Using Data & Automation to Boost Conversions and Engagement

1. How can brands use conversion and engagement data to tailor their messaging for specific customer segments?

There are so many ways. Let’s tackle two examples at different stages of the customer journey. First, let’s address purchasers. Brands can use conversion data to send personalized post-purchase messages to recent customers designed to enhance the purchase experience. These messages might include a “thank you” email, one providing how-to or product care instructions based on their purchased items, and a customer service-oriented message.

This series of messages could be tailored based on products and purchase histories. This way, repeat shoppers are treated to a different experience than first-time customers. Post-purchase emails are under-utilized by brands, maybe because they don’t think they work. However, post-purchase messages convert nearly 15x better than scheduled campaign emails.

Another example would be for new email subscribers. Commonly, brands send the same series of welcome emails to all subscribers. However, brands can use engagement data, specifically email link clicks, to send a tailored message to different recipients.

For example, users who click on the “men’s” link in the welcome email could be sent messages featuring top-rated men’s products while those who click on the “women’s” link could be sent messages featuring top-rated women’s products. More than half the people who click on a welcome email go on to make a purchase. Generating additional clicks by sending relevant emails means additional sales.

These are two examples of ways brands can use just about any piece of data to make experiences more relevant for their customers.

2. What techniques, such as social proof or scarcity tactics, can build trust and encourage quicker purchasing decisions?

As far as building trust with consumers, I tell brands to focus on the value-adds. These include things like fast and free shipping, return policies, customer service availability, and product quality. By promoting these across the website and in emails, especially high-intent ones like cart abandonment, brands can help build consumer confidence in the brand and its products.

For encouraging quicker purchasing decisions, scarcity and social proof are powerful tools. Brands should feature top-rated products in their emails, especially in their welcome series. Featuring top-rated products helps guide users toward high-quality items, and the built-in product reviews provide consumer confidence.

Back-in-stock emails are also great messages — or even subject lines — to use to generate quick sales. These messages are effective because they combine social proof (they sold out once) with a sense of urgency (they’ll sell out again). This combination is what makes them so effective. Back-in-stock emails have a conversion rate (5.3%) nearly double that of the second-best performing email (welcome).

3. What role does automation play in converting first-time buyers into repeat customers?

A major one. In fact, automation plays a major role in converting every type of buyer. In 2024, automated emails accounted for 37% of all email marketing orders and only 2% of sends. Think about this. Nearly two of every five orders come from an automated email.

The reason they are so effective is the majority of them are sent at high-intent stages of the customer journey, whether it’s signing up for an email program, browsing products on a website, or abandoning a shopping cart. Each of these actions indicates an intent to shop.

I spoke before about creating post-purchase emails to improve the customer experience, thereby increasing the chance of retention. Automated messages play a crucial role in improving the customer journey by sending relevant messages at relevant times. Brands looking to maximize their sales should look to automated email and SMS.

That being said, not all automation is created equal. Brands should execute a welcome, product abandonment, and cart abandonment series before anything else. These messages will generate the bulk of sales. From there, I’d then move on to post-purchase and other series of messages that make sense for specific brands.

4. How can brands ensure their marketing messages remain relevant and personalized across multiple channels?

Well, automation is a start. I mentioned how these are sent at specific times based on behavior. Launching these messages will help ensure customers are receiving relevant messages. From there, it’s about using data that makes sense for each brand.

I mentioned earlier about using click data to customize welcome messages and purchase data to customize post-purchase messages. But there is virtually no limit to how brands can use data to segment their customers.

For example, brands can send different cart abandonment messages to individuals based on the cart total or their purchase history. They could combine channels for subscribers to both email and SMS programs, and customize messages for those only subscribed to one. They could send new product alerts to customers who purchased similar products in the past. Or they could send winter-related product emails to customers in cold-weather cities and beach-going products to those in warmer climates. There’s really no limits to what brands can easily do.  

If a brand chooses a single piece of data they could find a way to use it. I’d encourage brands to start small, focus on the data that matters to them and their customers, and build from there. Brands don't need data scientists to be successful. They just need a little bit of data.

5. How do customer reviews and back-in-stock alerts influence consumer behavior and decision-making?

They’re both forms of social proof, and, as we discussed, social proof is gold. Product reviews help build consumer confidence in a brand and its products. The last report on reviews I saw said that 99% of all shoppers look at product reviews. For most products, I bet this is 100% — especially for new customers shopping with a brand.

Collecting reviews is important for brands, but using them is where the magic lies. Showcasing top-rated products in email and SMS can be a sales generator, especially for shoppers new to your brand. Sending dedicated emails to shoppers who left four or five-star reviews can be a successful strategy when new products drop. Showcasing reviews in cart abandonment messages may be the nudge customers need to complete their orders, and showcasing testimonials from product reviews in your emails is a great way to promote brand value-adds.    

Use social proof everywhere you can.

6. How can businesses adapt to shifting consumer preferences for first-party communication channels over third-party platforms?

First, focus on list growth. Open rates for emails continue to increase year after year, and performance metrics remain strong — especially during peak seasons like BFCM. Consumers like first-party channels so make it easy for them to sign up. Use a website popup that collects email and mobile numbers. This will ensure all visitors, even those coming from social networks, have an opportunity to join your lists.

A word of note: be sure to make the mobile number field optional. While SMS continues to be adopted by more and more consumers, there’s nothing more frustrating for those who want to sign up for only your emails to be forced into signing up for SMS. Allow those who prefer one channel to be in one channel. 

Another way brands can adapt to this reality is to find an email provider that integrates with third-party platforms like Meta and Google. Using email, SMS, purchase, and web activity data to retarget lost shoppers with dedicated email and SMS campaigns can recapture lost customers and reduce paid retargeting costs.

When brands rely primarily on third-party channels they leave themselves vulnerable to decisions outside of their control, such as platform bans, algorithm changes, and data-sharing agreements that can drastically impact their performance and costs. First-party channels don’t face these same concerns. Brands should lean into this to create a holistic marketing program that provides relevant experiences and fosters brand-consumer relationships.