Dotdigital is a powerful marketing automation platform that empowers ecommerce brands to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Here’s why Dotdigital’s ecommerce personalization features are a perfect fit for your business:

Create seamless cross-channel experiences

Today’s customers expect a consistent experience across all touchpoints, from website visits to emails and Today’s customers expect a consistent experience across all touchpoints, from website visits to emails and mobile apps. Whether they’re browsing your website, opening your marketing emails, or engaging with your mobile apps, the interactions should feel cohesive and personalized. 

With Dotdigital, you can design and create personalized campaigns that resonate across multiple channels—so that your messaging aligns perfectly. You can seamlessly integrate email marketing with an intuitive editor and dynamic content, utilize SMS messaging for direct mobile engagement, create personalized website experiences, and implement social media retargeting through Facebook and Google. 

Here’s how Dotdigital helps you create cross-channel experiences:

• Email: Create personalized email campaigns on Dotdigital and tailor messages based on customer behavior and preferences.
• SMS: Utilize direct mobile engagement for time-sensitive offers or important updates, reaching customers instantly.
• WhatsApp: Leverage this popular messaging platform for more personal, conversational customer interactions.
• Live chat: Provide real-time support and personalized recommendations directly on your website.
• Push notifications: Send targeted alerts to mobile devices, keeping customers informed about relevant offers or updates.
• Social media: Implement retargeting through platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Google, reinforcing your messaging across different touchpoints.

Imagine a customer receiving an email showcasing a product they recently viewed on your website, followed a short time later by a targeted push notification about a special offer for that same item via your mobile app. This kind of experience not only captures the customer’s attention but also drives them toward a purchase, significantly enhancing conversion rates. 

“Dotdigital allows you to do pretty much anything you need for email marketing. You can create programs, one-off email campaigns, and there is a lot of personalization. I use Dotdigital every day in my work life. Whenever there is something I’m unsure about, I can use the live chat function to speak to someone within minutes. Everything was easy to set up and integrate into our existing marketing.”

– Leon McKenzie, Copywriter – Pass Me Fast 

Website personalization made easy

With Dotdigital, you can create customized website content that’s tailored to your shopper’s preferences. This personalization ensures that your visitors are presented with the most relevant products and offers. 

Here’s how Dotdigital’s Fresh Relevance can elevate your ecommerce strategy:

• On-site popovers: Show targeted messages or offers based on user behavior, like exit-intent popovers or welcome messages for new visitors.
• Dynamic content: Create personalized, real-time content based on user data, preferences, and browsing history.
• Behavioral targeting: Customize the user experience using customer data, real-time actions, and historical behavior on your site.
• Website optimization: Continuously enhance your site’s performance and user experience through A/B testing and data-driven insights.

Let’s say your customer frequently buys skincare products. When they visit your website, Dotdigital can dynamically create compelling web content personalized to their interests. This might include showcasing new skincare arrivals, offering bundle deals on their favorite brands, or providing personalized skincare tips. 

This tailored approach not only enhances the customer experience but also drives upselling and cross-selling opportunities, boosting your average order value and fostering customer loyalty.

“Dotdigital has been an absolute game-changer for our marketing efforts. Their database management system is robust and user-friendly, and the automation creation tools are intuitive and incredibly powerful. I’ve also been impressed by their seamless external data integration, which has made our campaigns more personalized and effective.”

– Lewis Yoole – Ecommerce – Lowes Manhattan

Target smarter, not harder

PePersonalization isn’t just a trend; it’s a necessity. To truly connect with your audience, you need to understand them on a deeper level. Segmentation is the key to achieving this. By dividing your customer base into smaller, more targeted groups, you can deliver highly relevant and impactful marketing messages that resonate.

Dotdigital empowers you to segment your audience with precision. With Dotdigital, you can easily categorize your audience into different segments based on a variety of criteria, such as demographics, purchase history, engagement levels, or interests.

Here’s how Dotdigital’s smart targeting can revolutionize your ecommerce strategy:

• Precision segmentation: Easily categorize your audience based on various criteria, including demographics, purchase history, engagement levels, and interests.
• Dynamic segments: Create segments that automatically update as customer data changes, ensuring your targeting remains accurate and timely.
• Behavioral targeting: Tailor your messaging based on specific customer actions, such as abandoned carts or product views.
• A/B testing: Easily test different segmentation strategies to optimize your targeting approach.

For example, let’s say you’re launching a new line of eco-friendly products. Instead of sending a generic email blast to your entire list, you can target environmentally-conscious customers who have previously purchased similar items. By tailoring your message to their specific interests, you can increase the likelihood of conversions and foster stronger customer relationships.

“The platform helps create personalized, multi-channel campaigns with great segmentation and data insights. The drag-and-drop editor makes designing emails simple, and the reporting tools provide valuable performance insights. Overall, it’s a comprehensive solution for effective marketing.”

– Luis Morton, Marketing Manager – Global Insight Conferences

Personalized product recommendations

Dotdigital’s product recommendations analyze customer data to suggest products that perfectly align with individual preferences and purchase history. This intelligent feature not only boosts sales but also significantly enhances customer satisfaction by presenting items tailored to each shopper’s interests.

Here’s how Dotdigital’s product recommendations can transform your ecommerce strategy:

• Personalized product discovery: For customers who often buy the same item, Dotdigital’s AI can review their browsing and purchase history to recommend complementary products.
• Strategic placement: Dotdigital helps you to position recommendations throughout your site, from product pages to shopping carts, ensuring they are highly visible and relevant.
• Dynamic recommendations: The AI adjusts in real-time, refreshing suggestions based on the customer’s current browsing session.
• Cross-selling and upselling: By recommending related or higher-end products, Dotdigital helps boost average order value and introduces customers to a wider selection of your catalog.
• Social proof integration: Pair AI recommendations with social proof elements like ‘customers also bought’ or ‘trending now’ to enhance trust and create a sense of urgency.

Dotdigital creates a shopping experience that feels tailored and intuitive—much like having a knowledgeable sales associate guiding each customer. This level of personalization drives immediate sales and also creates long-term customer relationships, transforming one-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers.so fosters long-term customer relationships, transforming one-time buyers into loyal, repeat customers.

Unify your martech stack

Dotdigital seamlessly integrates with a wide range of marketing tools and platforms, simplifying your marketing efforts and empowering you to deliver a truly unified customer experience. It makes connecting with your existing technology stack easy.

By linking Dotdigital with your CRM, ecommerce platform, and other marketing tools, you achieve a complete 360-degree view of your customers. Whether you’re using popular platforms like Shopify, Magento, or Salesforce, or other industry-specific tools, Dotdigital’s extensive integration capabilities lets you create a unified martech ecosystem tailored to your specific needs. This integrated strategy allows you to run seamless cross-channel campaigns with ease.

Optimize your performance with data-driven insights

Data is key to successful personalization. With Dotdigital’s comprehensive suite of commerce marketing reporting dashboards, you can monitor campaign performance, pinpoint areas to improve, and fine-tune your personalization strategies to achieve better results.

Dotdigital’s retail, customer, and opportunities dashboards provide your team with actionable insights to boost store revenue. You can keep an eye on key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, while also tracking ROI through revenue attribution.

The platform helps you to look at customer behavior and preferences, find marketing opportunities at the contact level, and create new target audience lists directly from your data reports. This data-driven approach allows you to sharpen your personalization strategies, spot trends, and get improved outcomes across all your marketing initiatives.

First-class support

Dotdigital is dedicated to delivering exceptional support that goes beyond basic customer assistance. We offer a comprehensive support package designed to empower your marketing team and drive growth, distinguishing us from other ecommerce personalization services.

At the heart of Dotdigital’s support offerings is our industry-leading 24/7 phone support, with an average response time of just 20 seconds, as well as live chat support that responds within one minute. This ensures you receive prompt assistance whenever you need it. Additionally, Dotdigital provides specialized training, creative support, and access to a network of top-tier service partners to enhance your marketing efforts and maximize your return on investment.

Depending on your package, you may be assigned a dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM) who will act as a trusted advisor. They will work closely with you to understand your unique business goals and help you fully leverage Dotdigital’s capabilities.

Whether you need assistance with implementation, have questions about features, or require strategic advice, Dotdigital’s knowledgeable support staff is prepared to provide the help you need to efficiently and effectively achieve your marketing objectives.

“Working with Dotdigital’s Professional Services team, Nutri Advanced has created a very successful fully automated four-stage email engagement program.”

– The Nutri Advanced team 

Choose Dotdigital today

Are you ready to take your ecommerce business to the next level with personalization? Dotdigital is here to help. With our robust ecommerce personalization platform, you can craft tailored experiences that enhance customer engagement, increase sales, and build lasting relationships.

Making mobile messaging as easy as email

Mobile marketing is an essential element of any cross-channel marketing mix.  This year we provided marketers more tools to reach their customers more effectively on their favorite devices.  

It can be hard to find the perfect message in 160 words. That’s why we rolled out the WinstonAI features you know and love for email out to SMS, too.  To save time when creating an SMS campaign, you now have the option to have WinstonAI perform a spelling and grammar check, add emojis, rewrite your copy in a different tone, and shorten or lengthen your copy. 

