Let’s Get Personal: The Importance of Customer Personalization
Before we jump into better understand customer personalization, I’ve got a quick question for you…
You’re glancing at your Inbox between meetings or during a lull in the day. There are two unread emails:
One says “Hurry, Big Sale Ends Tomorrow”.
The other says
“Hey, (Your Name) saw this pair of shoes that would look great on you.”
Which one are you opening first??
The more personalized your communications gets the deeper the connection is. The better the connection the greater the ROI will be at the end of the day. Read just how important customer personalization can be, and how you can jump on the bandwagon fast.
It’s All in Your Head
It’s true, personalization is all in your head. But that’s where everyone hangs out so it’s a good place to target your marketing. We all crave recognition; we yearn to feel important, special, noticed. Some people will go to great lengths, such as Guinness World Record holders or athletes that push themselves beyond the breaking point. While most people don’t go to these extremes, we all harbor those same desires. Customer personalization is all about fulfilling that need to be important. Even something as basic as our own name creates subtle but powerful sensations of intimacy. That could be the difference between grabbing someones attention and simply being passed over.
The beauty of tools such as marketing automation and behavioral insight software is that they allow you to get personal. Like up close. in your face. eye exam personal! The skilled marketer will do this in a way that is unobtrusive and casual, and the potential is limitless.
Don’t stop with personalized greetings;
Send relevant product suggestions based on browser history
Tailored promotions based on each customer placement in the sales funnel
and include appealing URL’s so the lead is brought exactly where he/she wants to be.
Use everything you can to win your customer’s heart over and over again. From number of clicks to pages viewed, and search terms used to where the visitor is coming from, tailor your messages to match that person’s wants and needs.
What’s in it For Me?
Of course, just getting personal won’t work if you don’t follow through with value. Calling you by your first name, and then trying to sell ice to an Eskimo is hardly personalized marketing, and certainly bound to fail. Customer personalization has to be an A to Z process; that means from the first encounter with your brand until purchase (and beyond), the whole experience is something unique and geared toward the customer.
Where the lead is coming from, what age and economic bracket they fall into, gender, education level, heck, what they ate for breakfast on Friday, is all information you can gather and more importantly, utilize to make their on-site experience the most enjoyable and beneficial one possible. Sending a $5 off coupon for Sugar Smacks to your health-conscious, gluten-free shopper won’t do you any good. But a discount on granola will. Take note of preferences, choices, decisions, even moods and trends, and then target your promotions, links and campaigns accordingly.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by tailoring your marketing campaigns. Everything from the articles you write to the ads you send should reflect a deep understanding into the persona of your potential customer. Take the time to get to know your audience, it’ll pay back immeasurably.
Additional Reading
Understand how behavioral marketing technology can help you personalize your marketing campaigns and get more response. If you are looking to convert leads better and faster read the “Lead segmentation for colossal lead conversion” article.