Why Personalization is your Secret Marketing Weapon
When we talk about personalization in marketing, we’re not just talking about adding someone’s name to an email. Ok, yes, that does help. But it’s more about curating the user’s experience with your brand to make them feel included, considered, and truly a part of your brand’s marketing process.
In the past, marketing was sort of a ‘blanket statement’ – ads said ‘Here’s our product, here’s what it does, buy it!’ But nowadays, people require a little more attention. Even though we live in a world that is largely digital and automated, people are still looking for a genuine connection with the companies that they choose to interact with. In fact, a whopping 90% of users view personalized marketing in a positive light when it comes to brands they want to buy from. And though that number might be shocking, it’s not surprising. Personalization allows users to ‘cut to the chase’ and see content that will appeal to their buying habits, demographic, etc., without all of the extra fluff that doesn’t apply to them. Getting straight to the point will make it more likely that a customer will start to build a relationship with you instead of glossing over and moving on to the next.
Users want to know that brands are listening.
If you’re just getting started with your personalized marketing strategy, try starting with email campaigns, social media, or blog posts. The key to personalization in these mediums is speaking with your audience in a way that relates to them. Oftentimes in marketing, companies may send out blanket emails or social media ads advertising a product to an audience that can’t relate. Not only does this tactic hurt your brand on the outside, but it can hurt you on the inside, too – not targeting the correct audience can hurt your marketing budget and decrease your ROI.
Emails in particular are the main culprits here (though social media is not free from blame!). 71% of consumers say that personalization plays a big factor in whether or not they open the email – which means not including a personalized subject line can result in a lot of unopened emails. Additionally, generic emails from companies, especially those that are unsolicited, can end up filtered out of Gmail’s primary box to the promotions folder, social folder, or worse – the dreaded spam folder never to be seen again.
Personalization can also be as simple as using the right tone of voice and targeting the right audience. Consumers aren’t looking to be bombarded by digital ads and social media posts that don’t have anything to do with them – they are looking for ads that add value to their search. Defining your audience will also help you in the long run, because again, you don’t want to waste a big budget advertising to an audience who doesn’t have any use for your product or service. You’ll also want to speak in the tone of voice that your audience will relate to – and this is extremely important when it comes to social media and blog posts (and any type of marketing you’re doing, really). As much as people want to feel like they are being heard, they also want to feel like a brand is truly connecting with them. Yes, that means exactly what you think it means. Try talking to your audience, not at them. You’ll be surprised how your engagement stats change.
91% of consumers prefer companies that offer personalized recommendations.
Speaking of stats, have you been checking yours? If you haven’t, consider starting. Data is an important part of marketing personalization. There are times where you may feel like you know your audience inside and out, but if they aren’t engaging with your content, try turning to your data to get specifics.
Data and analytics are just as integral to personalization as the creative ideas are. They will help you identify which audiences you are connecting with, what types of content they are engaging with, and help you nail down the best times and what channels to use to reach out. Looking at your audience’s habits and behavior on your brand’s website and social media can help you create more of the content that matters to them, resulting in an audience that keeps coming back to your site for more information. Consumers will feel like you are considering them through your marketing, which can also result in better conversions. 91% (that’s nearly all!) of consumers actually prefer companies that provide them with relevant content and personalized recommendations. That’s an incredible amount of opportunity to miss out on. Take advantage of those analytics and seriously consider them when building your strategy.
A personalized marketing strategy gives consumers a sense of identity.
Ok, ok – we know you’re curious about how this affects the relationship with your customer. The fact of the matter is that, yes, people know that a brand is probably in touch with hundreds of people each day. Still, no one wants to feel like a faceless person in a crowd. Using a personalized strategy helps your audience with their sense of identity – meaning that they feel as if you see them as a person instead of just a customer number.
Take the time to really get to know your audience, what they need, and what they’re feeling. That includes feedback! You don’t just want to have superficial relationships with your consumers; you want to build brand loyalty. You want people to see your brand as their go-to so that they come back. Brand loyalty can bring in other customers as well; after all, good word spreads fast.
But what if you want to build these relationships and you don’t know where to start? Simple – ask your audience what you want to know. It works (trust us)! Social Media Polls, Customer Surveys, and just generally asking for feedback is a great way to tap into your audience’s mind and get the information that you need. Throughout this post we’ve talked about how the majority of people prefer personalized experiences. 83% of consumers say that they would happily share information that would lead to a more personalized marketing experience. It never hurts to ask!
There you have it! Personalization is probably one of the most useful tools in your marketing bag, so don’t let it fall by the wayside. Here at Creative Juice, we are avid users of personalized marketing because we believe that building great relationships are the first step to a successful marketing & branding strategy. If you are curious about how personalization can help you develop a better marketing strategy and build better relationships, contact us. We’ll be happy to help! 🍑