Why personalization works (and why you should start using it!)
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There’s no doubt you’ve heard a lot about personalization the last few years. If you’ve been reading this blog for a little while, you’ve read at least a few posts on the importance of using personalized emails.
So you know the “how.” But what about the “why?”
There are reasons why personalization in email is a big topic and why marketers see results.
In this post, we’re going to dig into a few of them.
Hopefully, that will help you understand the reasons behind why personalization works so you can start applying techniques in the ways that best work for your brand and customers.
What is personalization?
Let’s start with the basics.
Personalization is really a catch-all term for understanding more of the demographics, behavior, and motivation of your customers.
The most straightforward approach is to get your customer’s name and then add that to the copy of the emails you send.
Here’s an example:
One of the easiest ways to get Kyle’s attention and catch his eye is to use his name right in the email.
You can also include their name in the subject line. For example, just adding a person’s name in the subject line has been shown to increase open rates.
Kyle isn’t alone. Experian found that “personalized emails generate six times higher transaction rates.”
What marketer wouldn’t like to see those numbers?
What kind of information can you personalize?
By now, most brands understand the basics of personalization and are using names. But, there are many more levels of personalization beyond that.
Some include:
- Geographic location: Use this to highlight local events and even the weather in a specific destination. People perk up when they get info that’s tailored to where they live.
- Buying behavior: You can segment customers who buy specific products or services and send them emails about these (and related) items. Or send them a note if they’ve abandoned a purchase.
- Loyalty: Your VIP and most loyal customers can be big beneficiaries of personalization. Let them know you appreciate them!
- Dates: Move beyond holiday sale announcements and send out unique emails for your customer’s birthdays or their anniversary of joining your list or buying a product instead.
Data makes all of this possible.
And, if you combine data with dynamic emails, then you can make a massive impact.
Your customer will open your email and get personalized information right at that very moment, not when you first sent it.
When it comes to personalization, that’s hard to beat!
Personalization makes customers happy
That’s the ultimate goal, right?
You make money, and customers are happy. So it’s critical to understand how personalization does that.
The biggest reason why personalization works is it helps you build a better relationship with your customers. Today, it’s all about trust. Customers care a lot more about not only what they are buying but who they are buying from too.
You want to let your customers know they aren’t just a nameless face in the crowd, they matter. You can show them that by personalizing the content, you send them, so it applies only to them.
The above email illustrates this perfectly.
When your customer opens an email like this one, it makes them feel it was only made for them.
It shows information about the specific store they would go to in their local area, in this case, Portland, Oregon. And, it also highlights particular times and dates for setting appointments.
An email like this not only screams personalization; it also makes it really easy for the subscriber to turn into a customer with a click.
Now for you, this sort of personalization has benefits too. It helps you segment your list and send them more targeted information.
Your customers in Chicago might have different fashion interests, especially in those cold winter months, when compared to your Miami customers. Knowing that you can — and should — create specific interactive emails and content that talk about those target areas.
You get the benefit of creating better content, which means you can give more targeted recommendations. And your customers will feel like you really know them and care, they aren’t getting some email blast that’s sent to everyone.
That’s how personalization can make a difference.
Once you understand that, it’s your job to make it happen. Look at your current email marketing campaigns and see where you can start implementing personalization beyond the basics. The technology is there to help you stand out from the competition.
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