history The amount of money they spend with you The likelihood of them unsubscribing from your list Automation Triggers: Once your marketing automation workflow has been created, the next question is, what will trigger it? Triggers will vary based on the workflows, such as: Filling out the sign-up form, triggering the welcome email Visiting a specific product page, triggering a product abandonment workflow Adding an item to the cart and leaving, triggering a cart abandonment workflow A/B Testing: Creating messages is only step one. Next, you need to check that they resonate with your audience. The best way to do this is A/B testing—having at least two communication versions running simultaneously and comparing results to learn which performs better. You can test several variables to see which drives the most open, click, or order rates, including the following for emails: CTAs Subject lines Body Content Personalization, such as mentioning the recipient’s name SMS Campaigns: You could monitor open and click rates for SMS campaigns. It’s even possible to see which channels drove the highest overall amount of completed orders on your store pages. One option would be to send an email with an offer and follow up with an SMS if the recipient hasn’t opened it within two hours. Some brands use SMS to alert people to time-sensitive emails or push notifications to boost site traffic. Communication Channels: The evidence is conclusive: using multiple channels in your marketing workflows increases sales. The increase is not small: marketers that used three or more channels in a campaign had an order rate 494% higher than those using single-channel campaigns, and incorporating push messages drove a 614% higher order rate. Want to reduce your CAC to half? Book a strategy call How to create marketing automation workflows? Marketing automation can seem daunting, but it's easier than you might think. Let's break down the key elements of an efficient marketing automation workflow to help you get started. Triggers A trigger is an action or event that prompts your technology to move to the next step in the workflow. Triggers are usually based on user actions or periods of inaction. For example, in ActiveCampaign, you can set up triggers like submitting a form, clicking a link in an email, making a purchase, and more. Actions Actions are what your marketing automation platform will do in response to a trigger. If the trigger is the "if," the action is the "then." For instance, if someone opens an email (the trigger), your system might send them a follow-up email (the action) 48 hours later. Conditions Conditions must be met for the system to complete the triggered action. For example, you might set up a workflow where the trigger is a customer making a purchase, and the action is to send them a discount code for their next purchase. However, this action will only occur if the initial purchase was $50 or more. Conditions ensure that actions are only triggered under the right circumstances and can also guide different paths for users based on whether conditions are met. Time Controls Time controls, or flow controls, determine exactly when an action is taken. Most automated marketing tasks happen on a delay, ranging from a few minutes to several days or weeks later. When building a marketing automation workflow for your sales funnel, remember: The trigger tells your system that an action must be taken. Conditions provide guardrails to ensure the action is appropriate for the contact and situation. Time controls determine when the action is taken. The action engages with the contact to deepen and continue the relationship. Putting It All Together What makes marketing automation workflows so powerful is that, after an action is taken, the user can set off a new trigger, starting the next step of their customer journey. This cycle of engagement leads to an improved customer experience, higher retention rates, and increased revenue. By understanding and implementing triggers, actions, conditions, and time controls, you can create effective marketing automation workflows that streamline your email marketing automation efforts and enhance customer relationships. This approach ensures your strategies are optimized for success. Top 10 marketing automation workflow examples Let’s explore the following 10 growth marketing automation workflows for growth: Welcome Automation Workflow Trigger: Subscribe to or purchase a product/service Description: A welcome email is the first message a new contact receives after signing up with you, and they have an average open rate of 30.69%—more than 202% higher than usual email campaigns. They can be individual messages or a series of messages, and we usually see a series of three emails generate better results. Browse Abandonment Automation Workflow Trigger: When browsers leave important pages Description: Browse abandonment automation workflows help you to re-engage visitors who look around your website but leave without taking action. The goal is to return them to your site to recapture lost conversions. Product Abandonment Automation Workflow Trigger: When the visitor lands on a specific product page only Description: A product abandonment workflow is similar to browsing abandonment emails but with one key difference: they’re sent to view only specific products. In comparison, a browse abandonment email is broader and more general. Cart Abandonment Automation Workflow Trigger: When visitors add a product to their cart but don’t finish the purchase Description: Cart abandonment is one of the most popular marketing automation workflows. It’s also highly effective—using this workflow, Snatcher Online generated over $120,000 in under one year. Order Confirmation Automation Workflow Trigger: When visitors complete the transaction