SMS personalization leaped forward with the introduction of Liquid script, a flexible and dynamic markup language that enables creating highly personalized and targeted content in SMS campaigns. Now, you can use Insight data like order and booking details to create highly personalized experiences going far beyond basic contact data.

Our MMS functionality officially launched for customers in the United States and Canada, delivering impressive results. Companies like ScentAir reported an impressive ROI of 28:1 on when using MMS. MMS offers various benefits, such as enhanced engagement with multimedia content, higher conversion rates, improved brand recognition, and a better customer experience.

We also improved existing integrations with the likes of Adobe Commerce, Hyvä themes, and Zapier, to make mobile syncing as seamless as email.

And we’re not stopping there. To help marketers build deeper connections through mobile messaging, watch out early next year for full details of our native WhatsApp capability. This will include self-service campaign management, two-way chat, user-friendly editing, and much more.

Seamless cross-channel personalization

Our Fresh Relevance platform gives you access to all of the tools you could ever need to ensure that the journey of a prospect or customer is highly personalized and engaging across web and email.

It allows you to create a customized experience for your audience before you even know their name, by leveraging their behavior, location, weather, and price preferences. 

With the Advanced Personalization pack, Dotdigital customers can access this powerful functionality more easily than ever:

• Countdown timers to help add urgency to your promotions and limited-time offers to encourage immediate action.
• Weather tools to allow even more personalized email content based on real-time weather conditions in the recipient’s area.
• Website easy-editor to quickly and easily customize your website’s appearance, layout, and messaging.
• Image personalization supporting the delivery of tailored images reflecting individual preferences, contributing to an engaging visual experience.
• Advanced popovers which enhance the user experience with personalized pop-over messages and banners.
• Advanced product recommendations, providing users with highly relevant product suggestions to boost conversions and sales.

Dynamic social media integrations

Consumer expectations are higher than ever, so it’s important that you reach them on their preferred channels.

Our focus on integrating with additional platforms and channels continued throughout 2024, with a number of new integrations including LinkedIn and TikTok.

Maximizing the potential audience reach on social media platforms is vital for a successful marketing strategy. Dotdigital’s integrations with LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms and TikTok enable you to create highly personalized campaigns to maximize your ROI.

With LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, you can easily capture leads by pre-filling LinkedIn profile information, resulting in high conversion rates due to the detailed, company-related data provided. Our integration enables seamless syncing of these leads with Dotdigital, so you can follow up and drive conversions through targeted campaigns.

The TikTok integrations opened up possibilities to engage with over 1 billion users worldwide. With the TikTok leads integration, valuable leads can be automatically synced from TikTok to Dotdigital and segmented based on user interests. Our TikTok audience retargeting feature allows you to create hyper-personalized ads by syncing and targeting your most engaged Dotdigital contacts, optimizing your TikTok ad spend.

We also rolled out new ways to help you engage your customers on whatever channel you prefer. With self-service webhooks, you can programmatically push data from Dotdigital to other platforms to create your own bespoke customer journey, whether that’s to your CRM or to fuel a direct mail campaign.

Sharpen your skills with the Dotdigital Academy

Acknowledging the ever-increasing demands on marketers, we launched the Dotdigital Academy to empower our customers to stay on top of industry trends and improve their overall marketing skills. This learning platform covers a wide range of on-demand topics, from campaign creation and automation to analytics and industry best practices.

The Dotdigital Academy lets you learn at your own pace and offers courses tailored to your specific needs and interests. Whether you’re a beginner looking to enhance your marketing prowess or an experienced professional seeking to refine your skills, the Academy has the resources to help you excel. 

As we continually expand the Academy with new courses and certifications, you can stay ahead and unlock your full potential as a marketer.

You asked, we listened

As always, we listen carefully to customer and partner feedback. This year we’ve taken this on board to launch a number of most-requested improvements to help make the day-to-day that little bit easier for marketers.

These time savers include:

• Easily excluding a segment at the point of sending an email
• A quick-find search bar in settings
• Mobile push notifications included in your CXDP allowance – unlocking an extra channel at no extra cost
• Dozens of new verified, quality-assured partner integrations (check out our new and improved partner directory here)
• Easier and deeper reporting on the things that matter, like revenue attribution

Got an idea? Let us know via our roadmap page and it might appear on this blog next year.

Dive deeper

In this article, we’ve just given a snapshot of all the new releases from this year. For a full overview, check out our release summary blogs:

• February 2024 release
• May 2024 release
• September 2024 release
• November 2024 release

What’s next?

Our product team is busy as ever working on new ways to help marketers achieve more through their cross-channel marketing campaigns in 2025. As always, you can find details of our upcoming launches on our public facing roadmap. We’re excited to work together and be part of your success in 2025 and beyond.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Black Friday evolution

Initially Black Friday was only a holiday in the USA, marking the day after Thanksgiving. Research now shows that globally, 95% of consumers are aware of Black Friday, with the USA still leading at 97%.

Remember when Black Friday was the big day for in-store sales and Cyber Monday was the day for online stores? Now, Black Friday is the big event across the board and Cyber Monday feels like more of a last chance saloon offering the same or weaker promotions – with the added element of dwindling stock, of course.

On the Dotdigital platform, Cyber Monday email send volumes were down by 17.8% compared to Black Friday – proving that Black Friday itself is where marketers and consumers are focusing.

BFCM is a big deal here at Dotdigital, we know how important this time is for our customers so it means all hands on deck to ensure everything runs smoothly. This means our Customer Service team need to be alert and ready to help, and our servers need to be ready to handle the uplift – and there was quite the uplift.

An upward trend

We always expect a busier time over the BFCM weekend and throughout the entire month of November. To add some context, this year the number of emails sent in November was 13.6% higher than total emails sent in October.

Despite the term ‘Black Friday fatigue’ being thrown around over the years, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – at least for marketers. On Black Friday alone, our platform sent out over 365 million emails.

Black Friday saw the highest number of emails sent and beat last year’s record with emails sent on Black Friday itself up 7.7% YoY.

Total email sends over the BFCM weekend were up 15% on 2023, and SMS sends were up a huge 22% – we’ve been saying SMS is a channel on the up.

How AI is assisting marketers during BFCM

To speed up our response time to busy (and likely stressed out) customers in need of support, we employed AI to answer direct queries where suitable on our live chat function. Doing this cuts down on waiting time for our customers and frees up our team to answer more complex queries.

We’re pleased to report this was a success and over the BFCM weekend, 204 queries were immediately answered by our live chat AI. We know AI isn’t for everyone or every situation, so for anyone wanting or needing to speak to a human, they only needed to wait 84 seconds before being connected to a member of our friendly Support Team.

As well as our live chat AI, the Dotdigital platform has inbuilt generative AI in the form of WinstonAI to offer support to marketers from within the campaign builder.

Interestingly, when looking at the four days that comprise the BFCM weekend, Cyber Monday saw the highest use of our generative AI tools. This included use of WinstonAI’s subject line assistant, grammar check, and copy rephrase. It’s safe to say that by Cyber Monday, marketers were tired and out of witty copy ideas – we totally feel you.

The most important number

All of these numbers are encouraging from a marketer’s point of view. It demonstrates that the holiday many businesses rely on for sales is showing no signs of slowing. Every one million emails sent produces the equivalent emissions to charging your smart phone over 14,000 times. That’s for one million, and our platform alone sent 823 million over the BFCM weekend.

That’s a lot of emissions – thank goodness we’re carbon neutral. You can read more about our sustainability pledge, including our commitment to become net-zero by 2030 here. We value marketing, but not at the cost of the planet – we’re proud to recognize the bigger picture, always.

Caring about and actively working to mitigate the ongoing climate crisis is something that matters to today’s consumers. By using green suppliers such as Dotdigital, you can prove to your customers that you align with their values. If you’re a Dotdigital customer, be sure to shout about the fact your emails are carbon neutral – just chat to your Customer Success Manager for help adding this information to your email footers.

Partnering with Dotdigital makes achieving sustainability goals easier and one less thing to worry about, whilst doing right for the planet.

Until next year.

Methodology

Figures for this Black Friday debrief came from data pulled from the Dotdigital platform from 00:00 on Friday, November 29 to 23:59 on Monday, December 2. This data includes insights from over 40 industries to provide a comprehensive representation of the BFCM weekend around the globe.

AI summaries and diversification of the search landscape are indicators that the way we find and digest content online is changing. It’s become increasingly important for marketers to stay on top of regulatory and industry changes as the impacts of these are poised to be more far-reaching and immediately impactful than we’ve experienced to date. ‘Knowledge is power’ rings true in today’s digital age.

Personalization Renaissance

The future of marketing lies in personalization. You’ve probably heard that before. But 2025 is set to be defined by something of a personalization renaissance with the driving force of this revival being data. 

