How an Online Course Creator Optimized Marketing Campaigns, Boosting Conversions by 15%, by Analyzing Keap Order & Note Histories

Client Overview

Global Talent Solutions (GTS) is a leading online education provider specializing in professional development and skill enhancement courses across various industries. With a global reach and a catalog of over 100 courses, GTS prides itself on delivering high-quality, actionable learning experiences. Their core marketing and sales operations were anchored in Keap (formerly Infusionsoft), utilizing its CRM, email marketing, and e-commerce functionalities to manage student registrations, course purchases, and ongoing communications. Serving thousands of students annually, GTS had accumulated a vast repository of data within Keap, encompassing transactional histories, customer support interactions, and engagement notes.

Despite their established success, GTS recognized a growing challenge in truly understanding their customer base beyond surface-level demographics. They knew their customers were interacting with their brand in various ways, but the comprehensive story held within their Keap data remained largely untapped. This limited their ability to personalize marketing efforts, predict future needs, and optimize the customer journey for maximum impact. They needed a strategic partner who understood the nuances of Keap data and could transform it into actionable intelligence.

The Challenge

GTS faced a common yet critical problem for many businesses relying on robust CRM systems like Keap: a wealth of raw data that lacked cohesive analysis. Specifically, their Keap account held thousands of order histories detailing every course purchase, payment plan, and bundled offer. Concurrently, their customer service and sales teams meticulously logged interactions, queries, and feedback in Keap’s note section – a treasure trove of qualitative data. However, these two vital data streams were largely siloed. Marketing campaigns were often broad-stroke, based on general segments rather than specific purchase behaviors or past interactions.

The consequences were significant. GTS struggled with:

• **Generic Marketing:** Without integrated insights, marketing emails often promoted courses already purchased or irrelevant to a student’s learning path, leading to declining engagement rates and unsubscribes.
• **Missed Upsell & Cross-sell Opportunities:** The sales team lacked a consolidated view of a student’s full purchase history and any specific needs or interests expressed in past notes. This meant missing prime opportunities to recommend advanced courses, certifications, or complementary programs at the right time.
• **Ineffective Customer Segmentation:** Segmentation was based primarily on basic demographics or initial course enrollment, failing to account for evolving interests, historical spending patterns, or expressed pain points gleaned from support notes.
• **High Manual Effort:** To get even a partial understanding of a customer’s journey, GTS staff had to manually cross-reference order records with note histories, a time-consuming and error-prone process that was impossible to scale.
• **Suboptimal Ad Spend:** Marketing budgets were allocated based on broad assumptions rather than data-driven insights into which customer profiles were most likely to convert for specific offerings.

GTS realized they were leaving substantial revenue on the table and diminishing the customer experience by not leveraging their existing Keap data effectively. They needed a systematic way to connect the dots between “what was bought” and “what was said or experienced” to create a truly personalized and profitable customer journey.

Our Solution

4Spot Consulting stepped in to address GTS’s data challenge with a comprehensive, Keap-centric approach designed to unlock the power of their historical order and note data. Our solution focused on creating a unified customer intelligence framework that transformed raw data into actionable insights for marketing and sales optimization.

The core of our strategy involved:

1. **Deep-Dive Keap Data Audit (OpsMap™):** We began with an exhaustive audit of GTS’s Keap account, meticulously examining their data structures, custom fields, tagging conventions, and the volume and nature of their order and note histories. This initial phase allowed us to understand the data’s integrity, identify key relationships, and pinpoint areas for extraction and integration.

2. **Data Extraction & Harmonization:** Using advanced low-code automation platforms like Make.com, we engineered custom workflows to systematically extract relevant data points from Keap’s order history and customer notes. This wasn’t a simple export; it involved intelligent parsing of note content to identify keywords, sentiment indicators, and specific requests, linking them back to the corresponding customer profiles and purchase timelines.

3. **Customer Journey Mapping & Segmentation:** With harmonized data, we built a dynamic customer journey map. This allowed GTS to visualize not only what courses customers purchased but also *why* (based on initial inquiries in notes), what challenges they faced (from support tickets in notes), and what their progression looked like over time. This enriched understanding enabled the creation of hyper-segmented lists based on:

• Specific course sequences completed.
• Expressed interests (e.g., “career change,” “skill upgrade,” “certification”).
• Engagement levels with previous purchases (derived from completion notes or follow-up interactions).
• Propensity for specific upsell/cross-sell offers based on historical buying patterns and stated needs.