Description: Order confirmation emails are among the most effective in terms of open and click-through rates. That’s largely because the person has made a purchase and is expecting the email, which typically includes details of the order and an estimated delivery date. Shipping Confirmation Automation Workflow Trigger: When the order has been shipped Description: A shipping confirmation automation workflow is usually short, consisting of a single message informing a buyer that their order has shipped. Upselling/Cross-Selling Automation Workflow Trigger: Segmentation rules of customers based on purchase behavior Description: Upselling is when you encourage a customer to buy a similar but higher-end version of a product they’re considering. Cross-selling is when the customer purchases something to complement their original item. Product Review Marketing Automation Workflow Trigger: Product purchase or another customer’s interaction with your store Description: Reviews are powerful—they tell potential customers they can trust you and your products, which can help boost sales. Not all customers leave reviews; manually asking every buyer can be very time-consuming. Birthday Marketing Automation Workflow Trigger: The date that matches your subscribers’ birthdays Description: Let your audience know you care by sending them a message on their birthday. These messages can be highly personalized—or at least, they should be if you’re following best practices. Custom Automation Workflows Trigger: Various triggers that your needs could customize Description: The beauty of an automated email workflow is that it can be whatever you want. So, if you’ve looked at the previous nine examples and thought you have a scenario we haven’t covered, don’t worry—that’s where custom automation workflows come in. How does Saffron Edge help in marketing automation? SaffronEdge specializes in creating personalized marketing automation workflows to enhance your business's engagement and conversion rates.  By leveraging advanced segmentation, personalized communication, and multi-channel strategies, we ensure your messages reach the right audience at the right time.  Our team also conducts thorough A/B testing to optimize your campaigns and maximize results.  Partner with SaffronEdge to streamline your marketing efforts and drive sustainable growth through effective automation, highlighting the importance of marketing automation. ...

read more

Since 2020, e-commerce has had a remarkable boom. Amazon has seen 169% growth in two years during the pandemic, rising to 470.7 billion USD in revenue in 2021 from 280 billion USD in 2019. One may have predicted that e-commerce would take a toll once “life” began to open back up after the end of the lockdowns. However, the data tells a different story. Has E-Commerce Stopped Growing? From data collected by WolframAlpha, one can note a sharp increase in Amazon sales right around the start of the worldwide lockdowns during mid-2020. However, there is another interesting thing to note. Though businesses worldwide have opened back up, including offline stores considered a rival of Amazon, their sales have not slowed. In fact, they keep growing. The Reason for Amazon’s Growth Beyond 2022 The key explanation for this is that everyone has gotten used to e-commerce. It is an experience that is: Easier Cheaper Convenient It is also interesting to note that 75% of consumers now use e-wallets and a vast majority of the population prefers digital currency to cash. This change is in alignment with the ideology of e-commerce. Striking While the Iron is Hot It can be argued that the best time to really gear up e-commerce marketing was 2020. However, that ship has not sailed. In fact, it is just picking up the pace. As an example, revenue from retail e-commerce in the United States is projected to have a sharp increase in the coming years. Smaller Businesses Can Grow Even Faster Through Amazon Over 700 small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK reached sales of £1 million or more for the first time, according to an Amazon report in 2022. Amazon also supports global e-commerce in a way that it is feasible for small businesses to export their products. Indian exporters are set to surpass 5 Billion USD in sales via Amazon. How to Create an Effective Amazon Marketing Strategy? It’s essential to understand your target audience to a tee. Exactly understanding your audience also helps you in the marketing process besides simply letting you improve on your own product. Why Do People Buy From You? It is important to note the exact reason people opt for you over your competitors. It is also important to know why the customers are willing to meet your price, whether it’s lower or higher than the customer. Does your brand appeal to their personality? Do you sell a particular feeling in addition to the material product, for example, a feeling of luxuriousness Ask yourself, “Why select you over your competitor(s)?” Amazon does not limit one to selling retail products. Artisans can sell handcrafted goods via Amazon. Artists can publish novels for Kindle, a product of Amazon, or publish videos on Prime Video Direct. Even Twitch is a subsidiary company of Amazon, which enables many to earn a living by streaming videos of various genres. Once you are clear on all of the above questions, creating a streamlined marketing strategy would not only come easily but also naturally. Marketing for Amazon The following methods are most often used to market one’s products on Amazon. Here is how to perfectly execute these strategies. #1 Using SEO and Content Marketing to Level Up Your Visibility SEO optimization can create drastic changes. Increase the Number of New Users Take a look at how we created more than 100% growth in the new users of a website using SEO