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| Feature/Aspect | Outbound Marketing | Real-Time Marketing | Pros/Cons Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign Type | Pre-scheduled batch processing campaigns. | Event-driven, based on customer actions in real-time. | Pro (Real-Time): Real-time is more responsive to customer behaviour, improving engagement. Con (Outbound): Outbound is less flexible and reactive. |
| Trigger Mechanism | Time-based, sending communications at scheduled intervals. | Triggered by customer behaviours such as website visits, form fills, or email opens. | Pro (Real-Time): Personalization and immediacy are more robust in Real-Time Marketing. |
| Personalisation | Essential personalisation, such as using customer names or demographic data. | Advanced personalisation using AI-driven insights and real-time customer data. | Pro (Real-Time): Real-Time enables deeper, dynamic personalisation based on behaviour. |
| Customer Segmentation | Static segmentation based on pre-defined customer attributes. | Dynamic, AI-driven segmentation based on real-time activities and behaviours. | Pro (Real-Time): More relevant targeting as customer segments evolve dynamically. |
| Communication Channels | Email, SMS (via integrations like TeleSign), and social media. | Multi-channel, including email, SMS, push notifications, and custom events triggered by customer actions. | Pro (Real-Time): Greater flexibility in reaching customers through more channels. |
| Customer Journey Automation | Predefined customer journeys that follow a set sequence of steps. | Dynamic customer journeys that adapt based on real-time customer actions and triggers. | Pro (Real-Time): More responsive journeys that can change in real-time based on customer interactions. |
| Lead Scoring & Nurturing | Essential lead scoring is based on predefined rules and interactions. | It has advanced, AI-driven lead scoring that adapts to customer actions and behaviours in real time. | Pro (Real-Time): More accurate lead scoring improves sales follow-up and conversion rates. |
| AI & Machine Learning | Limited AI capabilities, relying more on static rules and user configuration. | Integrated AI models for customer segmentation, behaviour prediction, and enhanced personalisation. | Pro (Real-Time): AI-driven insights provide better targeting and decision-making. |
| Real-Time Event Handling | Not supported. Outbound Marketing processes everything in batches. | Fully supports real-time event handling, triggering immediate actions based on customer activity. | Pro (Real-Time): Real-Time allows instant reactions to customer behaviour, enhancing engagement. |
| Integration with Other Services | Integrations are available via connectors (e.g., TeleSign for SMS). | Deep integration with Power Automate, enabling complex workflows and automation across services. | Pro (Real-Time): More sophisticated integration options through Power Automate. |
| Reporting & Analytics | Standard reports and KPIs focus on campaign performance metrics like open rates and click-throughs. | Real-time analytics and AI-driven insights, with dashboards that provide real-time data on customer engagement. | Pro (Real-Time): More advanced reporting with real-time insights allows faster decision-making. |
| Scalability | Effective for managing large-scale batch campaigns. | Highly scalable, designed for real-time interactions at any scale. | Pro (Real-Time): Real-time marketing easily handles large, complex campaigns, especially with dynamic customer bases. |
| Ease of Use | It is easier for traditional marketing teams to schedule batch campaigns. | It requires a learning curve for marketers new to real-time, event-driven marketing and AI features. | Pro (Outbound): Easier to adopt for traditional marketers. Con (Real-Time): Initial learning curve. |
| End of Life/Support | Deprecated, support ends June 30, 2025. | Actively supported and enhanced with new features. | Pro (Real-Time): Long-term viability and continued feature development. |
Real-time marketing now includes almost all of the features from outbound marketing but also has many additional and AI-powered capabilities of it's own. However, some gaps do still exist. For example, it's not possible to set up double opt-in for emails yet and some of the features in RTM are relatively new and are still undergoing development to match the full capabilities of OBM. There are also limitations with the new consent centre, and the social posting feature is not yet available.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes
Deborah
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