Alexis Kestler
Trigger marketing is an advanced technique that sends targeted, personalized messages to customers based on specific actions or events. This approach allows brands to engage users at precisely the right time to influence behavior and drive conversions.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore what trigger marketing is, types of campaigns, best practices, and examples to help you boost engagement and revenue.
What is Trigger Marketing?
Trigger marketing involves tracking user behavior in real-time and sending automated messages when someone meets predefined criteria. Triggers can be actions like:
- Visiting a certain page
- Abandoning a cart
- Making a purchase
- Clicking a link
- Downloading content
- And more
Once a trigger event occurs, the marketing platform immediately sends a relevant, personalized message via email, SMS, mobile push or in-app message.
For example, if a user browses hiking boots on your site but leaves without buying, you can send an automated abandoned cart email reminding them to complete the purchase.
The goal is to engage users based on behavior by targeting them with timely, relevant communications. This drives higher open and click-through rates compared to generic bulk emails.
According to Blueshift, triggered emails have a 497% higher click-through rate than batch campaigns. They also tout 300% more revenue per email.
When Should You Use Trigger Marketing?
Trigger marketing works for many business situations, including:
Shopping Cart Abandonment
If someone adds items to their cart but doesn‘t complete checkout, you can prompt them to return with custom emails. Remind them of the products they left behind and offer incentives to complete the purchase.
Onboarding Campaigns
When a user signs up for your app or service, send a series of helpful onboarding messages. Guide them through core features, share tips for getting started, and encourage engagement.
Win-Back Inactive Users
Track periods of user inactivity then send re-engagement campaigns if they‘ve been dormant. Give them reasons to revisit your app and highlight new features.
Cross-Sell/Upsell Opportunities
If a customer purchases from a certain category, trigger a related recommendation. Or offer add-ons and upgrades relevant to their initial purchase.
Event-Based Campaigns
Send messages around holidays, seasons, or other special occasions. Remind users to prepare for summer or take advantage of cyber week sales.
Behavioral Triggers
Observe how people interact with your platforms and target them based on usage patterns. Help guide them to new features or products they may like.
Real-Time Promotions
Offer instant, personalized promotions based on location, weather, current events, and other real-time data. Alert nearby users to flash deals or prompts based on their city.
Trigger Marketing Examples
Here are a few examples of effective trigger marketing campaigns:
Welcome Series
When someone signs up for a newsletter or creates an account, kick things off with a welcome series. Deliver tips, product recommendations, coupons, and more over their first few days.
Cart Abandonment
Remind users about items left in their cart and offer discounts or free shipping to incentivize checkout completion.
Win-Back Inactive Users
If someone hasn‘t engaged lately, send targeted messages related to their interests. For example, advertise new products or features you think they‘d like based on past activity.
Birthday Offers
Celebrate user birthdays by sending exclusive coupons or gifts. People love personalized attention on their special day.
Replenishment Reminders
For subscription services or consumable products, remind customers when it‘s time to replenish orders. You can also suggest additional products to try.
Post-Event Follow-Ups
After someone attends a webinar, downloads an ebook, or engages with a campaign, follow up with related content recommendations. Strike while interest is piqued.
How Can Trigger Marketing Help Businesses?
Trigger marketing offers many benefits compared to traditional broadcast email campaigns:
Drives More Conversions
Triggered messages result in higher open, click-through, and conversion rates thanks to timely delivery and relevance. You can turn abandoned carts into sales!
Enhances Personalization
Tailor messaging around individual behaviors and preferences for a 1:1 feel. Segmentation and customization make content resonate.
Improves Retention
Proactively engage inactive users to reactivate their interest in your brand. Smart triggers reduce churn by pulling customers back in.
Optimizes Workflows
Automate multi-step onboarding sequences, drip campaigns, and more. Triggers streamline complex customer journeys.
Increases Customer Lifetime Value
Encourage repeat purchases, cross-sells, subscriptions, and loyalty while meeting needs in real-time. Maximize CLTV with smart triggers.
Provides Valuable Insights
Gain visibility into the customer journey. Analyze how people interact and leverage this to improve experiences.
Saves Time
Let automation handle timely, relevant messaging. You don‘t have to manually oversee every step.
Overall, well-planned trigger marketing campaigns keep customers engaged, nurture relationships, and drive growth.
Types of Trigger Marketing Campaigns
There are many ways to categorize different trigger marketing tactics. Here are some of the most common types:
Behavioral Triggers
These campaigns activate based on how a user engages with your platforms. Their navigation, clicks, content views, and usage patterns inform messages.
For example, if someone is browsing backpacks on your site you can later target them with related gear recommendations even if they don‘t purchase.
Event-Based Triggers
Certain dates, holidays, seasons, or events can spark automated campaigns. Back to school, new year resolutions, spring cleaning, and more all present timely opportunities.
You can also leverage real-world events happening in a user‘s area based on location data. Think weather alerts, local concerts, and more.
Transactional Triggers
These messages relate to specific order events like purchases, shipping confirmations, delivery updates, returns, and more. Keep customers informed throughout the buyer‘s journey.
