You’ll be able to say quite a bit in regards to the world of digital advertising and marketing, however you’ll be able to’t say that it’s boring.

There’s at all times one thing new to be taught; a game-changing expertise that’s turning the business on its head; or new traits and suggestions to assist hone in your individual technique that can assist you promote extra from your retailer and keep forward of the competitors. 

2022 undoubtedly hasn’t been a disappointment with regards to tech traits.

At BigCommerce, we’ve seen the world of ecommerce rising and altering quicker than ever earlier than. Lots of these traits are serving to drive the adjustments we’re seeing within the digital advertising and marketing area. 

Let’s check out three main traits we see rising (or persevering with) within the business, and the way one in every of our companions, Omnisend, might help you hone your digital methods to remain forward of the competitors. 

1. The Continued Rise of Automation

What do you consider if you see the phrase ‘automation’? If you happen to’re like most entrepreneurs, you most likely consider e-mail automation — automated nurture drips, campaigns and the like. However automation encompasses a lot extra than simply emails.

Instruments like SMS automation, chatbots and extra can all be automated to offer customers a fantastic expertise on-line — and entrepreneurs the information they crave. 

In February 2022, Ascend2 discovered that over 75% of buyer journeys have been automated to some extent. By automating increasingly processes all through the shopper journey, entrepreneurs have extra time to optimize communications, to research knowledge and to make sure that each contact level is a chance for achievement. 

Moreover, automation instruments are serving to entrepreneurs collect extra data on potential prospects, which permits for not simply extra communication, however extra significant communication. 

For instance, advertising and marketing groups can arrange deserted cart SMS alerts, inactivity emails, page-closing popups that give customers coupon codes relying on their historical past — the probabilities are countless.

As extra groups start to reap the benefits of automation, it’s clear that those that don’t might be at an obstacle sooner or later. 

2. E-mail is Nonetheless King

E-mail has lengthy performed an integral function in any digital advertising and marketing marketing campaign, however with advances in automation and data-gathering, e-mail campaigns are delivering higher outcomes now greater than ever. 

Earlier than we go any additional, it’s necessary to make a distinction between an automatic e-mail and promotional emails.

In line with Omnisend, “Promotional campaigns are one-off messages manually despatched by manufacturers, comparable to a weekly publication selling particular affords, reductions, new merchandise and different promotional-style messages.” Automated messages, however, are “messages triggered by consumer conduct, comparable to when a consumer abandons a cart, subscribes to a publication or makes a purchase order.”

The sorts of information used to ship automated e-mail messages are extraordinarily helpful for entrepreneurs. Primarily based on a consumer’s previous historical past, you’ll be able to ship emails that recommend new merchandise they could have a tendency to buy subsequent. If a consumer leaves an merchandise of their cart, you’ll be able to ship a reminder, coupon code and even a couple of associated merchandise that might praise their buy. Personalizing e-mail communication and granular messaging are crucial to any profitable digital advertising and marketing marketing campaign, and may actually assist increase your backside line. 

3. SMS Advertising is Rising in Recognition

Over the previous couple of years, a brand new tactic has emerged that has given entrepreneurs a direct line to their prospects: SMS advertising and marketing. Clients opting to offer  a model their private cellphone quantity isn’t any small activity (as if we don’t get sufficient spam on our telephones as it’s), so crafting a marketing campaign might be difficult. However accomplished proper, that problem can reap incredible rewards. 

Why has SMS advertising and marketing taken off? As a result of it offers manufacturers the power to speak to prospects who opt-in on the identical units they’re buying from. Cell commerce grew by 12.2% in 2021. The power to attach with prospects on such an intimate degree makes SMS an actual recreation changer for cellular commerce. 

“So what?” you ask. “I can already speak to my buyer on their smartphone with e-mail. What units SMS aside?” Not like a flashy e-mail that requires designed photographs and templates, SMS messages are simply that, a message alerting a buyer a few sale or an merchandise of their cart. They may also be used as half of a bigger marketing campaign, permitting entrepreneurs to ship SMS messages in between emails or different contact factors. 

However with nice energy comes nice accountability. Consider your SMS messages as a extra intimate and pressing message than an e-mail. Begin with automated messages triggered by your shopper’s conduct — then transfer into promotional messages round huge occasions, holidays or gross sales. 

Ensure your messages are beneficial to your prospects by retaining them quick and candy. 

These traits present a transparent transfer towards extra beneficial, data-driven communication between companies and their prospects.

Relating to what you are promoting, should you’re not leveraging applied sciences that enable this type of communication, you threat falling behind. That’s why we’ve partnered with Omnisend to assist present our retailers with an automation, e-mail and SMS answer that may assist them attain their prospects like by no means earlier than. 

What’s Omnisend? 

Omnisend is an ecommerce-focused e-mail and SMS advertising and marketing automation platform that’s devoted to serving to manufacturers perceive their prospects higher, to allow them to talk with them on a number of channels to extend loyalty and generate extra gross sales. 

How Does Omnisend Work? 

Omnisend goals to assist ecommerce manufacturers perceive how their contacts are progressing by the client’s journey, together with the options to assist them nudge every contact additional alongside that journey. This consists of acquisition options, comparable to popups, touchdown pages and varied signup varieties, and activation and retention comparable to campaigns and automation utilizing e-mail, SMS and push, plus segmentation for focused messaging. 

When connecting the software to your BigCommerce retailer utilizing the Omnisend integration, there’s little to arrange. You don’t should be a developer to combine the app, and automations might be created with an easy-to-use drag and drop builder. Added to its automation options, that may result in extra time saved, higher concentrating on on extra channels and higher outcomes.

What Makes Omnisend Totally different? 

Omnisend can work for companies of all sizes, from one-person run ecommerce shops to massive advertising and marketing groups in worldwide firms. Omnisend offers the identical instruments throughout the board, regardless of how huge an organization is, to allow them to present skilled, polished service to buyers and prospects. 

With its concentrate on purchaser journey, Omnisend helps educate its customers on which prospects and prospects to speak to, methods to speak to them and when. This customer-first mindset has helped them turn into the highest-rated and most-reviewed e-mail advertising and marketing app within the BigCommerce App Retailer.

On the software program score platform G2, Omnisend additionally scores a 9.2/10 for ease of use (business common is 8.6), a 9/10 for high quality of assist (business common is 8.7, and a 9.2/10 for ease of setup (business common is 8.4). 

The Ultimate Phrase

Advertising expertise and software program have boomed lately. Thanks to those advances, groups can accumulate extra knowledge, create extra related campaigns and serve them to prospects in new, thrilling methods. Utilizing automated e-mail and SMS marketing campaign instruments like Omnisend may give your advertising and marketing staff the power to speak with prospects like by no means earlier than.

Not solely that, however Omnisend additionally helps information and educate its customers to create extra related campaigns for his or her prospects, and that, in flip, will assist put them forward of the competitors. 

Able to attempt Omnisend in your ecommerce retailer? Obtain the Omnisend app at present and see for your self why it’s the highest-rated e-mail advertising and marketing app within the BigCommerce app retailer.