How to Bring Customers Back with a Mass Mailing in Torgsoft

To invite customers to return, first identify who has not purchased for a long time, prepare a relevant offer, and check consent to receive advertising messages. In Torgsoft, you can analyze customer activity, manually select recipients, prepare a template, and send messages through a connected service.

You need an active paid mass mailing option and a configured delivery channel. First send a test message to your own contact, then launch the campaign for the selected customers. After sending, assess delivery, opt-outs, and repeat purchases: the fact that a purchase followed a message does not by itself prove that the advertising caused it.

Choose whom to invite and what to offer

The store owner defines inactivity based on how often customers usually return to buy its products. To do this, compare the intervals between previous purchases. The same period without purchases can mean different things for consumable products and seasonal inventory.

Illustrative example. A store decides to invite customers who previously bought personal care products but made no purchases in the last 90 days. This is a working criterion for a specific campaign. Before sending, the manager must make sure the product is in stock, the offer is relevant to these customers, and the list does not include people who have already opted out of advertising.

Before configuring the program, write a short task for the manager:

• which customer group to invite;
• what exactly the store is offering and for how long;
• which channel the recipients have consented to;
• how much the store is willing to spend on messages and discounts;
• when the owner will assess repeat purchases.

How to find inactive customers in Torgsoft

Open «Аналіз → Аналіз активності покупців» (Analysis → Customer Activity Analysis). Specify the «Період активності» (Activity Period) and «Центр обліку» (Accounting Center) — the store or warehouse in Torgsoft used for recordkeeping. If both fields are left blank, the analysis will cover the entire recordkeeping period and the whole retail network.

1. Review purchase history. The list includes the number of receipts, sales amounts, the date of the last purchase, and the amount of the last receipt. For an initial selection, choose a sufficiently long period to see the previous purchases of the customers you need.
2. Narrow the list by the offer. The «Куплений товар» (Purchased Product) and «Не куплений товар» (Not Purchased Product) filters let you specify, among other things, a product type or barcode. Use them when the offer relates to a previous purchase.
3. Compare the last purchase date with your criterion. Before adding a customer to the list, open their card and review recent purchases so you do not miss a purchase outside the selected period or product group. Manually select customers who meet the campaign criteria. Review a record with no purchase date separately and check whether the customer card contains any purchases.
4. Review cards for questionable records. Check the contact details, purchases, and returns. If a customer shops at several stores in the network, assess their activity at the appropriate scope before treating them as inactive.
5. Add recipients after creating the main campaign. Once you configure the channel, save the template, and create the main mailing, return to the selected customers. Use the «Включити в масову розсилку» (Include in Mass Mailing) action and select the main campaign you created. This action is available when the mailing option is active.

Another way to start selecting customers is to open «Маркетинг → Клієнти» (Marketing → Customers) and choose the «Дата останньої покупки» (Last Purchase Date) sort order. This form has a «Підписка на розсилку» (Mailing Subscription) filter for short text messages (SMS), email, or both channels. If the purchase date is not displayed, check «Спрощений режим відображення» (Simplified Display Mode): it hides this column and some calculated data.

Before launch, check the final recipient list against the campaign criteria: review purchases in «Аналіз активності покупців» (Customer Activity Analysis), and check contacts and subscriptions to the required channel in the «Клієнти» (Customers) form.

Check consent to advertising and contact data processing

A store operating in Ukraine must take the rules on commercial messages and personal data protection into account. A phone number provided for order delivery does not by itself mean consent to advertising campaigns. Under Articles 6 and 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection”, processing must have a defined lawful purpose and a proper legal basis. For a new purpose incompatible with the previous one, consent must be obtained unless otherwise provided by law.

Article 10 of the Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Commerce” provides for commercial electronic messages to be distributed on the basis of consent. Part 3 of this article also permits messages without consent if recipients are able to refuse further messages. This condition does not waive the requirements for lawful processing of personal data. For a customer reactivation campaign, create a list with recorded consent to advertising through the selected channel.

In the customer card, the «Інше» (Other) tab has the fields «Згоден отримувати інформацію по SMS» (Agrees to receive information by SMS) and «Згоден отримувати інформацію по E-Mail» (Agrees to receive information by email). The manager must compare these checkmarks with the consent actually obtained. For Viber, separately establish whether the consent covers this specific channel: consent to SMS should not automatically be interpreted as permission for any type of message.

As a practical matter, it is useful to record the date, method, and text of the consent. When a customer provides contact details, inform them immediately who controls the personal data, exactly what data the store collects and for what purpose, what rights the customer has, and to whom the data will be transferred. This follows from Article 12 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection.”

When a message is sent, the recipients’ contact details are transferred to an external delivery service. For this advertising campaign, the owner must obtain the customer’s consent covering transfer of the contact details to the selected service and tell the customer to whom the data will be transferred. Before connecting the service, find out how it protects the data; within the store, restrict employees’ access to contact details and connection keys. Articles 14 and 24 of this Law govern data transfer and protection; a sole proprietor is personally responsible for protecting the data they control.

