Marketing is an ever-evolving creature. From the days of scrawling recommendations on the walls in Pompeii to the slick digital marketing campaigns of today, marketing that keeps up with trends and gives the consumer what they want is the ‘sales pitch’ that sticks. As always, Zebra 360 Online Marketing is here with the insider information you need to help make certain your digital content is personalised, brand-boosting and on target.
What does personalisation even mean?
Today’s marketer relies heavily on analytics and personalisation to help make sure their message works as intended. Personalisation is a fairly simple idea- it means making sure individual users’ preferences, characters and needs are accounted for in your advertising content. It makes the consumer feel that their interests are being taken into account. It means you’ve taken the time (and done the research) to ensure you’re able to segment and individually tailor your marketing efforts to the different kinds of people who consume your product. Data collection and analysis are at the heart of personalisation, with automation of the technology helping to take the man-hours out of what can otherwise be a laborious process.
Yours is far from the only product competing for consumer attention, after all, so it makes sense to have a method in place to ensure you attract the customer’s attention in a way that’s meaningful to them. It helps combat ‘information overload’ and gives the consumer back a sense of control over their purchases and the content they are consuming.
So, what are the results we see from personalised digital content?
While this may seem like extra work, it’s work that will yield a high return. Here are just two of the many ways personalised digital content can impact your company positively.
1. Improved customer experiences
Surprisingly, consumers are pretty willing to share personal data with companies when it results in a more relevant, personalised experience. Customer ‘bombardment’ doesn’t work as a sales strategy anymore. People want to see relevant things, and they also want to be relevant to your company, not a number on a list. There is a social contract that comes with that data, however. Clients expect you to protect their information, and their choices to share data with you may well be driven by factors such as how reputable and well-known your brand is. However, many consumers have indicated that exchanging personal data, where it improves their overall experience, is acceptable to them. In return, they want to see personalised content- tailored offers, relevant discounts and ads, and recommendations for products that actually matter to them.
2. Boosted revenue and retention
A repeat customer is worth an awful lot (Harvard Business Review suggests holding onto an extra 5% of customers can almost double profits), and customer retention should always be a big part of your content strategy. Knowing how (and why) customers interact with you facilitates smooth, seamless customer retention. Personalised digital content enables you to easily keep data on what channels consumers are favouring to interact with you, and allows you to focus on making these experiences better. Remember, the modern client doesn’t have to think twice before jumping ship- you are operating in a crowded market! Being able to send a previous customer a personalised newsletter or email, a coupon or discount to sweeten the deal, or even prompting them to address an abandoned cart, can be the difference between keeping them or losing them.
Of a less tangible nature but no less important, we also have brand loyalty. Personalised digital content allows you to talk to a spectrum of audiences in meaningful ways without sacrificing the core of your branding. Shared values create a strong basis for loyalty to a brand. If your consumer feels you care for them and their interests, they will be more inclined to do the same for you.
How do I start personalising my digital content?
Start by asking the right questions. Know what’s motivating consumers to approach you, be it through data analytics of incoming links or through signup forms and newsletters. Know where they’re coming from, and even what time they’re accessing your content. Testing and refining the response to things like email campaigns can tell you valuable information about your customers and their needs- do they prefer to receive emails early, before the hectic day starts, or are they more appreciated as a soothing way to ease into the evening? Only careful tweaking and use of data will help you find the right options for your brand.
Automation can also help, using certain actions (like not logging into your app for a while) to trigger retention strategies like engaging emails. Don’t get stuck in the ‘text loop’ with your personalised digital content, either- one look at campaigns such as Facebook’s custom birthday videos is enough to tell you that video content is on the rise, and the more relevant you can make it to your target audience, the more you will be able to ride that wave. Explore creative new ways to offer consumers what they want, and be sure to always gather the results for later refinement too.
Of course, the whole aspect of personalisation is a somewhat invasive one, so start conservatively. Customers wish to feel valued and relevant to your brand, not stalked. You wish to let them know they are cared for, not make them the targets of aggressive pushing. There is no ‘magic formula’ to get it exactly right- that is going to take hours of quiet, sensible strategizing and employing careful analytics to balance it just so for your business. Executed properly, however, personalisation is the single best strategy you have for both attracting new customers and retaining those you do attract, so it’s well worth investing in.
Keen to get moving on to personalising your digital content with the New Year hot on our heels? Get in touch with the Zebra 360 Online Marketing team today, and let us help you lift your brand to new heights today.