TL;DR
NBA uses AI to deliver the right action to the right person in real time.
Marketers use NBA to drive upsells, re-engagement, retention, and more.
It adapts based on live behavior, not static rules or one-size-fits-all journeys.
These 10 use cases show how NBA boosts results across industries and channels.
Smarter actions = less guesswork, more growth.
Real-World Marketing Use Cases that Go Beyond Guesswork
It’s easy to talk about “smart decisions” or “predictive experiences” in marketing. But what does that actually look like in practice?
At a high level, Next Best Action (NBA) is about using AI to choose the most valuable thing to do for each individual customer, in the moment. Not what worked last time. Not what you hope might work. But what’s most likely to work right now—based on their behavior, preferences, and intent.
In this post, we’ll walk through 10 practical ways marketers can use NBA in the real world. Think of these as templates: you can adapt them to your vertical, goals, or tech stack. The common thread? Less guesswork. More results.
1. Upsell Free or Trial users into Paying Customers
This one’s all about timing. Let’s say someone’s using a free version of your product, app, or content—but clearly getting value. They’re active, engaged, and interacting with higher-tier features.
Step 1: Target
Identify freemium or trial users with high engagement—like frequent logins, repeat views, or use of key tools.
Step 2: Define the options
NBA could choose between different upsell messages (e.g., feature unlock, premium tier, limited-time discount).
Step 3: Optimize
Use AI to score each offer based on past behavior, usage depth, and promotion history. Deliver the one most likely to convert now, not later.
2. Drive New Product or Service Sign-Ups
When you’ve got multiple products to promote—especially in financial services or retail—the question becomes: which offer is best for which customer?
Step 1: Target
Look for customers who show signs of buying intent or product interest, but haven’t yet taken action.
Step 2: Define the options
This could include co-branded cards, subscription services, rewards programs, or high-margin add-ons.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA analyzes transaction history, past clicks, and lifecycle stage to recommend the product with the highest likelihood of uptake.
3. Turn Content into a Re-Engagement Tool
For media and publishing brands, engagement is currency. But not all content performs equally—for the brand or the user.
Step 1: Target
Focus on users with medium engagement—maybe they visit weekly, not daily—or those who are slipping.
Step 2: Define the options
Options might include a personalized article, a trending topic, or a teaser for premium content.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA recommends content that matches past interests but also reflects current session behavior (e.g., how deep they’ve scrolled, what they’ve hovered on).
4. Boost AOV with Smart Product Suggestions
Upselling and cross-selling is easy in theory—hard in execution. Static recommendations often miss the mark.
Step 1: Target
Identify customers who just completed a transaction—or are showing high purchase intent.
Step 2: Define the options
Suggest categories or items that complement their cart: accessories, warranties, product bundles, etc.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA scores each recommendation by real-time product availability, margin, and likelihood to convert based on the user’s behavior.
5. Prevent Churn Before it Happens
You know the signs: fewer logins, ignored emails, skipped steps. Churn is coming—but it’s not too late.
Step 1: Target
Surface users with declining engagement signals or predicted risk factors (e.g., trial ending, reduced usage, dropped feature engagement).
Step 2: Define the options
Retention nudges, personalized win-back messages, or offers to downgrade instead of cancel.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA chooses the tactic with the highest probability of keeping the customer—without over-discounting or chasing dead leads.
6. Personalize First Impressions in Onboarding
You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression—and that applies to your onboarding flow, too.
Step 1: Target
New signups or subscribers who are still in their first 1–3 sessions.
Step 2: Define the options
Next steps could include: tutorial, quiz, category chooser, or starter offer.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA determines which action best helps that individual get value fast—based on similar users and early signals of interest.
7. Save the Right People from the Paywall
For content-driven brands, monetizing attention without driving users away is tricky. Paywalls help—until they hurt.
Step 1: Target
Readers approaching the paywall threshold (e.g., 3 of 5 free reads)—especially those showing intent, not just traffic.
Step 2: Define the options Subscribe, register, refer a friend, or offer more value before gating.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA selects the option most likely to drive conversion—while maximizing long-term revenue, not just immediate signups.
8. Optimize Email CTAs Based on Behavior
Not every email should push the same CTA. But most do—because it’s hard to tailor dynamically.
Step 1: Target
Email subscribers with recent engagement or funnel momentum.
Step 2: Define the options
Multiple CTA variants based on behavior—free trial, content, upgrade, event registration.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA adjusts the CTA in the moment of open, based on most recent behavior (site visit, app usage, campaign history).
9. Improve Lead Routing and Nurture Sequences
Not all leads are equal. But most get dropped into the same nurture anyway—leading to wasted cycles and missed opportunities.
Step 1: Target
New or unqualified leads entering a nurture flow or scoring model.
Step 2: Define the options
Branch paths: educate, accelerate, score-and-route, or wait-and-see.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA uses declared data (form inputs) + behavioral signals to assign the right path—and adjust it if behavior changes.
10. Orchestrate Smarter Multi-Channel Sequences
Sometimes it’s not about what you say—but when and where you say it.
Step 1: Target
Users who’ve recently taken action (or inaction) in one channel.
Step 2: Define the options
Options might include an SMS, push, email, or on-site message.
Step 3: Optimize
NBA looks at channel preferences, historical response, and recency to pick the channel that’s most likely to perform right now.
Final Thought: Stop Choosing Blindly
If you’ve ever wondered whether your CTA was the right one… it probably wasn’t.
NBA helps take the guesswork out by letting AI choose—and continuously improve—the action that drives real business value for every customer, every time.
Want to see how marketers are applying this across industries and use cases? Connect with our team to see how we can help you meet your goals.