Activate the Torgsoft mass mailing option and set a budget

“Mass Mailings to Customers” is an additional paid option with a one-year license. It works with Torgsoft Ultra and Torgsoft Terminal: for Ultra, the option license is purchased for each workstation; for Terminal, one license is purchased for the server. In the program, open «Налаштування → Перелік додаткових опцій» (Settings → List of Additional Options) and select «Масова розсилка Viber, SMS та e-mail» (Mass Mailing via Viber, SMS, and Email). An «Активувати на 30 днів» (Activate for 30 Days) action is available for trial use. Check the current terms for the option and the main licenses on the option page and in the pricing section.

SMS and Viber are paid for separately from the Torgsoft license through an external service. Email providers may also have their own rates and limits. Before launch, the manager should find out the cost of an actual message, the sender name requirements, and the available balance. Check message length in the template form and against the selected service’s rules. Long SMS messages are split into billable parts; the number depends on the characters in the text and the provider’s terms.

Before launch, make sure the message has been saved in full, review it on a phone after a test send, and find out how many parts will be charged for each recipient. A free option trial does not mean message delivery is free.

Configure one channel and prepare a template

For the first campaign, choose one channel to which the recipients have consented. This makes it easier for the manager to check the text, delivery, and costs. Open this section through «Маркетинг → Масова розсилка» (Marketing → Mass Mailing).

Example: configuring SMS through AlphaSMS

1. Create an account with AlphaSMS, agree on the sending terms and obtain approval for the sender name. The key for the software connection is available in the service account under API settings. API means application programming interface.
2. In the Torgsoft section for SMS and Viber services, add AlphaSMS and enter the key you received. Do not change the connection address unless needed: a separate address is used to connect to the partner service.
3. Open «Налаштування шаблонів масової розсилки» (Mass Mailing Template Settings) and click «Додати» (Add). Enter a clear name, select «SMS-розсилка» (SMS Mailing), and choose the «Стандартна» (Standard) type.
4. Fill in «Зміст шаблону» (Template Content). Select the approved SMS signature — the sender name the customer will see instead of a phone number. Save the template with the «Записати» (Save) button.

A template is a message draft. The «Вставити змінну» (Insert Variable) action lets you add a field that the program will fill with customer data, such as their discount. For the first campaign, use only variables that have a value and are appropriate for every recipient.

If customers have consented to Viber or email

Torgsoft supports connecting TurboSMS Viber using an access key from the service account, which must be entered in the «Токен HTTP API авторизації» (HTTP API Authorization Token) field. HTTP is the Hypertext Transfer Protocol; API is an application programming interface. In the template, select «Viber» and the «Рекламне» (Advertising) message type, fill in «Зміст Viber» (Viber Content), and select or create a «Viber підпис» (Viber Signature). In the corresponding template field, enter the offer page address and fill in «Заголовок кнопки» (Button Title). Once all template settings are complete, click «Записати» (Save). Recipients will open this page by clicking the button. The «Перегляд» (Preview) action lets you view the message and open the link; preview it again after editing.

The transactional type is for service text without advertising and must match a template registered with the service. Format a promotion invitation as an advertising message. Enable «Довідправлення через SMS» (Send via SMS if Viber Fails) only for recipients whose consent also covers advertising SMS. Prepare a separate SMS text and signature: this message is sent when the Viber message has an error status and incurs additional costs.

For email, select «Електронною поштою» (By Email) and the «Стандартна» (Standard) type in the template, fill in the subject and text, then click «Записати» (Save). Choose the sending method when creating the mailing itself, on the «Масові розсилки» (Mass Mailings) tab. For the Outlook method, configure Microsoft Outlook on the work computer in advance. If using SMTP — the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol — select or add connection settings agreed with the email provider in the «Email налаштування» (Email Settings) field. Also find out the provider’s limits on bulk sending. The interval between emails field does not guarantee that messages will reach the inbox.

Write an offer the customer can use

Name the store in the message, explain the offer, state how long and where it is valid, and provide a clear way to opt out of advertising. Do not include details about previous purchases unless the recipient needs them.

If you advertise a discount or sale, Part 4 of Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On Advertising” requires you to state the location, start and end dates, and discount amount or the ratio of the new price to the previous price. For goods sold in Ukraine, advertised prices must be stated in hryvnias. The offer terms must be unambiguous, and the advertising nature of the message must be clear.

Illustrative Viber or email text: “Advertisement. Lavka store, 10 Sadova Street: from November 1 to 7, get 10% off shampoos from series A. Offer valid at this store only. Use the button to view the product range and terms. Opt out of advertising using the link.”

Before using this sample, the manager must insert the actual terms and working links. On the offer page, provide direct, simple, and stable access to seller information as required by Article 7 of the Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Commerce.” State the full legal name of the legal entity or the entrepreneur’s surname, first name, and patronymic; the legal entity’s location or the entrepreneur’s place of registration and actual residence; an email address and/or online store address; and the legal entity’s identification code or the entrepreneur’s taxpayer registration number.