The amount of data on the internet is measured in zettabytes (with 1 zettabyte being equivalent to one trillion gigabytes – or 22 billion DVDs for the millennials amongst us). The internet reached 1 zettabyte back in 2016. In 2024, this amount of data is projected to be 147 zettabytes, having doubled in just four years. Clearly there is no shortage of data here, but sheer volumes of data alone won’t deliver better customer experiences.

Case in point; our recently released cross-channel marketing report, Hitting the Mark, uncovered that there is a worldwide data disconnect. Businesses achieved a very conservative 22% for their data collection practices, whilst achieving a lowly 8% for their ability to convert that data into personalized experiences. 

Personalization can be hard because whilst many brands are sitting on heaps of data, it’s often in a state that I like to call nearly useful. And nearly useful is pretty useless to marketers. 

Marketers will drive the shift towards owned data

Despite Google’s cookie-shaped u-turn earlier this year, the move away from third-party data continues. Marketers will reap benefits from employing more responsible data collection practices, with a focus on owned and earned data. 

There will also be greater transparency in the data collection process, with businesses more overtly communicating how data will be used responsibly and to improve the customer experience. The same goes for AI, consumers increasingly want transparency as to whether they are interacting with a bot or a human. 

Brands will need to embrace a zero-and first-party approach to data. This will help them take control of their data and drive personalized experiences. Earned data is where AI can play a significant part. Starting from good data foundations, opens up the door to predictive analytics, where brands can anticipate customer desires and preferences based on historical data. 

This moments-based marketing approach will be crucial for driving conversions and fostering long-lasting customer relationships. By tailoring interactions to specific moments in the customer journey, brands can deliver highly relevant and engaging experiences.

The future of customer engagement lies in delivering seamless and hyper-personalized experiences across all marketing channels. Whether it’s through a text message, email, social media, or a mobile app, customers expect a consistent and tailored experience. This evolution in personalization is not merely a trend; it’s a fundamental shift in how brands interact with their customers.

Hybrid retail

While the convenience of online shopping has become undeniable, consumers still crave the sensory and social aspects of in-person interactions. A study of 4,000 consumers found that generation alpha and baby boomers, each on opposite ends of the generational spectrum, were the only two generations to favor in-store to online shopping. 

Physical stores can serve as more than just retail outlets. By transforming them into community hubs, brands can foster deeper connections with customers. In-person events, workshops, and masterclasses offer opportunities for personalized interactions and memorable experiences. 

These gatherings not only drive brand loyalty but also generate invaluable opportunities for user-generated content. Brands need to think about how they make their physical presence instagrammable and tiktokable, allowing consumers to make the connection between the physical and digital themselves. 

To replicate the personalized touch of in-store interactions, brands can leverage technology to create immersive online experiences. Virtual try-on technology empowers customers to visualize products on themselves, reducing uncertainties and boosting confidence. This innovation enhances the online shopping journey, leading to higher conversion rates and fewer returns.

By creating seamless cross-channel experiences, marketers can cater to the evolving needs and preferences of modern consumers. This hybrid model offers the best of both worlds: the convenience of online shopping coupled with the sensory and social aspects of in-store experiences. 

Commercialization of AI

In 2025, we’ll see AI personalization become even more deeply woven into the fabric of everyday platforms and applications. This widespread integration will bring AI to a broader audience and create entirely new opportunities for marketers.

This widespread adoption will be driven by AI’s ability to provide a level of personalization that was previously unimaginable. For marketers, this means a shift away from one-size-fits-all strategies toward more sophisticated, data-driven campaigns that deliver content to the right person at the right time.

Imagine a future where your favorite book app evolves into a highly personalized reading companion. By examining your reading history, preferences, and even your current mood (gleaned from your device usage), AI algorithms can create a reading list specifically designed for you. Say goodbye to standard recommendations; instead, you’ll uncover hidden treasures and revisit forgotten classics, all made possible by the power of AI.

AI is maturing

AI has moved beyond the hype and is set to further transform the marketing landscape as it changes how consumers search, find, and interact with content online. 

Google’s search domination will be shaken

The world of search engines is changing fast thanks to new implementations of AI. By 2025, we’re expecting things to heat up even more between big players like Google, ChatGPT Search, and Bing Chat, offering a more conversational and interactive search experience.

Google has also rolled out new features like AI Overviews. These AI-generated summaries give you quick, relevant info on complicated topics, making searching a whole lot easier and more satisfying.

Meanwhile, other AI-driven search engines, like Chat GPT Search, are starting to gain traction. With advanced natural language processing, these platforms give you direct answers, changing the way we engage with search results. They offer a chatty, interactive way of searching that feels different from the usual list of links.

This whole shift toward AI in search is going to shake things up for digital marketing in a number of ways:

1. SEO changes: Marketers will have to rethink their SEO strategies and focus more on optimizing for those AI summaries and conversational search queries.
2. Content strategy: There will be a bigger push for crafting detailed, authoritative content that can be picked up by AI for those summaries.
3. Paid ads: The way paid search ads work might change as AI starts influencing which results get the spotlight.

As 2025 progresses, we can expect a search landscape that’s more diverse and competitive. Google’s got a solid foundation with its data and infrastructure, but it will need to keep innovating to stay on top whilst AI challengers continue to emerge.

Human oversight in AI

AI is a powerful tool that excels at automating routine tasks, but when it comes to creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking, human input remains irreplaceable.

Take Coca-Cola’s AI-generated Christmas ad, for example. Although the ad was technically sound—featuring polished visuals and a catchy soundtrack—it fell short in capturing the emotional depth and authentic brand spirit traditionally associated with Coca-Cola’s holiday campaigns. The ad failed to show the warmth and nostalgia that audiences expect during the festive season.

Marketers should aim to blend human creativity with AI technology. While AI can generate content quickly, it often lacks the nuanced understanding and creativity that human writers provide. By leveraging AI for initial drafts, marketers can save time and focus on polishing the content to align with their brand’s voice, tone, and messaging. 

Additionally, AI-generated content typically requires fact-checking, editing, and optimization to meet the high standards needed for search engine rankings. By combining the efficiency of AI with the expertise of human writers, marketers can produce high-quality content that resonates with their audience and drives results.

Social media evolution

As 2025 progresses, social media platforms are expected to continue evolving rapidly, with significant shifts towards short-form video content, direct messaging, and the emergence of new platforms. Marketers will need to adapt by diversifying their social media presence and investing in innovative ways to engage with customers.

WhatsApp will become the channel of choice for direct engagement

WhatsApp is emerging as a leading platform in “dark social,” a term used to describe social sharing that happens outside of traditional social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This means that conversations and interactions on WhatsApp are often private and not publicly visible.

This unique characteristic offers brands a powerful opportunity to connect with customers on a one-to-one level. By leveraging WhatsApp, businesses can bypass traditional marketing channels and directly engage with their audience. This personalized approach fosters stronger customer relationships, driving higher levels of trust and loyalty.

With its vast user base and intuitive interface, WhatsApp is poised to become the primary channel for direct customer service. By providing real-time support and personalized assistance, brands can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The platform’s instant messaging capabilities allow for quick resolution of issues, enhancing the overall customer experience. By responding to inquiries in real-time, brands can significantly cut down on wait times and make customers feel appreciated.

Moreover, the use of chatbots can address common questions at any time, while more complicated matters can be easily passed on to human representatives. This blend of automation and personal interaction guarantees that customers receive prompt and relevant assistance.

Marketers can use the channel to share rich media content, including images, videos, and documents. Visual content helps customers make informed decisions and provides a more engaging shopping experience. This visual personalization allows you to:

1. Showcase products with high-quality images directly in the chat window
2. Provide detailed visual instructions or product demonstrations
3. Use GIFs or images to highlight new arrivals based on a customer’s browsing history

WhatsApp enables brands to enhance customer relationships by sending easy referral links after positive experiences. By encouraging happy customers to share the brand with their network, businesses can tap into new leads and continue to cultivate their existing customer connections. Note that WhatsApp has rules around what type of messages can be initiated by businesses which requires pre-approval of templated messages. 

The diversification of TikTok’s audience

TikTok’s influence is on the rise, moving beyond its early image as a hub for viral dances to become a significant platform for marketers aiming to engage a wide-ranging, multi-generational audience. While Gen Z remains a key demographic, recent statistics show that TikTok’s user base is broadening to include older generations, with Gen X now making up about 28% of users.

This demographic shift offers a unique opportunity for B2B brands to utilize TikTok for sharing informative and educational content. As Gen X users look for valuable insights, they seek practical information that can enhance both their personal and professional lives. This includes educational materials such as quick tips, life hacks, and career-focused resources that help them manage their busy schedules and promote professional growth.

By sharing industry-specific knowledge, brands can effectively meet the needs of older users while aligning with TikTok’s evolving content landscape. This strategy not only meets the needs of older users but also fits well with TikTok’s changing content landscape.

At the same time, Gen Z’s increasing presence in the workforce makes TikTok an excellent platform for brands to enhance their reputation among young professionals. By providing career-oriented content, skill development resources, and insights into industry trends, brands can establish themselves as essential partners in the professional growth of this emerging workforce.

