So you’ve put together a mailing list and have been sending scheduled marketing campaigns to for some time. However, you aren’t seeing the conversions you were hoping for, as too many of your emails go unopened, and even fewer get the click-throughs that convert into a sale. Looking through the content of your messages, how does the tone sound? Does it feel like a bot or a real person addressing the recipient? If it feels like your messages are missing that special something, then it may be that your email personalization strategy is not good enough, or non-existent.
Why email personalization is essential to your marketing campaigns
Market research firm Radicati found that the average consumer receives about 117 emails per day. That is 117 emails, all clamoring for one user’s attention, the same user that could be a part of your mailing list. In reality, your marketing email is competing against another 116 emails, and it will stand out more if you take the time to personalize it. Email personalization appeals to a user on a subconscious level, addressing them and their needs specifically. It makes them feel like they are interacting with a human being rather than an automatic bot, which compels them to engage with the content that your brand has to offer. Businesses have reported a 19% increase in sales from using more personalized email campaigns, according to e-commerce software company Kibo. So how do you personalise emails you ask? The following are email personalization tips that you can apply to your emails and potentially boost sales for your business.
- Let your subscribers personalize their experiences.
A subscriber feels freer to engage with your content when they feel that they have some control over the correspondence that they receive from you. Some people may be fine receiving weekly emails, while others may be more content with monthly messages. Giving them the freedom to set their own preferences allows them to decide how relevant your content is to their current needs. A 2020 survey by consulting agency Gongos found that about 56% of their surveyed Millenials preferred brands that let them customize their experiences. This is an email personalization approach that puts the power in the hands of your subscribers, building their trust in your brand in the process.
- Consider location, time, and seasons.
One of the most common email personalization tactics involves tailoring messages to these three themes, and it depends strongly on the data you’ve collected. If your subscriber is in a different time zone than you, consider sending your email at a time when you are sure it is convenient and optimal for them to be reading it. If they come from a different country than others, add content referencing experiences in their particular location within your campaign. For instance, not all countries celebrate thanksgiving. So only include Thanksgiving-related content for subscribers in locations where the holiday is celebrated.
- Collect information by questioning users directly.
Building a relationship with your subscribers where you know more about their interests is one of the most direct ways to personalize your emails to them in the long run. Depending on the nature of your business, users may join your mailing list for a number of reasons. They may be interested in entirely different products or services from each other, so you cannot send them all the same promotional material. Give each new user a survey or a quiz to determine the extent of their interest in your brand. From there, your emails to them can be specific to the products or services in which they showed interest.
- Tailor your message to a user’s likes and interests.
Past browsing and transactional history can give you a fairly good idea of your subscriber’s interests. Armed with this information, you can exercise email personalization by sending them more targeted promotional content based on these interests. If a user has shown interest in a particular product, then they are likely to open emails that inform them about that exact product, its uses, and any content related to it. It could be anything from an offer on the product or a blog talking about the benefits of it. Send emails that are very specifically related to a user’s historical interaction with your brand and watch your conversion rate increase!
- Make them feel unique or special.
A subscriber is far more likely to interact with email content when it appears to have been sent to only them. This is a very direct form of email personalization that takes advantage of either special events in a user’s life or their activity within your brand. Anniversary or birthday-related email campaigns for specific users are great examples. Alternatively, you can choose to have VIP promotions for the most active users in your mailing list, those who have already made specific purchases, and so on.
Email personalization involves closely monitoring user behavior and utilizing that information to address them directly in your promotional communication. People tend to interact with content that is more relatable to their needs. These personalization tips make your emails even more relatable, turning your engaging messages into increased sales.