and content marketing strategies. SEO optimization enables you to create a difference in new users. Once used in tandem with content marketing, SEO enables you to stand above your immediate competitors when it comes to visibility to new viewers. It is important to note that Google, the world’s most used search engine, highly values it when you stay within your niche in writing content. If you sell DIY tools, for example, resist the urge to create a webpage about sports. Use a different domain to share your thoughts about your other interests. Google rates expertise in a niche highly. Increasing User Experience and Trust in Brand Did you know that more than half of modern customers research online before buying? High visibility within your niche creates a sense of trust and reliability around the brand. Besides increasing immediate sales, SEO optimization can also help in brand-building. Creating SEO-friendly websites is also synonymous with creating fast and streamlined websites. For example, a three-second delay in loading time leads to a 7.9% drop in the number of articles a user may read. Target a Global Audience Since Amazon is a global e-commerce platform, the same should reflect in your SEO and content strategy. As an example, take a look at how we created 50% revenue growth in a client through a multilingual SEO campaign. #2 PPC Marketing Gives You an Edge Keep the following things in mind while creating a PPC campaign for your products on Amazon. Use buyer-intent keywords. This means that target what the intent of the buyer is in addition to specifying your product. For example, a user may look for “rain gear” though their specific needs may be “rain jackets”. Target long-tail keywords. These are keywords that are highly specific in nature. Bidding for these allows you to create cost-effective PPC campaigns as general keywords are highly sought-after. For example, target “mens waterproof rain jacket” instead of “waterproof jacked”. #3 Social Media is All the Rage Did you know that the average order value for customers that arrive from Instagram is 65 USD? This comes from a report from Shopify, who also reveal that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube provide a customer order value of 55 USD, 46 USD, and 38 USD respectively. Since Instagram stands clear above the rest in this regard, let’s ask ourselves why? Instagram users are expected to grow at a steady rate, projected to be 1.44 billion in 2025. This is a hugely engaged user base that logs into the application frequently throughout the day. Instagram Helps Build a Connection With Your Audience Instagram can let you present your brand in a way that connects with your niche target audience. They must feel that the brand is an extension of their own personality. It’s the nature of social media to encourage users to log in frequently. Users want to know what is the latest that is happening with people and things they care about. Instagram Helps Boost Sales Many social media sites let you plug in products and services directly to your posts. Instagram allows this in both posts and stories. This can be an effective way of reaching younger audiences, who are interested in social media e-commerce far more than previous generations. Here is how we help businesses connect with their target audience on social media effectively. #4 Use Twitch to Connect With Younger People In 2021, Twitch recorded an average of 2.78 million concurrent viewers. YouTube may boast a larger audience, but Twitch takes the cake when it comes to audience engagement. The audience of Twitch is comprised of mainly younger people who are more connected with the content creators on the website than the audience on YouTube. They invest more of their time in viewing a person on Twitch than the average YouTube viewer. This means that marketing your brand on Twitch, either with paid advertisements or with influencer deals lets you: Reach a younger audience in a way that is relevant to them Market to your specific niche highly effectively Come across as a more authentic brand #5 Use Coupons and Gift Cards Who doesn’t love a good deal? In fact, the deal need not necessarily even be “good” financially for it to create a positive feeling in the customer. All that is important is that your coupon or gift card makes the customer feel good about the purchase. There’s an age-old marketing strategy of raising one’s prices by 2 bucks and giving a discount of 1 to keep customers happy. Note: This strategy can be used in tandem with influencer marketing effectively. That way, customers can feel as if they are a part of an “exclusive” group that gets to avail of a brilliant deal. #6 Use Intelligent Email Marketing Retargeting beats other methods of advertising with an incredible 1,046% efficiency rate! This means that if you know a user’s past history and market to them, you can market highly effectively. For example, email marketing to a user that has arrived on your website and looked for a specific product can be great. In addition, always follow up with an email after cart abandonment. If you do so within three hours, the emails have a high open-rate with a 20% click-through rate. #7 Focus on Prime Day Prime Day is an annual sales event on Amazon. In 2022, Prime Day sales broke global record sales in Amazon’s history by registering 12 Billion USD worldwide. This was an incredible rise from previous years, for example, 1.52 billion USD in 2016. Focus on a special campaign for Prime Day to reap great rewards. #8 Partner With Someone Considering a partnership for digital growth is an excellent option to drive sales up. As an example, take a look at how we created almost a 100% increase in orders through the Amazon seller campaign for a client. Also, get to know our conversion-driven Amazon Marketplace Services. ...