To effectively engage this diverse audience, brands should:

• Create authentic, relatable content that appeals to various age groups
• Develop informative videos that deliver real value to professionals across generations
• Highlight company culture and behind-the-scenes glimpses to humanize the brand
• Use TikTok’s features like duets and challenges to foster user engagement
• Partner with industry influencers to broaden reach and enhance credibility

By embracing TikTok’s expanding influence and tailoring content strategies for a multi-generational audience, B2B brands can significantly boost their reputation, attract top talent, and forge meaningful connections with both current and future business decision-makers.

New data regulations and privacy laws

The marketing landscape is undergoing significant changes, driven by evolving data privacy regulations and rapid advancements in technology. As new laws emerge globally, marketers are under increasing pressure to prioritize data privacy. This means ensuring compliance while also maintaining customer trust. Failing to adapt to these changes could leave brands struggling to navigate an increasingly complex environment.

Our CMO Tracker has pinpointed two primary challenges: disruptive technology (33%) and data privacy (32%). As we move toward 2025, these issues are becoming more intertwined, underscoring the urgent need for integrated solutions that address both.

To remain competitive in this fast-evolving landscape, marketers need to adjust their strategies. 

One of the simplest ways to achieve this is by streamlining their martech stacks. By focusing on data privacy, investing in strong technology, and staying updated with industry trends, marketers can effectively navigate these challenges and drive business success.

How Dotdigital can help

Dotdigital, a customer experience and data platform (CXDP), is here to help you navigate this complex landscape. Our comprehensive suite of tools empowers you to deliver personalized customer experiences across multiple channels.

With Dotdigital, you can:

• Personalize customer journeys: Leverage AI-powered insights to create tailored experiences that resonate with each individual customer, from personalized product recommendations to targeted marketing campaigns.
• Master WhatsApp marketing: Build deeper connections with your customers through two-way WhatsApp messaging, offering instant support, personalized promotions, and timely updates.
• Retarget your customers on TikTok(and more): Utilize TikTok leads and audiences to capture valuable customer data directly from the platform, enabling you to retarget potential customers with highly personalized ads. 
• Streamline your martech stack: Integrate Dotdigital seamlessly with your existing marketing tools to optimize your workflow and improve efficiency.

By choosing Dotdigital, you’ll be equipped to thrive in the ever-changing marketing landscape and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Prepare your marketing strategy for 2025

As 2025 progresses, we expect trends in AI, personalization, and industry regulations to keep us on our toes and continue to affect the marketing landscape. By taking control of data, operating a policy of transparency and authenticity, and thinking progressively about your channel mix, brands will be better equipped to deliver better customer experiences and drive meaningful results from their marketing.

In this ultimate guide to cross-channel personalization, we will explore effective strategies and tools that can help you deliver tailored experiences that resonate with your audience.

Whether you aim to boost engagement, increase sales, or build lasting customer relationships, understanding the principles of cross-channel personalization is essential for transforming your customer experience.

What is cross-channel personalization?

Cross-channel personalization goes beyond just sending personalized emails. It’s about crafting a seamless and cohesive experience that connects with customers across all platforms—be it email, SMS, website, mobile apps, or even in-store interactions.

By leveraging customer data and past interactions, you can deliver experiences that are relevant and engaging for each individual. This could mean recommending products based on their purchase history, sending targeted promotions through their preferred channels, or providing personalized support based on their past inquiries.

Key strategies for effective personalization

Here are some key strategies you can use to kick off your personalization strategy: 

Data collection

Collecting and analyzing customer data is important for understanding your audience. You can collect zero-party and first-party data to gather valuable insights directly from your customers. 

Zero-party data is information that customers voluntarily share with a brand. This can include preferences, interests, and feedback. You can build trust and gather highly relevant data by proactively asking customers for their input.

First-party data is collected from email clicks, your website, or an app. It includes information such as browsing behavior, purchase history, and demographics. Implementing a simple script on your website can quickly enable you to collect this data. With a solid data collection strategy in place, you can harness the potential of cross-channel personalization. 

Data analysis

After collecting important data, the following step is to perform a thorough analysis. By unifying data from across your CRM, ecommerce store, automation platform, and more, you can gain clear insight into your customers’ preferences and behaviors.

The expansion of AI functionality in recent years means it’s easier than ever to analyze data and create bespoke customer experiences. You can use predictive analytics to make educated guesses about your customer behavior. 

This includes when your customers are most likely to purchase again or to identify those who are at risk of churning. This enables you to deliver timely and personalized recommendations that drive customer engagement and boost sales.

Customer segmentation and targeting

Once you have a solid understanding of your customers, it’s time to segment them into smaller, more targeted groups. A powerful method for customer segmentation is eRFM (engagement, recency, frequency, monetary) customer modeling. This method provides a comprehensive view of your customer’s value and potential.

By tailoring your messaging to specific segments, you can deliver more relevant and impactful content. For example, you might send personalized product recommendations to frequent shoppers or offer exclusive discounts to first-time buyers.

Creating a consistent brand voice

A consistent brand voice is essential for building trust and recognition. This means using the same tone, style, and language across all your marketing channels. Develop clear brand guidelines that outline your brand’s personality, values, and messaging. By adhering to these guidelines, you can ensure that your brand’s voice is consistent and authentic, no matter the platform.

How to personalize across channels

Cross-channel personalization is all about creating a smooth and consistent experience for customers across different platforms. Here are some effective strategies to make every interaction feel personal and customized.

Cross-channel coupons

Using cross-channel coupons is a great way to enhance engagement and drive sales at various touchpoints. Set up a unified coupon system that generates and tracks offers seamlessly across all channels.

Each coupon can be tailored to a customer’s behavior and their current stage in the buying journey. For example, a new visitor to your website might encounter a pop-up inviting them to share their email in exchange for a discount for first-time customers.

On the other hand, a returning customer could receive a targeted email featuring a different discount to encourage another purchase. If you operate a physical store, think about using QR codes to connect your physical and digital channels, making it easy for customers to redeem their coupons.

Product recommendations

Imagine walking into a store and being greeted by a sales associate who presents you with exactly what you’ve been looking for. Personalized product recommendations can replicate this experience. By analyzing user behavior across various channels, you can create a list of tailored product suggestions.

Whether customers are browsing your mobile app or checking out your website, presenting them with relevant items boosts the chances of conversion. The key is to keep your recommendations current and responsive to their evolving preferences and needs.

Dynamic content

Dynamic content can tailor your message based on the viewer. By updating visuals and messages in real time according to user preferences, you ensure that what you present remains relevant.

From email newsletters to website banners and app interfaces, personalized experiences can significantly boost user engagement. Dynamic content keeps the experience fresh, making customers feel that every interaction is uniquely theirs.

Recently browsed

Helping users continue from where they left off is a powerful strategy. Displaying recently browsed items across different channels serves as a convenient reminder of what caught their interest, simplifying their buying decisions.

If they checked out a new pair of sneakers on their desktop or explored some gadgets through your mobile app, showcasing these items during subsequent visits or on other platforms can gently encourage them to make a purchase.

Social proof

Incorporating social proof into your cross-channel strategy can greatly enhance your success. A study by Trustpilot has shown that 66% of customers are more likely to purchase a product when they see evidence of social proof, making it an essential tool for brands.

However, our Hitting the Mark research indicates that only 19% of brands feature user-generated content (UGC) and reviews on their home pages, while only 26% utilize social proof on conversion pages. Displaying reviews, ratings, and testimonials throughout all interactions with your brand fosters trust and encourages customer action.

Seeing a thumbs-up from a friend or reading a glowing customer review on an item they’ve been eyeing can significantly influence users’ purchasing decisions. Integrate these elements seamlessly into emails, apps, and websites, ensuring customers encounter positive feedback at every touchpoint.

Push notifications

Push notifications can serve as a helpful reminder that encourages browsing to turn into purchases. Customize these messages to add value, whether it’s a nudge about an abandoned cart or a special offer tailored to previous purchases.

It’s important that these notifications resonate with user interests and behaviors, ensuring that customers stay engaged without feeling bombarded. Striking the right balance is essential—provide helpful updates that come across as a friendly reminder instead of unwanted spam.

Examples of successful cross-channel personalization

Let’s explore two real-world examples of brands that have effectively implemented cross-channel personalization:

Blue Sea Holidays

Blue Sea Holidays has optimized and automated customer engagement across email and website channels by leveraging the combined power of Dotdigital and Fresh Relevance. The company created personalized and visually appealing emails using Dotdigital’s email builder and utilized Fresh Relevance’s AI-driven capabilities for dynamic content personalization.

The personalization strategy includes:

1. AI-powered email recommendations: Fresh Relevance’s AI personalizes each email with specific recommendations based on the destination page the customer visited.
2. Seamless email delivery: Dotdigital ensures that these personalized emails are delivered efficiently while maintaining an attractive design.
3. Social proof: The emails incorporate valuable information such as “People like you browse” and “People like you buy,” leveraging social proof to enhance engagement and conversions.
4. Dynamic website content: Visitors to the Blue Sea Holidays website experience personalized content, with recommendations and offers tailored to their preferences and behavior.

