Why Personalized Marketing is the Only Way Forward

Personalized marketing is being touted as the holy grail of modern marketing and sales and the only way forward for those serious about sustainable business practice. The internet and the new consumer influencer marketing have led to the demand for personalized or bespoke everything. We all want what those that we follow and admire have and yet want it made to our own specifications. This now includes the manner in which consumers expect to receive and process their marketing information. The consumer wants to feel special for the entire brand and product journey, including the marketing phase. The billboard has always aimed to speak directly to each passing consumer, but we have become even more intimate and personal.

Well-trained call center staff and those that make the most commission on sales were and are the ones that are able to turn callers into customers, winning them over with product knowledge and some marketing nous.

Use of the customer’s name is on the first page of the sales training manual and, if done correctly, is one of the key selling points. If it can work for them, then it can work for you. Personalized marketing is now one of the mainstays of the marketing and advertising sphere; if you’re not speaking directly to the customer, your brand may be harder to sell.

What is personalized marketing?

Marketing has indeed moved on, yet the aforementioned were the genesis of this form of marketing. Today it must be much more than just using the customer's first name three times in the first minute. It is now part of a larger process and the use of material, offers, and dialogue that is specific to the customer on social media, blogs, and email. It is now essentially the implementation of a process whereby companies and brands provide individualized content and information based on data collection and analysis. Though some of this is now primarily automated, the idea is to truly engage with customers and clients by communicating with each one as an individual. A great example is Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, which started in Australia, with 150 of the most popular names being printed on cans to bring the customers closer. It then spread around the globe and was instrumental in increasing sales and provided a cool memento to have, a coke can with your name on it.

Yes, bulk messaging also works and has been known, for example, to have been one of the main avenues towards success for all recent political success. However, bulk SMS for political campaigns and a personalized approach to your product and service marketing are at different ends of the marketing sphere. Both work and should be included in an overall marketing strategy, but it is personalized texting, emailing, and messaging that is of primary concern herein.

Why this is now the expected process

It may seem strange to start aiming marketing at one specific person and perhaps missing an entire customer population. The fact of the matter is that the statistics speak for themselves:-

  • A personalized email can increase click-through rates by 14%. However, the competition means that if this is going to work for you, it will need to be more than just your customer names; it must be about their specific tastes, preferences, and interests.
  • The personalized communication will arguably boost conversion rates, as it's proven that personalized content increases the rate of returning customers. It’s these customers that are most likely. Even non-profits make use of this type of communication to build better customer relations. Oxfam’s personalized thank you was sent to those who had donated a certain amount, and for some, it was even published on billboards in major cities and used on their television campaigns. It mentioned people by name and was an incredibly personalized way to keep funders loyal.
  • Audience segmentation marketing can increase sales by 50%.
  • Over 60% of consumers appreciate a personalized message from their chosen brands. Amazons personalized product lists are a great way that the company has found to build customer rapport and a feeling of individuality. Shoppers know that their favorites are theirs and theirs alone, their shopping is personalized from the first page, and they’re unlikely to see products that they wouldn’t buy or don’t relate to.

The way forward

As established herein, personalized marketing techniques have been used for a while now. However, existing technology and the possible integration thereof with social media and texting, coupled with the changing expectations of the modern-day consumer, have led to marketing the like that we have not seen before. Targeted and personalized to the max.

Developing a modern-day marketing campaign will have several and varied elements. The personalized aspect must be a priority, based on current customer expectations and needs. The manner in which your business chooses to personalize the customer marketing experience will depend on the specific customer segment and the nature of the engagement.

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