read more

Sixty-seven percent of Gen Z respondents to a Statista survey the same year reported using a BNPL service during the previous three months. Buy now, pay later is a convenient and popular way to shop for a broad variety of goods and services. Mozo found that among Australians who are already utilizing BNPL services, 67% are buying needs like furniture and household appliances, 57% are buying luxury items like designer apparel and jewelry, and 27% are buying basics like food. A second payment method that firms might use is the "buy now, pay later" model. When they make a purchase, they may get their hands on it right away, and they also have the option to spread out their payments. Also, customers can feel more at ease purchasing an expensive item like luxury apparel or furnishings if they can spread out their payments over time. By allowing customers to make installment payments, you may be able to enhance both sales and client loyalty. A purchase now, pay later option can help customers whose budgets have been thrown off by the spread of COVID-19. History of how BNPL became so popular Let's go back to the beginning of BNPL to learn more about its history and how it got to be what it is now. Many of these warehouse stores have also experimented with layaway and other payment plans in the past. The widespread adoption of credit cards has led to the demise of these alternatives. Many stores now provide their own credit cards and actively encourage their use at the point of sale as a means of boosting customer loyalty and increasing sales. Key features of BNPL, according to researchers, are lower transaction values and the absence of a credit check or conventional underwriting. This debt is unavailable to creditors because BNPL services do not report user activity to credit bureaus. In most cases, a 25% down payment is required at the time of purchase, with the remaining 75% divided into three equal installments due every two weeks. The buyer must authorize automatic payments using a debit or credit card in order to complete the BNPL transaction. A definition of "Buy Now, Pay Later" With Buy Now Pay Later, a client may make an immediate purchase and then pay for it in monthly payments over a short period of time. In essence, you will be granted a short-term loan, the whole amount of which must be repaid either in monthly installments or in a single payment. If you repay the loan on time, you won't have to pay any interest. Though yet in its infancy, BNPL's promising future is assured by its rapid development. Online purchases are a common reason that borrowers seek out these sorts of loans. The speed with which loans may be approved sets it apart from more traditional approaches. As long as you don't postpone payments, it won't have any effect on your credit score, which is still its largest perk. There is a plethora of BNPL service providers in India. Mobikwik, Amazon, Simpl, PayPal, Alibaba Postpaid, and Paytm Postpaid are all part of the group. Nonetheless, at this point, you're probably wondering how BNPL makes money. Exactly how does BNPL function? It's finally here. Explaining the Operation of BNPL Read on to learn how the BNPL system benefits both shoppers and stores. The shopper continues shopping as usual and proceeds to the checkout counter. BNPL begins the same way that every other online purchase does for the buyer. You go to several internet retailers, choose items, and get ready to check out. The BNPL provider the store has selected offers a buy now, pay later payment plan. The consumer can pay with BNPL, along with other payment methods like credit cards, at checkout. The borrower's credit is given a "gentle pull" by the lender. When a consumer chooses to pay using BNPL, they must provide the BNPL lender with basic identifying information (such as a full address and Social Security number). In order to ensure that the borrower would repay the loan, the lender does a mild credit check right away. Since this form of credit check is not shared with credit reporting agencies, it will not have a negative impact on credit ratings. The store must pay a fee to the BNPL provider. The BNPL provider will deduct a fee from each sale made at retail and pass the cost on to the store owner. Fees (usually 2-8%) are withheld from the amount the BNPL lender transfers to the retailer. This is analogous to the partnerships between banks and shops that enable the use of credit cards. The consumer makes payments against the outstanding debt. In most cases, BNPL sellers may waive interest charges entirely if you pay off your debt in a very short amount of time (typically 30 days). Lenders often provide a variety of payment plans, each with its own set of terms and interest rate, to clients who may require additional time to repay the principal. As is the case with credit cards, the consumer will save money on interest charges if they pay off their balance quickly. Where do BNPL businesses get their money? The next obvious question is, how does BNPL make money? Who or what is providing the funding? Earnings via retailers: BNPL provides a platform for businesses to expand their clientele and hence their revenue. As