4. **Automated Campaign Triggers:** The newly organized and analyzed data wasn’t just for reporting; it powered new automated marketing and sales sequences directly within Keap. We configured triggers based on specific data points and segment membership, ensuring that personalized recommendations, follow-up offers, and educational content were delivered at precisely the right moment in the customer’s journey.

5. **Performance Tracking & Iteration:** Beyond implementation, we established clear KPIs and a robust tracking mechanism to monitor the effectiveness of the new campaigns and segments. This allowed for continuous optimization and refinement, ensuring the solution remained agile and responsive to market changes and customer behavior.

Our solution transformed Keap from a static data repository into a dynamic intelligence hub, empowering GTS to truly understand and cater to the individual needs of their diverse student base.

Implementation Steps

The deployment of our solution for Global Talent Solutions followed a structured, phased approach to ensure minimal disruption and maximum impact. Our methodology, which mirrors elements of our OpsBuild™ framework, focused on precision and strategic integration:

1. **Discovery & Requirements Gathering (OpsMap™ Phase):**

• Conducted in-depth interviews with GTS marketing, sales, and customer support teams to understand their current workflows, pain points, and desired outcomes.
• Performed a comprehensive audit of their Keap account, including custom fields, tags, campaign structures, and an initial assessment of order and note data volume and quality.
• Identified key data points from order histories (course ID, purchase date, price, payment plan, bundles) and notes (keywords indicating interest, support issues, feedback, desired outcomes).
• Defined specific use cases for the aggregated data, such as “Identify students who completed Course A and expressed interest in Course B for targeted upsell.”

2. **Data Extraction & Structuring Workflow Development:**

• Designed and built secure, robust automation scenarios using Make.com to connect to Keap’s API.
• Developed a multi-stage process for extracting Keap order records, enriching them with product details, and associating them with customer contact records.
• Created a sophisticated parsing engine within Make.com to analyze text-based Keap notes. This involved identifying and extracting specific keywords, phrases, and sentiment indicators related to course interests, professional goals, or support needs.
• Established a mechanism to link parsed note data directly to corresponding order histories and customer profiles, creating a holistic view.

3. **Database & Reporting Layer Creation:**

• Implemented a centralized database (e.g., a Google Sheet or dedicated data warehouse) to house the harmonized Keap data, acting as a “single source of truth.”
• Developed custom dashboards using tools like Google Looker Studio or similar BI platforms, providing GTS with visual, real-time insights into customer segments, purchase patterns, and expressed interests derived from notes.
• Configured automated reports to highlight trends, popular course combinations, and common customer queries.

4. **Keap Campaign Integration & Automation:**

• Based on the new segmentation capabilities, we designed and implemented new Keap tags and custom fields to reflect advanced customer attributes (e.g., “Interested in Data Science,” “Completed Foundational Marketing,” “Expressed Need for Leadership Skills”).
• Created new Keap campaigns and sequences triggered by these advanced tags and data points. Examples included:
  • Automated follow-up emails recommending advanced courses based on prior course completion and expressed interests.
  • Targeted promotions for related certifications to students who had completed a specific series of foundational courses.
  • Re-engagement sequences for students who had indicated a specific challenge in notes but hadn’t purchased a relevant solution yet.
• Integrated CRM notes for the sales team, providing them with a consolidated view of a lead’s entire purchase and interaction history before making contact.

5. **Training & Rollout:**

• Provided comprehensive training to GTS’s marketing, sales, and customer support teams on how to leverage the new data, interpret dashboards, and utilize the enhanced Keap segmentation and automation.
• Conducted pilot programs for new campaigns, gathering feedback and making immediate adjustments.
• Established ongoing monitoring and support protocols to ensure the system’s stability and performance (OpsCare™).

This meticulous implementation ensured that GTS not only gained unprecedented insight into their customer base but also had the tools and training to act on that intelligence immediately.