By implementing this cross-channel personalization approach, Blue Sea Holidays has created a cohesive and relevant experience for their customers across both email and website touchpoints. 

Neal’s Yard Remedies

Neal’s Yard Remedies effectively enhanced its cart abandonment strategy by implementing a sophisticated email solution through Dotdigital, optimizing their customer engagement process. Here’s how they achieved success:

1. Expert guidance: Dotdigital’s Professional Services team, along with customer success managers, conducted a comprehensive customer journey mapping exercise. This foundational work enabled the creation of a tailored automation strategy that suited Neal’s Yard Remedies’ unique needs.
2. Automated email campaigns: With the new system in place, Neal’s Yard Remedies could send timely and personalized cart abandonment emails to customers who left items in their carts. The automation simplified the process, allowing the team to focus on crafting compelling creative copy for their emails.
3. A/B testing for optimization: The Dotdigital platform facilitated A/B testing, enabling Neal’s Yard Remedies to compare different email strategies. They tested emails that included a 10% discount code against those that provided only basket information, gaining insights into which approach drove higher conversion rates.
4. Leveraging Fresh Relevance: By using Fresh Relevance’s advanced personalization capabilities, Neal’s Yard Remedies enhanced their email content with tailored recommendations based on customer behavior and preferences.

By using Dotdigital and Fresh Relevance, Neal’s Yard Remedies successfully transformed its cart abandonment and improved customer engagement. 

Choose Dotdigital as your cross-channel personalization solution

Dotdigital is the ideal choice to elevate your cross-channel personalization efforts. With a suite of powerful tools and an intuitive platform, you can deliver highly targeted and engaging customer experiences.

• Comprehensive integration: Dotdigital easily integrates with various marketing tools you already use, making it a seamless addition to your existing setup. Whether it’s your CRM, ecommerce platform, or social media channels, Dotdigital connects them all, ensuring that your customer data flows smoothly across different platforms.
• Cross-channel capabilities: Dotdigital provides a comprehensive suite of cross-channel marketing tools under one platform, allowing you to reach customers across email, SMS, push notifications, live chat, and WhatsApp. This unified approach enables you to create consistent and personalized experiences across all customer touchpoints.
• Advanced personalization: With Fresh Relevance, Dotdigital offers enhanced cross-channel personalization capabilities. This integration empowers you to drive excellent customer experiences at every point in the customer journey. You can utilize advanced website and email personalization tools, including countdown timers, weather tools, image personalization, and advanced product recommendations
• Intelligent automation: With Dotdigital’s powerful automation features, you can set up personalized campaigns that run like clockwork. Automate your email marketing, SMS, and more, all while maintaining a personal touch. This means less manual work for you and a consistent experience for your customers.
• Data-driven insights: Dotdigital provides valuable insights into customer behavior and engagement. With detailed analytics and reporting tools, you can track your campaigns’ performance and fine-tune your strategies. More importantly, you can use this data to truly understand your audience and tailor your messaging accordingly.
• Scalability: Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Dotdigital scales with your needs. As your business grows, the platform can easily adapt, providing advanced features that support even the most complex personalization strategies.

With Dotdigital as your cross-channel personalization service, you can effortlessly create impactful marketing campaigns that enhance engagement and deliver results across various channels.

Get started with cross-channel personalization today

Creating meaningful connections with your customers relies heavily on cross-channel personalization. By adopting effective strategies and utilizing platforms Dotdigital, you can create personalized experiences that resonate across various platforms. Start enhancing your customer experience today by implementing the insights and strategies outlined in this guide.

Waitrose: Sweet Suspicion – A Waitrose Mystery

This year’s Waitrose Christmas ad is far from boring; the brand created a whodunnit scenario that kept the nation guessing.

The ad begins with a bustling family gathering, eager to enjoy their Christmas dinner, when suddenly, the star of the feast—the No. 1 Red Velvet Bauble Dessert—disappears. Enter Detective David, played by the talented Matthew Macfadyen, tasked with unraveling the mystery.

The suspense builds in part one as the family’s innocence is called into question (even Fig the cat is suspect). Fans were left on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating the resolution. 

In part two, the mystery unfolds in a satisfyingly comedic fashion: it was Steve, the seemingly innocent cook, who cleverly stashed the dessert away in the gingerbread house. But there’s no escaping a detective like David, and Steve gets caught red-handed (or should we say red-velvet-handed?) enjoying his ill-gotten gains in the shed.

In the end, the family gathers around the table, the mystery solved, and dessert devoured. It’s a lighthearted, funny ad that reminds us that Christmas is all about family, fun, and of course, delicious food (even if you have to sleuth it out first).

Barbour: Shaun the Sheep x Baa-bour

Deck the halls with boughs of holly… and scarves? Barbour’s 2024 Christmas ad, “Shaun the Sheep x Baa-bour,” is a heartwarming and humorous collaboration that captures the spirit of the season.

The ad features our favorite flock, led by Shaun the Sheep, attempting some Christmas carols. But as the winter chill sets in, their enthusiastic baaing turns into chattering teeth.

Bitzer, the local sheepdog, comes to the rescue with a brilliant solution to give the sheep Barbour hats and scarves to warm up. He returns a little while later with several Barbour bags, surprising the sheep with their new accessories.

The ad perfectly captures the cozy charm of Barbour’s winter wear, while also showcasing Shaun’s signature brand of humor and mischief.

The stop-motion animation brings the characters to life with incredible detail and warmth. The ad is a perfect blend of nostalgia and modern humor, making it a great choice for families to enjoy together.

Whether you’re a long-time fan of Shaun the Sheep or simply looking for a heartwarming Christmas ad is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Shelter: World Of Our Own

This Christmas, Shelter’s ad, “World of Our Own,” is a stark reminder of the harsh reality faced by thousands of children in England. Over 150,000 children are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation, a shocking figure that’s only getting worse.

The ad follows a dad trying to create a magical world for his daughter, a heartbreaking portrayal of the struggles faced by families in need of a permanent home.

While it’s a sad reality, it’s great that charities use Christmas ads to raise awareness for important causes. Shelter’s ad is a powerful example of how a well-made ad can make a real difference.

John Lewis: The Gifting Hour

John Lewis’s Christmas ad, “The Gifting Hour,” totally tugged at my heartstrings. As someone with two sisters, I could totally relate to the struggle of finding the perfect gift. 

The magical time-traveling element added a whimsical touch, transporting us back to childhood memories. It was a clever way to highlight the significance of a thoughtful gift.

It’s those little details, like the nostalgic childhood moments and the sisterly bond, that make the ad so special. It’s the kind of ad that sticks with you, reminding you of the true meaning of Christmas.

Tesco: Helping Feed Your Christmas Spirit

Tesco’s 2024 Christmas ad, “Helping Feed Your Christmas Spirit,” is a real tear-jerker. It follows a guy who’s missing his nan during the holidays. It’s a bittersweet story that really hits home, especially if you’ve lost someone close.

The ad shows how hard it can be to feel festive when you’re grieving. But it also highlights the power of family and tradition. The way they come together to bake a gingerbread house is so heartwarming. It’s a reminder that even in tough times, Christmas can still bring comfort and joy.

Overall, Tesco’s ad is a beautiful tribute to loved ones who are no longer with us. It’s a reminder that it’s okay to feel sad, but it’s also important to find ways to celebrate and cherish the memories we have.

Boots: Make Magic

Boots Christmas ad, “Make Magic,” takes a bold approach by focusing entirely on the women who keep the holidays together. While some may view it as exclusionary, particularly since 80% of their customers are female, this ad celebrates their core audience.

The ad features a humorous glimpse into Mrs. Claus’s secret workshop, portrayed by the incredible Adjoa Andoh from Bridgerton. She leads a team of “elf-fluencers” as they prepare last-minute gifts. It turns out that Santa isn’t the only one responsible for the holiday magic; his wife is the real powerhouse behind it.

By tapping into Bridgerton’s popularity with a female demographic, Boots sends a clear message: they understand their customers and want to empower them to create their own kind of Christmas magic.

Whether you love it or hate it, Boots’ ad showcases strategic genius. The brand confidently caters to its target audience, knowing exactly who they are trying to reach.

Sainsbury: Big Christmas

Sainsbury’s brings the magic this Christmas with its heartwarming ad, “Big Christmas.” This year, they’ve teamed up with everyone’s favorite friendly giant, the BFG, from Roald Dahl’s classic tale.

The ad follows the BFG on a whirlwind adventure. Landing in a Sainsbury’s car park, he meets Sophie, a kind-hearted employee who goes above and beyond to help him. Together, they embark on a whistle-stop tour of the UK, sourcing the most delectable ingredients for a truly unforgettable Christmas feast.

With a sprinkle of BFG magic, the ingredients transform into a mouthwatering Christmas spread. But the BFG and Sophie don’t keep the joy to themselves. They share their spectacular feast with another family, spreading Christmas cheer and reminding us all of the true spirit of the season: giving and sharing.

Sainsbury’s ad is a delightful treat for the whole family. It’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane, filled with a familiar character and a healthy dose of his whimsical charm. It’s a perfect blend of tradition and magic, making it a must-watch for families this Christmas.