a result, customers with low balances can still make purchases. Additionally, it provides a new method of vendor compensation. As a result, they will be charged a transaction fee of 2-8% of the total purchase price. This raises a red flag for the sellers who are footing the bill for the hefty transaction costs, but the rising average order size speaks for itself. Obtaining Funds from Customers: Interest- BNPL's clientele are a significant source of revenue. Depending on the customer's credit or the length of time before the balance is paid off, some businesses impose interest rates anywhere from 10% to 30%. The borrower is responsible for paying interest on the loan if he or she extends the loan's repayment term. However, there are a select few businesses that will not assess any fees so long as the loan is repaid on time. Payment postponement - The client is responsible for the late fees if the payment is not received by the due date. It is a major source of income for BNPL enterprises. It's possible to accrue interest at a rate of 30% or more. It is the penalty for late payment, even when the consumer pledges to reimburse the remaining amount promptly. They are also interested in developing their own online marketplaces in order to generate revenue. This will allow them to boost their earnings by encouraging customers to swipe their cards more often. As a result of referring clients to their business partners, they might collect a commission. Another significant revenue stream comes from the display advertisements they host. There are several brands that use ads to boost their credibility and sales. Inevitably, there is a cost associated with running this ad. In exchange for advertising space, these companies are paid by the brands that advertise on their site. Many still have not subscribed, thus the money from this source is low. Earning money from data is the way of the future. They now have access to a wealth of personal information about you that might generate income for them in the future. This information is extremely valuable and might be transferred for monetary gain. They may put that money into expanding their business in the future. Now that we've covered BNPL firms' primary income streams, it's time to learn about BNPL's benefits. What are the benefits of “buy now pay later” for business? It may be hard for you to see how accepting this kind of payment will benefit your company. That's hardly surprising, considering the prevalence of layaway plans in retail sectors. Here are four benefits that should help you see how this payment method may be used in a business-to-business setting: Reduce cash flow stress as much as possible. If most of your cash flow is already being spent, it may be impossible to pay for new or used equipment right once. Services that allow you to make a purchase now and then make a payment at a later time can help you better manage your finances. Smaller payments can be made starting after the selling date, rather than all at once. If the equipment can be put to work generating more money, then it more or less pays for itself. Second, don't use up all of your available finance options. Do you prefer not to use your available credit at the bank? Do you wish you didn't have to use all of your company's credit? You can think of BNPL as a distinct line of credit from your other options. In this way, you won't have to worry about draining your credit account in order to get the necessary tools. Third, think about arranging a special payment plan. Do you think it would benefit your company if you could finance machinery with no money down and only interest to pay for the first six months? Instead, how about a payment plan that adjusts with the seasons? With BNPL finance, there are several flexible payment options for business-to-business transactions. The sellers and their partner lenders may surprise you with their willingness to negotiate. Fourth, shop with complete ease. There are a plethora of BNPL system sites readily available on the web. In addition to checking out items, making automated payments, and downloading data for internal reporting are also options. Inquiring about the seller's ability to offer financing at a later date never hurts. After nearly two years of navigating the effects of global economic volatility, many small businesses are on the road to recovery. But most decision-makers are aware that they require the proper equipment to do the job and bring in money. If your business is ready to take the next step but needs a financial bridge, buy now, pay later services might be the solution. Is BNPL the Best Option for Your DTC Company? In recent years, the option to finance purchases with delayed payment has skyrocketed in popularity, and it's not expected to disappear anytime soon. As more and more vendors provide this choice, not providing it might put a store at a competitive disadvantage. You should thoroughly research your potential BNPL provider and make sure you have the funds available before committing to using BNPL for your company. Verify that the supplier you're thinking about will work well with your present sales infrastructure. ...

read more