• by Jess Nelson , October 21, 2015

Developers at Autopilot, a marketing automation software company focusing on email data, believe they have figured out a way to bypass AdBlock.

Autopilot today released Headsup, a new marketing technology designed to help marketers engage with customers who use AdBlock.

AdBlock filters content online to prevent ads from being displayed, but Autopilot claims to solve the issue by connecting to customers directly via pop-up chats.

Although this feature is common online, Autopilot claims that Headsup is the first time in-app messaging has been available for marketers. In that respect, Autopilot says Headsup is an entirely new marketing channel.

Previously, Autopilot’s business primarily focused on personal email, SMS and direct mail. Headsup will now add in-app and on-site engagement marketing opportunities to Autopilot’s portfolio of automated email marketing products.

By integrating Headsup with Autopilot’s email marketing data, marketers can utilize customer profile data to recommend relevant content and products to consumers. Possible examples could include creating special offers or scheduling appointments in real-time.

In a post ad-blocking world, marketers need to “move past interruption-based marketing and towards more personal forms of communication that help customers fulfill their needs throughout their buying journey,” states Autopilot CEO and co-founder Mike Sharkey.

Autopilot also offers analytics and built-in reporting tools so marketers can compare engagement across email and Headsup. Initial beta testing results seem to be strong, and the company claims beta users tripled email open rates and increased clicks by more than 14x.

Headsup Beta customer Instapage said that it had also seen increases in the amount of time customers spent on its website. “We’ve been able to easily reach out to our customers at critical stages of the customer journey,” states Tyson Quick, CEO of Instapage.

That “critical stage” is when consumers may be most likely to convert to a sale because they are already engaging with the company. Headsup targets consumers who are already on a company’s mobile app or Web site and helps complete the customer sales cycle by finalizing the deal.

This could be a valuable tool for marketers looking to increase conversion rates of customers who are already engaging with a company, but Headsup it is not a tool to increase leads itself.