Etsy: Waldo Anthem

Where’s Wally, or who is Wally? Etsy’s Christmas ad, “Waldo Anthem,” is a heartwarming and wholesome celebration of personalized gifts. The ad follows the iconic character, Waldo, as he unwraps a thoughtful gift – a compass engraved with the words “I’m glad I found you, Wenda.”

This simple yet powerful message perfectly captures Etsy’s brand identity: unique, personalized gifts that truly speak from the heart. The ad emphasizes the joy of giving and receiving gifts that show you care.

With its nostalgic charm and heartwarming message, Etsy’s advert is a delightful addition to the holiday landscape, inspiring people to find unique ways to express their love and appreciation for one another.

Bonus Christmas ads

Feeling nostalgic? Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most iconic Christmas ads of all time.

• John Lewis: The Bear and the Hare (2013)
• Coca-Cola: Holidays Are Coming (1995)
• IRN-BRU: The Snowman (2011)
• Asda: Make this Christmas Incredibublé (2023)
• Sainsbury’s: The Big Night (2018)

And that’s a wrap

While the full holiday season is just beginning, we’ve already seen some fantastic Christmas ads from our favorite brands. As we progress into the season, we can look forward to even more heartwarming, humorous, and imaginative campaigns. Happy holidays and happy viewing.

Our latest Hitting the Mark report delves deep into the current state of marketing, revealing key trends and challenges that marketers face. By understanding these trends and insights, you can refine your marketing strategy, enhance customer experiences, and stay ahead of the competition. Before you dive into the report, check out our handy infographics below, highlighting our top findings, industry insights, and regional breakdown.

Hitting the Mark: Key findings

To truly understand the state of modern marketing, we evaluated 100 brands across key categories including:

• Website: From search functionality to sustainability policies, we assessed the entire user journey.
• Data collection: We examined the range of data collected and how it’s being used to personalize experiences.
• Personalization: We assessed the level of personalization, from first-name salutations to dynamic product recommendations.
• Email best practices: We evaluated email marketing campaigns based on factors like subject lines, content, and design

These were our stand-out results:

Hitting the Mark: Industry breakdown

To gain a deeper understanding of industry-specific marketing trends, we analyzed 100 brands across five key sectors:

• Food, drink, and grocery: From D2C brands to global food chains, we examined the marketing strategies of a diverse range of brands.
• Health and Lifestyle: We delved into the marketing tactics of health and wellness brands, from gyms to athleisure apparel.
• Travel: From airlines to travel agencies, we analyzed the marketing strategies of the travel industry.
• Events and Hospitality: We explored the marketing techniques used by hotels, restaurants, and ticketing providers.
• B2B: We investigated the marketing strategies of B2B companies, from software providers to wholesale suppliers.

Examining these industries allowed us to identify best practices, emerging trends, and potential pitfalls in modern marketing.

Hitting the Mark: Regional breakdown

For a global perspective on marketing trends, we analyzed 100 brands across three key regions:

• APAC: We examined the marketing strategies of brands in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore to understand just some of the nuances of the APAC market.
• EMEA: We delved into the marketing tactics of brands based in the UK, ranging from local businesses to international corporations.
• Americas: We analyzed the marketing strategies of brands primarily in North America, from domestic companies to global giants.

Our key regional findings included:

Hitting the Mark provides valuable insights into the current state of marketing. By understanding the key findings, industry trends, and regional nuances, we hope you can make informed decisions, optimize your strategies, and drive business growth.

As the marketing landscape continues to evolve, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve. By embracing data-driven insights and personalized experiences, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and achieve lasting success.

1. Implement SMS popovers on your website

One of the most effective ways to capture phone numbers is through strategically placed SMS popovers on your website. Onsite popovers are designed to collect information like phone numbers from your website traffic for text message marketing campaigns. When creating SMS popovers, consider the following best practices:

Use eye-catching designs that align with your brand

Your popovers should be visually appealing and consistent with your brand identity. Use colors, fonts, and imagery that match your website’s aesthetic. 

Offer a clear value proposition for subscribing

Clearly communicate the benefits of joining your SMS list. This could be exclusive discounts, early access to sales, or special content. For instance, you could offer a bigger discount for SMS subscribers compared to email subscribers, such as 20% off for SMS vs. 15% for email.

Implement multi-step forms to improve conversion rates

Consider using a two-step opt-in process. The first step could ask for the visitor’s email address, and the second step could request their phone number. This approach can increase overall conversions by making the initial commitment seem smaller.

Ensure compliance with SMS marketing regulations

Always include necessary legal disclaimers and make it clear how often subscribers can expect to receive messages. Be transparent about data usage and provide an easy way to opt-out. For U.S.-based customers, familiarize yourself with SMS compliance laws.

Optimize for mobile users

Given that a significant portion of your traffic likely comes from smartphones, ensure your popovers are mobile-friendly. Consider using responsive design or creating separate popovers optimized for mobile devices. You can even use tap-to-text functionality for an even smoother mobile experience.

Timing and placement are crucial

Experiment with different trigger points for your popovers. Some effective options include:

• On exit intent: Display the popovers when the user is about to leave the site
• After scrolling: Show the popovers after the user has engaged with a certain percentage of the page
• Time-based: Wait for a specific amount of time before displaying the popovers.

2. Leverage your existing email list

Think of email and SMS as a dynamic duo. Emails allow for a more nuanced, detailed message—perfect for storytelling and in-depth communication—while SMS serves as a powerful tool for delivering quick, time-sensitive updates directly to your audience’s mobile devices. 

Given that your email subscribers have already shown interest in your brand, they are well-positioned to become part of your SMS marketing efforts. Here are some effective strategies for converting email subscribers into SMS subscribers:

Send dedicated email campaigns

Craft targeted email campaigns that specifically promote your SMS program. Provide clear information on the advantages of subscribing, such as exclusive discounts, early access to sales, and timely updates about new products or offers. A focused approach helps draw attention to your SMS initiative and encourages sign-ups.

Highlight the benefits of SMS marketing

In your emails, clearly outline the benefits of joining your SMS list. Emphasize how SMS messages can provide immediate advantages, such as faster notifications about sales or events, exclusive promotions available only to SMS subscribers, and personalized alerts that keep them engaged with your brand. This clarity will help potential subscribers see the value in opting in.

Include SMS opt-in options in regular newsletters

Make it easy for your email subscribers to join your SMS list by including an opt-in option in your regular email newsletters. A simple call-to-action (CTA) with a short code and keyword for SMS opt-in can streamline the process and encourage higher conversion rates. 

Create a dedicated landing page

Design a landing page specifically for your email subscribers, detailing the benefits of joining your SMS list and making the opt-in process seamless. This page can include testimonials from existing SMS subscribers, FAQs, and an easy form to capture their phone number. A well-optimized landing page can significantly increase the likelihood of conversions.

Obtain explicit consent

It’s crucial to always obtain explicit consent from your subscribers before adding them to your SMS list, even if they are already on your email list. Clearly communicate how you plan to use their phone numbers and provide the option to opt-out at any time. Building trust by respecting their preferences is key to a successful SMS marketing strategy.

3. Run cross-channel promotions

To effectively grow your SMS subscriber list, it’s essential to leverage the various marketing channels you already have. By using a cross-channel approach, you can significantly increase your reach and encourage more sign-ups.

Promote your SMS program on social media platforms

Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to announce your SMS program. Create eye-catching posts that highlight the benefits of joining like early access to sales or insider information. Engaging stories and posts can direct your followers to a simple sign-up link.

Partner with influencers to promote your SMS list 

Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values to promote your SMS list. Influencers can connect with their followers, serving as a trusted bridge to your audience. 

Develop engaging campaigns where influencers share their experiences with your products and highlight the benefits of joining your SMS program. Customers appreciate authenticity, so partnering with influencers can spark curiosity and encourage sign-ups.

4. Offer a choice

Providing your audience with the option to subscribe via either a phone number or email can significantly increase your conversion rates. Many users may have a preference for one communication channel over the other, and giving them a choice enhances their experience and willingness to engage.

• Dual opt-in forms: Create sign-up forms that allow users to choose between SMS and email subscriptions. Make sure to clearly explain the benefits of each option.
• Highlight flexibility: Emphasize that subscribers can choose their preferred method of receiving updates, promotions, and exclusive offers. This personalization can lead to higher engagement rates.
• Follow-up options: After capturing their information, consider sending a welcome message via their chosen channel, reinforcing the value they will receive.

By allowing potential subscribers to opt for either SMS or email, you not only broaden your reach but also cater to individual preferences, ultimately leading to a more engaged audience. This flexibility can help you build a more diverse subscriber base while ensuring compliance with marketing regulations. 

5. Collect SMS consent during check-out

One of the most effective ways to grow your SMS subscriber list is by capturing phone numbers during the checkout process. By offering a seamless and convenient opt-in option, you can significantly increase your subscriber base. To maximize your results, consider the following strategies:

• Clear and prominent: Ensure that the SMS consent option is easy to find and understand. It should be integrated into the checkout flow so that customers can easily opt in while completing their purchase.
• Communicate benefits: Highlight the perks of subscribing, such as exclusive updates, shipping notifications, and special incentives. Clearly articulating these benefits helps customers see the value in providing their phone numbers.
• Transparent messaging: Clearly state how often subscribers can expect to receive messages and provide an easy opt-out method. Transparency builds trust and ensures compliance with SMS marketing regulations.

