Marketing tools

The challenge

We set out to create a marketing toolset capable of rivaling industry giants including Mailchimp and Constant Contact.

Not only did we need to match the functionality, ease-of-use, and robustness of these existing platforms, but we also had to seamlessly integrate these tools into Nutshell’s existing CRM ecosystem. Our marketing tools couldn't just replicate what was already out there; they needed to innovate and merge smoothly with existing CRM functionality to add value without disrupting existing workflows.

Early mind maps and sketches to facilitate high level brainstorming.

Creating the marketing ecosystem

Broadcasts

We began by narrowing our focus on a single action: sending a straightforward "broadcast," one-time email blasts that engage an audience. Treating this initial step as our minimum viable product (MVP) laid the groundwork for more complex features later on.

A broadcast page representing a single message.

Newsletters

Next, we introduced "newsletters," which facilitated the creation of thematic, engaging content that resonated with an audience over time. Unlike broadcasts, newsletters required a more strategic approach to content delivery. Newsletters are more about building a narrative, fostering a connection with an audience, and sustaining interest through regularly sent content.

An engagement page displaying metrics for individual messages and the newsletter as a whole.

Drip sequences

Recognizing the power of automated, behavior-driven communication, we set out to design a system that would allow businesses to nurture their leads and maintain customer engagement with minimal effort.

Drip sequences are a series of messages that automatically send when triggered by certain user actions. This functionality supported creating intricate communication pathways that adapt to recipients' behavior, ensuring timely and relevant engagement.

A complex drip sequence configured with triggers and next steps.

Integrating drip sequences into Nutshell required coordinating the new feature with existing CRM functionalities. We had to ensure that drip sequence messages could be triggered by a variety of actions within the CRM, such as changes in lead status or different sales milestones. This required deep technical integration, allowing for a seamless flow of data between the existing marketing and CRM components of Nutshell.

Next steps can be configured to do different things in your CRM after all messages have been sent to a recipient.

We designed an interface that allows marketers to easily create, modify, and monitor their drip sequences, with clear visualization of the communication flow and the ability to adjust parameters in response to campaign performance.

Engagement insights

We knew from extensive research how critically important campaign analytics are to marketers. We prioritized the development of intuitive tools for managing audiences and closely monitoring engagement metrics. This included advanced segmentation capabilities, enabling marketers to classify audiences based on detailed interaction data.

Detailed enagagement metrics are displayed throughout the tool to help marketers make better decisions.

At the heart of our design ethos was a commitment to providing actionable intelligence at the individual contact level. We offered a suite of detailed metrics, including open rates, click-through rates, and a comprehensive interaction history for each contact.

These metrics extend down to the individual contact level, which allowed marketers to segment audiences based on people's engagement levels.

The depth of all of these engagement insights was designed to empower people with the knowledge they need to refine their marketing tactics over time.

Reflecting on design choices

Message types

Looking back, I wonder if our initial, rigid categorization of message types—broadcasts, newsletters, and drip sequences—may have been overly influenced by industry norms established by competitors. Instead of challenging the status quo and simplifying what had become a complex system, we adhered to conventional frameworks and may have missed an opportunity for innovation.

The lesson here is clear: Innovation should not always be constrained by existing paradigms. In hindsight, exploring a more fluid and integrated approach to message types could have led to a more streamlined experience.

Compliance

Navigating the landscape of regulatory compliance was a central focus of our design process. Adhering to standards such as the CAN-SPAM Act demanded a careful approach to ensure that our marketing tools were not only useful but legally compliant. This required a delicate balance between user-friendliness and rigorous enforcement of legal guidelines.

Onboarding materials were designed and displayed contextually to walk people through best practices (and enforce them on their behalf).

Our commitment to regulatory compliance influenced every aspect of our design, from the user interface to the backend processes. We integrated features that facilitated the easy management of opt-in consents and unsubscribe mechanisms, ensuring that customers could confidently manage their campaigns within the legal boundaries.

While innovation drives the development of new features and capabilities, it must go hand-in-hand with a deep understanding of and adherence to regulatory requirements.

Impact & lessons learned

The launch of its new email marketing suite marked a transformative period for Nutshell, as the product became a significant revenue driver, contributing an additional $600,000+ to annual revenue.

Integrating a full-featured marketing suite within our CRM attracted lots of new customers and increased retention rates of existing customers by offering them an all-in-one platform for their marketing and sales needs. By expanding its product offering, Nutshell positioned itself as a versatile tool capable of handling a wide range of business processes, from customer relationship management to complex marketing campaigns.

Our design and launch journey provided us with exceptional insights into people's needs and preferences. We prioritized gathering continuous feedback and iteratively developed new features and improvements based on what we learned from our customers.

The success of Nutshell Marketing set the stage for several future product enhancements, including a web form builder and A/B testing for marketing messages.