Time-Based Triggers
Messages can activate based on set durations, intervals, or dates. Wish loyal customers a happy anniversary on sign-up milestones or re-engage dormant ones.
Personal Triggers
Leverage user details like name, birthday, location, preferences, and past purchases to personalize communication. Recommend products based on past buys.
Predictive Triggers
Powerful AI tools can analyze data and patterns to predict what a user may want next. You can automatically serve up intelligent recommendations.
Get creative with combinations like sending a predictive message about abandon cart contents on a user‘s birthday for maximum impact.
When to Send Trigger Campaigns
While triggers can activate based on many factors, some ideal sending times include:
Immediate Triggers
Certain events like cart abandonment warrant real-time messaging while interest is hot. Don‘t let sales slip away—send timely reminders.
New User Sign-Ups
Welcome new subscribers instantly and begin onboarding sequences to guide users. First impressions matter.
Periods of Inactivity
If someone hasn‘t engaged recently, try to rekindle the relationship with discounts or content catered to them.
Before Expiration Dates
Remind users of upcoming subscription renewals, expiring points/credits, etc. Attempt to retain them with special offers.
Purchase or Event Anniversaries
Celebrate membership milestones and loyalty by acknowledging important dates post-signup or purchase.
Holidays and Events
Leverage seasonal opportunities around holidays, cultural events,Awareness days, and more. Time messaging around occasions.
When Products Get Re-Stocked
If something was out of stock when a user showed interest, notify them if it becomes available again.
Strategies for Trigger Marketing
To maximize results, keep these tips in mind:
Know Your Audience
Build detailed buyer personas to understand customer demographics, challenges, motivations, and interests. Tailor messaging around these insights.
Map the Buyer‘s Journey
Identify key events and pain points throughout the customer lifecycle. Set triggers to engage users at each stage—from awareness to retention.
Personalize Content
Use merge tags, transactional data, and behavioral history to make messaging relatable. Avoid one-size-fits-all blasts.
Offer Incentives
Encourage conversions by promoting discounts, flash sales, free gifts, and more around triggers.
Make Messages Actionable
Clearly state next steps and make them easy to complete. Urgency and convenience boost engagement.
Test and Optimize
Try different trigger events, messaging, timing, and offers to see what resonates most. Continuously refine campaigns.
Automate Workflows
Build seamless experiences across channels using an automation platform. Orchestrate complex journeys.
Integrate with CRM
Unify your customer data ecosystem. CRM houses intelligence to personalize marketing based on relationships.
Trigger Marketing Best Practices
Follow these best practices to get the most out of your campaigns:
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Set specific, measurable trigger events tied to clear goals. Know exactly what action will activate messaging.
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Make content ultra-relevant to trigger events. Align subject lines, offer specifics, and messaging.
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Use timely copy and visuals to convey urgency. Words like “just now” and “today only” prompt action.
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Keep messages concise. Get to the point quickly in 50 words or less. Long blocks of text get ignored.
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Limit overtriggering. Space out messages and avoid bombarding people to prevent engagement fatigue.
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Provide value with each communication—don’t just pitch products. Share useful tips and recommendations.
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Ensure seamless cross-channel experiences. Maintain personalization and continuity across email, mobile, web, etc.
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Make unsubscribing easy. Include one-click opt-out links in each message as part of respectful communication.
Tools to Get Started
Here are some top platforms for executing trigger marketing campaigns:
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Mailchimp – Email marketing platform with automated workflows and AI-powered personalization.
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Customer.io – Robust cross-channel solution focused on real-time behavioral messaging.
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Klaviyo – Data-driven omnichannel marketing platform great for ecommerce.
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Ometria – Combines real-time behavioral triggers with customer insight.
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Pushcrew – Specialized tool for web push notifications and in-app messages.
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Blueshift – Full-stack solution with predictive modeling and omnichannel orchestration.
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Braze – For real-time mobile engagement with app users at scale.
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Iterable – Omnichannel growth marketing platform with advanced segmentation.
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Autopilot – Visual journey builder with built-in CRM and analytics.
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Mixpanel – User analytics platform to uncover behavioral insights that power relevant messaging.
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Combin – Unified messaging across email, push, SMS, webhooks, and more.
Let‘s Recap
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Trigger marketing sends real-time messages based on predefined user actions and events.
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Triggers like cart abandonment or user sign-ups activate automated, personalized communication.
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Benefits include higher conversions, increased engagement, and improved personalization.
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Categories range from transactional and behavioral to date-based and predictive triggers.
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Map relevant messaging to different lifecycle stages and buyer journeys.
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Leverage tools like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and Customer.io to execute campaigns.
Now you have a complete guide to getting started with trigger marketing! You understand what this approach entails, top use cases, proven strategies, and platforms to help you connect with customers in a timely, meaningful way.
The key is identifying your ideal trigger events, crafting relevant messaging, and using technology to deploy outreach automatically at scale.
With the right foundations, you can engage audiences when they‘re primed to take action while nurturing lasting relationships over time. Triggers provide a powerful way to boost conversions and build customer lifetime value.
