Marketing Automation is a new way of messaging app users through your app. It will revolutionise how you use your app and the benefits you and your customers get from your app.
The app users' view:
- In the app, customers see a new Message Centre which is accessed through an icon on the home screen title bar.
- Within the Message Centre, you can organise messages into "Conversations" or topics.
- Users can opt-in or -out of conversations depending on their interests.
- You can send messages to "segments" or groups of users, or to individuals.
- Messages are typically short, can be personalised like this and have image(s), text and button(s)
- Opted-in users get a push notification to alert them to each message
The leisure operator's view:
Marketing Automation brings a whole new spectrum of capabilities to the leisure operator:
- You can target (segment) messages not only to users at different clubs/centres but to groups of any size, down to individuals, through CSV files
- You can personalise messages so messages are different for each app user
- Messages are tracked in real-time so you can get immediate feedback on the number of messages sent, viewed and actioned (clicks on the button)
And this is just the start. In future you'll also be able to:
- Track not just how many messages, but which users have viewed or actioned a message and retarget them if they have or haven't
- Create segmentation in the cockpit -- fro example specify you want a message to go to everyone that booked a Zumba class in the app in the last 3 months
- Create rules to trigger a message to a user depending on what they've done -- for example trigger a reminder message to anyone that books a class and send it to them 24 hours before the class
- Marketing automation will also be woven into the fabric of many other new app functions -- for example if a session is cancelled in the Event Schedule a message can be automatically sent out to anyone at that club opt-in into the "schedule alerts" conversation
Marketing Automation will be offered in multiple packages, most of which incur an extra charge:
- Intro - this take the current News with Push messaging and takes it into the Marketing Automation world. It provides segmentation by club and a single conversation. Every app will get the Intro package at no additional charge. It doesn't include real-time stats, but it has the following major benefits:
- It introduces users to the Message Centre in the app as the place to find and respond to messages
- It provides an unread badge within the app so it's much easier for users to find messages
- For multi-sites, users that have selected more than one site won't get duplicate messages
- Essential -- this package adds real-time stats for messages, segmentation not only by club but also by CSV upload, so messages can be personalised. You can set up multiple conversations so app users can opt in & out by topics that interest them. Benefits in summary:
- Segmentation by both club and CSV upload
- Message personalisation, so "Hi Sarah, it's time to book Alex into Swim School..."
- Real-time stats on messages sent, viewed and actioned
- Multiple in-app conversations so users can opt in/out by topics
- Pro -- this package will offer cockpit segmentation so you can target users without having to upload CSV files. For customers with programming resources the Pro package gives access to the Marketing Automation API to external CRMs can send messages and getting real-time stats. The Pro package may also include some real-time triggered messaging
- Beyond -- we are also planning a number of additional app functions that will rely heavily on marketing automation, including real-time waitlist notifications, class reminders, in-app support applications and more. Given the COVID-19 crisis priorities are being re-evaluated daily, but for sure these functions or ones like them will be appearing over the coming months.
Getting started with Marketing Automation
All of the infrastructure for Marketing Automation is in place and the first package available is the Essential package. The Pro package used via the API is also available for those with programming resources -- if that's you and you want to know more, please let your Account Manager know and we'll support you directly to get you integrated with Marketing Automation.
To get started with the Essential Package:
- You need to have Marketing Automation enabled on your account. This appears as a tab on the left of the cockpit. If you don't have this please contact your Account Manager and request it's enabled
- Configure Marketing Automation conversations
- Sending messages in Marketing Automation
- Send a campaign to All App Users or Selected Clubs, or you may want to
- Send a campaign to targeted groups by CSV Upload
- Send a campaign to targeted groups by CSV Upload for Gladstone customers
- Send a campaign to targeted groups by CSV Upload for Legend customers
- Managing campaigns
- Who gets what messages and how ?