For an entrepreneur who has lawfully declined such a number on religious grounds and has a corresponding passport notation, state the passport series and number. If the activity requires a license, include its series, number, validity period, and issue date. If a price is stated, explain whether taxes are included and, if delivery is available, state its cost, as required by Article 10 of this Law.

Test the message and send it to the selected customers

1. Preview the template. Use «Перевірити» (Check) and, for an advertising Viber message, «Перегляд» (Preview). Make sure variables populate correctly and the link leads to the intended offer.
2. Create a separate test mailing. Add only the contact details of an employee who has agreed to the test. Send it and open the message on a phone or in an email inbox. Check the opt-out method as well.
3. Prepare the main campaign. On the «Масові розсилки» (Mass Mailings) tab, click «Додати» (Add), fill in the date, time, and description, and select the appropriate template and service. Save the record.
4. Check the recipients. Add only the selected customers. In the «Маркетинг → Клієнти» (Marketing → Customers) form, use the «Додати в масову розсилку» (Add to Mass Mailing) action. Review the number of contacts, the channel, and previous messages to avoid unnecessary repeats.
5. Start sending. On the «Масові розсилки» (Mass Mailings) tab, select the required campaign and click «Відправити повідомлення» (Send Messages).

Filling in the date and time does not replace manual launch. The «Час доставки» (Delivery Time) field sets the sending time on the service side after an employee manually submits the mailing from Torgsoft. If no time is specified, the service starts sending after receiving the messages from the program. Before manually launching a mass mailing, check the selected template, service, and recipient list once more.

Handle errors and opt-outs

In the «Повідомлення масової розсилки» (Mass Mailing Messages) table, review «Опис результату відправки» (Sending Result Description) and «Час фактичної відправки» (Actual Sending Time). The «Оновити статус відправки» (Refresh Sending Status) action requests the latest result. A pending response from the service does not yet mean the message has been delivered to the customer.

Before using «Надіслати недоставлені» (Send Undelivered), the manager must find out the reason for the error. If a phone number or setting has been corrected, resending may be appropriate. If the customer blocked advertising or asked not to receive any more messages, exclude them from future advertising campaigns. Do not switch to another channel to get around an opt-out.

Assign an employee to handle opt-outs, update the relevant checkmarks in the customer card, and review lists already prepared. The right to withdraw consent is provided for in Article 8 of the Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection.” For SMS with a brand signature, provide a working opt-out method that does not depend on the ability to reply to the message.

Calculate repeat purchases and campaign costs

For a repeat purchase to be linked to the customer card, the cashier must select the relevant customer during the sale. Before assessing the results, the manager should compare several such sales with purchases in the customer cards. On the «Аналіз масової розсилки» (Mass Mailing Analysis) tab, select the campaign, assessment period, and accounting center. Review the number of purchases and sales amounts for its participants. For Viber advertising messages, delivery, read, and link click statuses are also available. These metrics help show at what stage customers responded to the message, but they do not confirm profit.

The owner should separately assess how many customers would have returned without the mailing. One practical method is to randomly select, before launch, some eligible recipients who will receive no message during the assessment period. This is the comparison group. The observation period, product availability, and other conditions must be the same for both groups.

Illustrative calculation. Of 200 customers in the mailing group, 20 made a repeat purchase, or 10%. Of 100 customers who received no message, 6 made a purchase, or 6%. The difference is 4 percentage points. For 200 customers, this corresponds to about 8 additional customers making a purchase, assuming the groups are comparable. Use the result of a small campaign to plan the next test; it depends on the customer mix, offer, and observation period.

To assess the financial result, account for the purchase cost of goods sold, returns, discounts, delivery paid by the store, message charges, and a portion of the option cost. Do not subtract the discount again if it is already reflected in the actual sales amount. The «Виручка реалізацій» (Sales Revenue) metric in the activity report does not account for returns, so review them separately.

Save the selection criteria, offer text, assessment period, and costs. Before the next campaign, remove anyone who opted out and anyone who has already returned and no longer meets the inactivity criterion. Decide whether to send another mailing based on the result of the specific offer, its costs, and customer response.

Regulations for advertising mailings

• Law of Ukraine “On Personal Data Protection,” dated June 1, 2010, No. 2297-VI: Articles 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, and 24 cover the purpose and grounds for processing, customer rights, information, data transfer, and data protection.
• Law of Ukraine “On Electronic Commerce,” dated September 3, 2015, No. 675-VIII: Article 10 covers consent, the right to opt out, and requirements for commercial electronic messages; Article 7 covers access to seller information.
• Law of Ukraine “On Advertising,” dated July 3, 1996, No. 270/96-VR: Articles 7–10 cover accuracy, requirements for discount advertising, price statements, and identifying advertising.