The Results

The impact of 4Spot Consulting’s solution on Global Talent Solutions was immediate and measurable, demonstrating the transformative power of intelligently leveraging existing CRM data. By analyzing Keap order and note histories, GTS achieved significant improvements across their marketing and sales functions:

1. **15% Boost in Campaign Conversion Rates:** The most compelling result was a demonstrable 15% increase in conversion rates for targeted marketing campaigns. By precisely segmenting audiences based on their historical purchases and expressed needs (from notes), GTS was able to deliver highly relevant offers, leading to more engaged prospects and higher sales. This was validated through A/B testing of the new segmented campaigns against their previous, more generic approaches.

2. **22% Increase in Average Customer Lifetime Value (LTV):** With optimized upsell and cross-sell strategies, GTS saw a substantial 22% increase in the average LTV of their students. By recommending the right next course or certification at the opportune moment, based on their individual learning journey and recorded interests, students were more likely to continue their education with GTS.

3. **30% Reduction in Marketing Spend Waste:** By eliminating generic marketing and focusing ad spend on highly qualified, pre-segmented audiences, GTS reduced ineffective marketing expenditures by 30%. Their ad campaigns became more targeted, their email sends saw higher open and click-through rates, and ultimately, their ROI on marketing investment improved significantly.

4. **40% Decrease in Manual Data Research:** What once required hours of manual cross-referencing between order records and notes was now automated. Sales and support teams could instantly view a comprehensive customer profile, including past purchases, expressed challenges, and future interests, saving approximately 40% of the time previously spent on data research per customer interaction.

5. **Improved Customer Satisfaction & Engagement:** Anecdotal feedback from students indicated a marked improvement in the relevance of communications they received. Fewer irrelevant promotions led to less fatigue and a stronger perception of GTS as a brand that understood their individual needs, fostering greater loyalty.

6. **Enhanced Sales Efficiency:** Sales representatives were equipped with a complete context for every lead, allowing them to tailor their pitches, address specific pain points identified in notes, and offer solutions directly aligned with the prospect’s historical engagement and expressed desires. This led to shorter sales cycles and higher close rates.

These quantifiable outcomes underscore the profound impact of moving beyond mere data collection to intelligent data analysis and automation. GTS transformed their Keap system from a simple record-keeper into a powerful engine for growth and customer retention.

Key Takeaways

The success story of Global Talent Solutions offers crucial insights for any business looking to maximize the value of their existing CRM data, particularly within platforms like Keap:

1. **Your CRM is a Goldmine, Not Just a Database:** The true power of a CRM lies not just in storing data, but in its ability to generate actionable intelligence. Keap order histories and customer notes, when combined and analyzed, provide a rich narrative of your customers’ journey, preferences, and pain points.

2. **Siloed Data is Missed Opportunity:** Keeping transactional data separate from qualitative interaction data (like customer notes) severely limits your understanding of your audience. Integrating these streams is paramount for holistic customer insights.

3. **Personalization Drives Performance:** Generic marketing is increasingly ineffective. The ability to hyper-segment audiences based on nuanced data—such as specific course purchases combined with expressed career goals in notes—leads to dramatically higher conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

4. **Automation is the Catalyst for Scale:** Manually sifting through thousands of records is impossible for a growing business. Leveraging low-code automation platforms like Make.com to extract, harmonize, and act upon this data is essential for scaling personalized marketing and sales efforts.

5. **Strategic Partnership is Key:** Unlocking deep CRM insights often requires specialized expertise. A partner like 4Spot Consulting, with a deep understanding of platforms like Keap and a strategic approach to automation and AI, can transform complex data into clear, revenue-driving actions.

6. **Continuous Optimization is Vital:** The work doesn’t end with implementation. Establishing robust tracking and a commitment to ongoing analysis and refinement ensures that your marketing and sales strategies remain agile and responsive to evolving customer behaviors and market dynamics.

By investing in the intelligent analysis of their Keap data, Global Talent Solutions moved beyond basic CRM functionality to build a truly data-driven marketing and sales machine, demonstrating that understanding your customers deeply is the fastest path to significant, sustainable growth.

“Before partnering with 4Spot Consulting, we knew our Keap data held answers, but it felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. Their team didn’t just extract data; they wove it into a story that completely transformed how we market and sell. The 15% conversion boost is just the tip of the iceberg; we now truly understand our students.”
— Sarah Chen, Head of Marketing, Global Talent Solutions

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: The Unbroken Keap HR & Recruiting Activity Timeline: Protection & Recovery with CRM-Backup