Do you want to turn one-time customers into forever customers? If yes, you’ll want to add one spice to your business marketing efforts:
Personalization.
As humans, we all want to feel seen and heard. So when a business goes out of its way to treat us as individuals and gets to know our needs, wants, preferences and behaviors, we’re more likely to remain engaged. (And less likely to seek out the competition.)
Personalized marketing initiatives enhance a customer’s experience with your company, open the door to creating deeper relationships, and increase audience engagement. And by taking the time to really get to know your customers, you’re able to offer them the right products and services at the right time. That will improve your chances of making a sale and cut the time and money you spend targeting people who aren’t interested.
Let’s look at some ways you can personalize your marketing efforts — and some tools that can help you do it.
3 Types of Personalization in Marketing
Personalization goes much further than just addressing your customer by their first name. (But you should do that, too. No, seriously, if you’re still beginning every email with “Dear Valued Customer,” we need you to stop immediately.)
Consider these types of personalization:
#1: Product Personalization
Think of your favorite music streaming platform. When you first signed up, it was a blank slate. But as you began to listen to music and create playlists, it “learned” that you like smooth jazz and Broadway showtunes.
The more it learned about your music tastes, the more it began to suggest things for you. And those suggestions leaned far more toward Anita Baker and Andrew Lloyd Webber than Tool or Tu Pac.
You want to do something similar with your business marketing. The more you learn about your individual customers, the more you should tailor your offers to them.
#2: Email Personalization
The “Dear Valued Customer” email greeting we referenced above is about as personal as junk mail addressed to “Occupant.” It’s worthless. Your customers know that, and deep down, you do, too.
But as important as it to know who you’re emailing, it’s just as important to know why you’re emailing. Which is where personalization comes in.
Are you having a sale on a product that they’ve bought ten times before? Hosting an event in their geographic area? Reaching out because it’s their birthday and you’re offering a coupon to help them celebrate? Tell them that!
The more personalized and specific your emails are, the more inclined your audiences will be to keep opening them. (Even if they don’t want what you’re selling right now.)
#3: Behavioral-Based Personalization
The best prediction of future behavior is past behavior. If a husband sends his wife a dozen red roses every July 15, it’s probably a milestone date. If a customer has brought in their RV for winterization the weekend after Labor Day every year for the past five years, that’s probably when their camping season ends.
Recognizing these trends makes it easier to capitalize on them.
Send the husband a reminder email at the beginning of July with a bouquet upsell and a discount code for free delivery. Make a phone call in late August letting the RV owner know that since they’ve been such a good customer, you’re calling to give them scheduling priority for their post-Labor Day winterization.
These kinds of personal touches will keep customers coming back for more!
Personalization Tools and Best Practices
We hear you. Personalized marketing sounds great in theory. But what busy business marketer has the time to keep track of hundreds or thousands of people?
You do — provided you have the right tools at your disposal. Customer relationship management (CRM) software exists to help you take your data-driven marketing efforts to the next level. (Check out three of our favorites if you want to get started.)
Never underestimate the power of audience segmentation, which is instrumental in personalized marketing. And if you still need help capturing all of your customer’s information, forms and surveys are the way to go!
Get Personal With Your Business Marketing!
When your customers feel like more than a name in a database, they’re more likely to become receptive, engaged audience members who trust that you have their best interests in mind. And that turns a one-time customer into a forever customer!
Do you need help getting a bit more personal? Mischa Communications is ready to do the handshaking for you. Let’s make the introductions!