By integrating SMS consent into the checkout experience, you engage customers when they are already invested in your brand, making it a powerful opportunity to expand your SMS subscriber list.

Choose Dotdigital as your SMS platform

Selecting the right software for SMS marketing is essential to maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns. Dotdigital offers a comprehensive suite of features designed for seamless SMS marketing automation. Here are the key reasons to consider Dotdigital for your SMS marketing needs:

Seamless integration with existing marketing tools

Dotdigital effortlessly integrates with your current marketing stack, including your ecommerce store and CRM system. This integration enables you to create cohesive multi-channel campaigns that boost customer engagement and drive conversions. By unifying your marketing efforts, you can leverage customer data across channels for more targeted messaging.

Advanced analytics and reporting

Understanding your campaign performance is crucial for ongoing improvement. Dotdigital provides detailed analytics and reporting tools that allow you to track key metrics, such as delivery rates, open rates, and click-through rates. With these insights, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your SMS marketing strategies and improve overall effectiveness.

Two-way conversations and MMS capabilities

Engagement is vital in SMS marketing, and Dotdigital facilitates two-way conversations with your customers. This feature allows recipients to respond to your messages, creating a more interactive relationship. Additionally, Dotdigital supports multimedia messaging service (MMS), enabling you to send rich media content—including images, videos, and audio files—which can significantly enhance your messaging impact.

Cross-channel marketing capabilities

With Dotdigital, you can seamlessly combine SMS with other channels like email, ad retargeting, live chat, and web push notifications. This cross-channel approach allows for more comprehensive marketing strategies that reach customers where they are most active. By coordinating messages across platforms, you reinforce your brand’s message and enhance the likelihood of conversion.

Automated campaigns triggered by customer behavior

Dotdigital’s automation capabilities enable you to set up SMS campaigns triggered by specific customer actions, such as cart abandonment or post-purchase follow-ups. This ensures timely communication that drives results. Automated messages can help nurture leads and maintain engagement without constant manual effort.

Robust support and deliverability expertise

Ensuring your messages reach the intended audience is vital for success in SMS marketing. Dotdigital has a dedicated team of deliverability experts who optimize sending routes to ensure high deliverability rates. 

Grow your SMS subscriber list today

By implementing these five proven strategies and using Dotdigital as your SMS platform you can effectively grow your SMS subscriber list and unlock the full potential of text message marketing. Always prioritize providing value to your subscribers and maintain compliance with SMS marketing regulations to build a successful and engaged SMS audience.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into how online retailers can use TikTok to boost brand visibility and drive sales. Let’s explore the world of TikTok and how it can transform your ecommerce strategy.

Understanding TikTok’s ecosystem

To effectively use TikTok, you must have a deep understanding of its unique features. Let’s explore the key aspects of TikTok’s ecosystem in more detail:

Demographics and user behavior

TikTok has quickly become a popular platform in the social media landscape, attracting a predominantly young audience with its unique blend of entertainment and commerce. The app primarily appeals to Generation Z and younger Millennials, generally those aged 18 to 34.

Users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on TikTok, with the most active usage occurring during the evenings and on weekends. Understanding these patterns allows brands to optimize their posting schedules and content strategies for maximum visibility.

The algorithm

At the heart of TikTok’s success lies its powerful algorithm. The “For You” page (FYP) curates content based on user interactions, individual interests, and trending topics. This personalized feed is crucial for maintaining user engagement, as it consistently presents users with content that resonates with them.

TikTok users have come to expect short, visually appealing videos that quickly capture their attention. The platform encourages high levels of interaction through comments, shares, likes, and participation in viral trends and challenges. This active user base offers a unique opportunity for brands to connect with a highly engaged and tech-savvy audience.

Platform features and creativity tools

TikTok’s range of creative features distinguishes it from traditional social media platforms. The app provides a broad selection of effects, filters, and sound libraries, enabling brands to produce engaging content without needing professional editing skills.

Additionally, TikTok is user-friendly; even advanced features like green screen effects, transitions, and time manipulation tools are designed for easy use. Some key features on TikTok include:

• Bite-sized video content: Short-form videos (15-60 seconds) are perfect for quick consumption and easy sharing.
• Viral sounds and challenges: These trends enhance user engagement and boost brand awareness.
• Intuitive in-app editing tools: Easy-to-use editing features enable users to create professional-quality content.
• Interactive features: Tools like Duets, Stitches, and live streaming enhance user interactions.
• User-generated content(UGC): Encourage user-generated content (UGC) through challenges and interactive campaigns.
• TikTok Shop: This in-app shopping feature seamlessly integrates ecommerce into the platform.

How to use TikTok for ecommerce

With TikTok’s vast user base and unique features, it’s an ideal platform for ecommerce brands to drive engagement, generate leads, and boost sales. Let’s explore how you can leverage TikTok to achieve your ecommerce goals.

1. Utilize TikTok leads for direct engagement

Dotdigital’s TikTok leads is a powerful tool for ecommerce businesses looking to capitalize on the platform’s vast user base. This feature allows you to engage directly with potential customers, streamlining the path from discovery to purchase.

Utilizing TikTok leads streamlines the customer acquisition process. It allows you to collect valuable user information in real-time without redirecting potential customers away from the app. This immediate interaction enhances engagement and demonstrates your commitment to a positive user experience. With TikTok leads you can:

Capture data directly 

Gather user information effortlessly without sending them to an external site. By using in-app forms, you eliminate the barriers associated with traditional landing pages, boosting user engagement as visitors can quickly and easily submit their information.

With just a few clicks, TikTok leads capture essential data such as names and email addresses. This direct approach ensures you receive quality leads that can be filtered for further marketing processes. Additionally, you can customize these forms to meet your specific business needs and campaigns.

Integrate leads with your CRM 

Integrating TikTok leads with your existing CRM system streamlines your sales process. After capturing leads, you can synchronize them directly with your customer database, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors. This integration enables immediate follow-ups and enhances lead nurturing efforts.

You can benefit from automated follow-up emails and personalized messaging based on user interactions, which increases responsiveness and strengthens your relationships with potential customers. By maintaining organized lead information, you can better segment your audience for targeted marketing campaigns.

Increase your conversion rates 

In-app lead capture forms lead to higher conversion rates compared to traditional methods. Users face fewer distractions while remaining within the TikTok ecosystem, minimizing friction during the submission process.

By offering a straightforward and engaging experience, you encourage more TikTok users to convert into leads. Short, mobile-optimized forms significantly enhance user satisfaction, making it easy for potential customers to provide their information. This streamlined process not only increases the volume of leads but also improves the quality of interactions with your brand.

2. Leverage TikTok audiences for targeted marketing

With its massive user base, TikTok offers unparalleled opportunities for ecommerce businesses to reach and engage their target audience. TikTok audiences allows you to sync your existing customer lists directly to the platform, creating highly targeted ad campaigns that drive sales.

What are TikTok audiences?

TikTok audiences allows you to sync your Dotdigital contact lists directly to TikTok, enabling you to create highly targeted ad campaigns. By leveraging TikTok audiences, you can take your marketing efforts to the next level and effectively retarget your customers.

Reach your most valuable customers

Retarget users who have previously interacted with your brand, such as website visitors or email subscribers. Remind them of their interest and guide them back to your website or online store.

Deliver personalized ad experiences

Tailor your ads to specific segments of your audience based on their interests, behaviors, and purchase history. This personalized approach will increase engagement and drive conversions.

Optimize your ad spend

Maximize your ROI by targeting the most likely to convert users. By focusing your ad spend on high-intent audiences, you can ensure that every dollar delivers results.

Streamline your marketing workflow

Seamlessly integrate your email and social media marketing efforts. By syncing your Dotdigital contact lists to TikTok, you can save time and resources while maximizing your marketing impact.

3. Embrace TikTok shop

TikTok has not only revolutionized how we consume content but has also transformed the ecommerce landscape. With the introduction of TikTok Shop, users can shop while enjoying engaging content. This platform seamlessly integrates product tags and shoppable ads into users’ video feeds and has created a seamless path from discovery to purchase, Making it easier than ever for brands to reach their audiences directly.

According to a recent study, 67% of TikTok users say the platform inspires them to shop even when they weren’t planning to do so. Brands that utilize TikTok Shop gain an unparalleled opportunity to connect with potential customers.

You can showcase your products, allowing customers to browse and purchase items without leaving the app. The combination of social interaction and shopping creates a unique avenue for engaging customers in a fun and dynamic way.

TikTok Shop enables you to create a customized shopping experience tailored to your audience’s preferences. This strategy not only fosters brand loyalty but also encourages spontaneous purchases. Embracing TikTok Shop could be a game-changer for your ecommerce strategy.

