The Power of Personalization in Digital Marketing

Personalization in digital marketing is an incredible tool that’s consistently proven to improve campaign results if executed in an engaging, authentic manner. This article explores how looking at things from the customer’s perspective could be a game-changer in your digital marketing strategy.

 Most of us who existed in the analog world may recall a time when the video store guy knew our name, and possibly even our snack of choice as we’d rent Ghostbusters for the 4th time. That’s what we called personalization before everything went digital. It’s the same reason why brands today personalize their promotional emails and address the recipient by their first name.

In the words of Dale Carnegie, “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

The power of personalization still holds true, even more so in the ultra-competitive digital marketing arena.

Below, we explore a few of reasons why modern marketers are personalizing their marketing to force more intimate connections with their target audience:

People Demand Personalization

Personalization isn’t just the latest buzzword in the digital marketing landscape. It’s what people expect from their favorite brands. They want to feel heard and there is no better way to make them feel valuable than to personalize the campaigns.

Unfortunately, not all businesses realize the importance of it. According to a 2017 Accenture report, nearly 41% of people switched to rival companies due to a lack of trust and poor personalization. It cost a staggering $756 Bn for U.S. organizations!

By this logic, if brands create ways to send the right message at the right time to the right person, it can go a long way towards retaining customers, and capturing the attention of prospective users or buyers. In fact, most customers don’t hesitate to pay for personalized products or services.

Brands Can Create Better Content

Creating unique content that makes brands stand out is possible because of personalization. Such content has the power to etch in the memory of people. A great example of personalization done right is that of Coca-Cola.

Remember the 2011 Share A Coke campaign? The soft drink giant managed to lift sales –for the first time in a decade – through this campaign that centered upon personalization! Customers had the opportunity to have their names printed on classic Coke bottles…the campaign got a resounding yes from millennials.

Such simple yet powerful marketing strategies could have a lasting impact on customers, particularly when you leverage the power of social media marketing in these campaigns.

Personalization Humanizes the Brand

Most people tend to think that automation takes away the “human element” from their campaigns. While that is true to an extent, it doesn’t have to be that way. For instance, marketers can implement a reply-to-address option in their automated emails.

This way customers can leave their feedback and ask questions that they may have. Moreover, it would greatly increase the chances of conversion. When customers know the names and faces behind the company emails, they can connect with the brand on a human level.

There is no better way of expressing that humans are the heart and soul of a company, not robots.

Businesses Can Strengthen Relationships

Personalization allows businesses to convey their gratitude to customers. Sending a thank-you email or a birthday email is a great way of strengthening customer relationships. Apart from emails, companies can even personalize the landing pages and entire website.

This digital marketing strategy works like magic for driving greater conversions and sales. In essence, brands should strive to make their website, apps, or landing pages feel like home for their users.

Data is the Backbone.

Personalizing marketing cannot be possible without the collection of customer data. In fact, the campaign’s success depends on how effectively businesses gather and measure data. Ethical data collection methods such as surveys and emails can help marketers gain more knowledge about their target customers, ensuring the efforts to personalize experiences and products are actually effective.

By consistently evolving the buyer persona, they can target the right people and personalize the message delivered through the marketing campaigns. Not to mention the fact that the information can be used to revamp the blog, emails, ads, and other forms of content.

To Sum it Up

Being empathetic to the needs and preferences of customers goes a long way for businesses. More and more brands are thus leveraging the power of personalization to take their digital marketing game to the next level.

Customers appreciate this one-on-one marketing strategy which is why they reciprocate by engaging with the content and project. As customers become increasingly bombarded by digital marketing messages through virtually every medium, personalization will continue to play an even more prominent role in capturing attention and retaining and engaging customers.