Tell me more...about me.

Posted December 13, 2022 in
IMPACT+ HQ IMPACT+ HQ

Will Smith

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Alternate title: Email personalization is more than simply checking a box. 

Each of us is a unique individual with specific likes, dislikes, tastes, preferences and life experiences. We can agree that individually, we would prefer to be treated this way rather than being lumped together with the masses. 

Then why are so many marketing emails sent to 1,000s of people, without considering the person when it comes to personalization? My theory is most marketers are looking to get the most out of their time spent on an email, therefore, every message must be sent to everyone. It is easier to assume that every message applies to everyone. In other words, marketers are lazy with their segmentation and lazy with their personalization. These organizations consider personalization to be putting a first name in the subject line and that's it. ✅ Personalization done. 

There is a tremendous opportunity in personalization. Companies that do it right reap the benefits of brand loyalty because their fans feel known and appreciated. Two simple, but powerful examples of personalization:

  • Grammarly. Though I use a free account, Grammarly sends me email updates that inform me of my word usage and how it compares to others using the platform. 
  • Sutera. A simple metric such as "you've opened my last 5 emails" lets me know that Liz T. is paying attention, and is happy to provide a discount because of this action. I also appreciate that this email always comes from a person, rather than sales@sutera or marketing@sutera. This email gets opened every. single. time.
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How can you up your email personalization game? Below are a few ideas, provided you are collecting the right data and can take action on it:

  • Anniversary emails. When did your customer relationship begin? Send an anniversary and appreciation email. Note that this goes beyond the typical birthday email. 
  • Milestones. Similar to the Grammarly example, what actions are your customers taking that could lead or has led to a milestone? 
  • Product suggestion emails based on abandoned cart selections. 
  • Product update and/or maintenance emails. 
  • If you have a physical store, use geographical data to provide specific discounts to anyone who is close to the store. 
  • Send additional related content, based on blogs/videos they have read/watched. 
  • Need more ideas? Watch what brands/companies that you regularly engage with are doing, then apply the principle to your own business. 

    Marketers - it's time to stop being lazy and put in the work. It's time to collect the data we need, segment as much as possible, and get creative with how we utilize the power of personalization. If you want to establish trust, there's no better way than telling someone more about themselves and how your business is a part of that. 

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Will Smith
Marianne Baehr  - this post was inspired by our last two training calls. Keep up your great work to get the data you need to personalize the customer experience as much as possible! 👍
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Will Smith
A few more suggestions (with % increase rates!) from Jay Schwedelson, founder of subjectline.com

subjectline.com
subjectline.com
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