Sellers on TikTok Shop can also engage customers in real-time through TikTok Live. By hosting live streams, sellers can:

• Showcase products: Live demonstrations and tutorials allow viewers to see products in action, providing a more immersive shopping experience.
• Offer exclusive deals: Sellers can provide exclusive live coupons that customers can only claim during a live event. This strategy attracts more viewers and boosts traffic, which improves conversion rates.
• Engage with your audience: Real-time Q&A sessions foster a sense of community, allowing sellers to address customer concerns and build trust.

Additionally, you can leverage influencer marketing on your TikTok Shop. Influencers with large followings can:

• Promote products: By sharing sponsored content, influencers can introduce your products to a wider audience, leveraging their credibility and influence.
• Host live shopping events: Collaborations with influencers can attract a larger audience, driving sales and generating buzz.
• Create brand awareness: By incorporating products into their regular content, influencers can subtly promote your brand, increasing visibility and recognition.

Start using TikTok today

TikTok has quickly established itself as a powerful platform for ecommerce marketing. Its innovative features allow you to create seamless shopping experiences that encourage spontaneous purchases and foster deeper connections with customers. By leveraging TikTok’s algorithm and creative capabilities, you can reach your target demographics, enhance brand visibility, and drive sales effectively.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Abandoned cart automation can be a powerful tool to win back those would-be customers and drive more sales. Our research shows that accounts running cart abandonment campaigns recover an average of $41,807 monthly. That’s a staggering amount of revenue that’s up for grabs.

The good news is, that there are seven proven strategies you can implement to minimize cart abandonment and maximize your conversions. Let’s dive in.

1. Perfect your timing

Timing is absolutely critical for recovering abandoned carts. The longer you wait to re-engage a customer who has abandoned their cart, the lower your chances of returning them.

Data from Dotdigital shows that 45% of all cart recoveries occur within the first two hours. This initial window after a customer abandons their cart is a prime opportunity; it’s essential to act quickly to take advantage of their intent and desire to complete the purchase.

To leverage this advantage, consider setting up default timings for abandoned session follow-ups. With the Dotdigital tag, you can enroll customers in abandoned cart recovery programs almost in real-time. This feature allows you to set default timings for follow-ups that range from just 30 minutes to 12 hours. This flexibility helps you engage customers while their interest is still high, especially during peak shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

It’s also worth noting that higher cart values often have longer conversion windows. When a customer is considering a significant purchase, they will naturally take more time to think it over. For more expensive items, you might want to extend your initial follow-up to the 6-12 hour range.

The key is to test and optimize your timing based on your unique customer data and purchasing patterns. Analyze your historical abandoned cart recovery rates by time interval and use that information to refine your strategy. You may discover that certain customer segments respond better to quick outreach, while others may require more time.

2. Personalization is everything

Once you have your timing dialed in, the next step is to make sure your abandoned cart messaging is as personalized and relevant as possible. Generic “you left something behind” emails just don’t cut it anymore.

Your abandoned cart campaigns should feel tailored to the individual customer and their specific browsing and purchase history. Start by using their first name in the subject line and body copy. Reference the exact products they had in their cart. And leverage data like their engagement level via eRFM modeling to adjust the tone and offers accordingly.

Dotdigital’s eRFM modeling allows you to categorize customers based on their Engagement, Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value – giving you a rich understanding of each individual’s buying behavior and preferences.

You can then use this intelligence to trigger different abandoned cart campaigns. For your highly engaged, high-value customers, you might lead with a strong call-to-action and limited-time offer. But for less engaged segments, you may want to take a softer, more educational approach to gently nudge them back.

AI-powered product recommendations can also be a game-changer for boosting relevance. By analyzing the specific items a customer is interested in, you can surface alternative or complementary products that may better suit their needs or desires. This could be the key to getting them off the fence and completing their purchase.

3. Leverage cross-channel messaging

Today’s shoppers move easily between different platforms and devices, making it essential to use a cross-channel approach for recovering abandoned carts.

Research shows that combining email, SMS, and social media can increase recovery rates by up to 45%. Each channel has its strengths for bringing back customers who have left items in their carts. By using Dotdigital’s unified platform for a cross-channel strategy, you can reach more customers and boost engagement.

SMS is highly effective, with an impressive open rate of 98%. It allows you to quickly send time-sensitive offers and reminders. A simple text like, “Your cart misses you. Complete your purchase in the next hour to save 15%,” can prompt immediate action.

Dotdigital also integrates seamlessly with social media retargeting to keep your products visible as customers browse platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Dynamic ads that show the exact items left in the cart, along with messages that create urgency, can encourage shoppers to return and complete their purchases.

To implement an effective cross-channel strategy with Dotdigital:

• Segment your audience: Use Dotdigital’s tools to group customers based on their preferred communication channels.
• Automate messaging: Set up automated workflows to send coordinated messages across different platforms for a seamless experience.
• Target by device: Adjust your messaging based on how customers interact with your brand on various devices.
• Monitor performance: Use Dotdigital’s analytics to track how well your campaigns are doing and make improvements.

By taking advantage of Dotdigital’s cross-channel features, you can create multiple ways to re-engage customers and guide them back to complete their purchases. This not only helps recover lost sales but also enhances the overall shopping experience.

4. Remove friction

A big part of minimizing cart abandonment is reducing any lingering doubts or concerns a customer may have about completing their purchase. Shopping online still feels like a gamble for many people, especially if it’s their first time buying from your brand.

Use your abandoned cart campaigns as an opportunity to address these potential friction points and build trust. Highlight your returns policy, free shipping offers, customer reviews, industry awards – anything that can help customers feel confident in moving forward.

According to Dotdigital’s research, accessible and comprehensive customer service is also key. If a customer has a specific question or hang-up, make it easy for them to connect with a sales rep or support agent. Dotdigital customers can take advantage of the platform’s live chat functionality, for example, to enable real-time interactions.

These direct conversations don’t just help clinch the sale at the moment – they can also provide valuable intel to optimize your abandoned cart campaigns over time. You’ll start to identify the most common queries and pain points, allowing you to proactively address them in your messaging.

5. Use push notifications

Push notifications offer a powerful way to re-engage customers who have abandoned their carts. By delivering timely notifications directly to their devices, you can remind them of their unfinished purchase and entice them back to complete their order.

One of the key benefits of using push notifications is their immediate impact. These notifications bypass email filters, ensuring high visibility and a direct line to the customer. By personalizing the message with specific product details, you can create a more compelling and relevant call to action.

To maximize the effectiveness of your push notification campaigns, consider timing your messages strategically. Sending notifications a few hours after cart abandonment or during peak shopping hours can increase the likelihood of conversions. Additionally, using clear and concise language, along with strong calls to action, can further boost engagement.

By testing different messaging, timing, and frequency, you can refine your strategy and optimize your results. By leveraging the power of push notifications, you can significantly increase your chances of recovering abandoned carts and driving more sales.

6. Offer discounts strategically

A well-timed discount can be the final nudge a customer needs to complete their purchase. However, it’s essential to deploy these incentives strategically.

Generate unique discount codes and include them in your abandoned cart emails. This not only adds a sense of exclusivity but also allows you to track redemption rates and measure the effectiveness of your offers.

Consider using tiered discounts based on customer engagement or cart value. For high-value, highly engaged shoppers, a more substantial discount, such as 20% off, may be appropriate. For less engaged segments, a smaller discount, like 10%, might be sufficient to encourage action.

The goal is to strike a balance between enticing customers to convert and protecting your profit margins. By testing different discount thresholds and monitoring their impact on abandoned cart recovery rates, average order value, and overall profitability, you can optimize your strategy for maximum effectiveness.

7. Create a sense of urgency

A powerful way to encourage abandoned cart customers to return is to create a sense of urgency. This can be achieved by highlighting the limited-time nature of the offer or emphasizing product scarcity.

For instance, include a countdown timer in your abandoned cart emails, visually representing the time left to claim the items. Alternatively, highlight that certain products are selling out quickly, urging customers to act fast to secure their desired items.

Dotdigital simplifies the process of dynamically incorporating this time-sensitive messaging into your campaigns. By leveraging real-time data on product inventory levels, pricing changes, and other relevant triggers, you can craft compelling narratives that motivate customers to return and complete their purchases.

Remember to balance urgency with a respectful approach. Avoid overly aggressive or manipulative tactics, as this can negatively impact customer perception. Test different approaches to determine the most effective way to create a sense of urgency for your audience.

Boost your abandoned cart recovery today

By mastering abandoned cart recovery, you can convert lost sales into revenue and drive significant growth for your ecommerce business. Utilizing these strategies allows you to re-engage abandoned shoppers and turn them into loyal customers.

To streamline your abandoned cart recovery efforts, consider using a marketing automation platform like Dotdigital. With Dotdigital, you can automate personalized email, SMS, and push notification campaigns to re-engage customers at the right time.

Remember, the key to success lies in continuous testing and optimization. Experiment with different approaches, analyze your results, and refine your strategy over time. With the right tools and techniques, such as those offered by Dotdigital, you can significantly reduce cart abandonment and boost your bottom line.