Hey there! Are you looking to make your email marketing efforts more personalized and effective this coming year? Then you‘ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore what exactly email personalization involves, why it‘s so critical, different techniques you can apply, and best practices modern marketers follow to get it right.
I‘m going to share insights that could take your email results to the next level, whether you‘re an email novice or seasoned expert. So let‘s dive in!
What Is Email Marketing Personalization?
Quite simply, email marketing personalization means customizing your messaging for each individual subscriber. This could involve using their:
- Name
- Location
- Past purchases
- Recent website browsing
- And more
The goal is to make every subscriber feel like your emails were crafted just for them. Studies show this significantly lifts open and click-through rates.
Here are some impressive stats:
- Personalized emails drive 18.8% open rates, compared to 13.1% for non-personalized (Statista)
- Subject line personalization alone boosts open rates by 26% (Campaign Monitor)
- 75% of marketers say personalized emails improve CTRs (Social Media Today)
So rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, personalization helps match messaging to each person‘s unique interests and characteristics.
Now let‘s explore why this strategy has become so essential.
The Importance of Email Personalization
Here are 5 key reasons personalized email is critical:
1. Higher Open and Click Rates
Personalized content is inherently more relevant and engaging, prompting more opens and clicks. If subscribers feel an email was meant specifically for them, they pay closer attention.
2. Improved User Experience
By referencing past behaviors and preferences, marketers demonstrate an intimate understanding of subscribers. This level of care strengthens brand affinity.
3. Stronger Relationships
Personalization builds trust and connection over time. Subscribers feel valued as individuals, not faceless email addresses.
4. Competitive Differentiation
Batch-and-blast email communication is fading fast. Personalization sets your brand apart in inboxes.
5. Harnessing Email‘s Potential
Mass 1:1 communication was once impossible. Personalization helps maximize this capability to drive loyalty.
Now that you appreciate why personalization matters, let‘s explore proven techniques for doing it effectively.
Personalized Email Techniques and Strategies
Many approaches exist for integrating personal touches into your email marketing campaigns. Here are some of the most effective to consider:
Behavioral Triggers
Behavioral triggers involve sending automated emails based on subscribers taking key actions, like:
- Abandoning their shopping cart
- Making initial purchases in your store
- Viewing certain product pages
- Reaching milestones like one year as a customer
- And more
The relevance and timing of these event-based emails really grab attention.
You can set up these triggers within most top email service providers. Just take care not to overuse them, or subscribers may feel manipulated.
Location/Timezone Personalization
If you collect subscriber location data, time personalized messages thoughtfully.
For example, only send offers expiring that day to folks during hours they‘re typically active in their timezone.
And localize content with geographic references when possible, like sending Canada Day messaging to Canadian subscribers.
Website Behavior Personalization
Integrate browsing data from your website to make recommendations. For example, if a subscriber viewed yoga mats and foam rollers, email them discounts on these items.
But use this behavior carefully – don‘t be creepy by showing you know too much unrelated information.
Subject Line Personalization
Even just inserting a subscriber‘s first name in subject lines boosts open rates. And subject lines personalized based on past behaviors, like how long it‘s been since they opened an email, perform even better.
Milestone Campaigns
Set up automated "event-based" campaigns around important milestones, like:
- Birthdays
- Loyalty program tiers
- Referral benchmarks
- And more
These demonstrate an emotional IQ and connection subscribers value. Just ensure to include an easy opt-out.
Past Purchase Recommendations
Suggest relevant products based on previous purchases from your store. This shows you understand their needs and facilitates upselling.
Abandoned Cart Savings
Remind subscribers about items left in their carts with special offers to complete the purchase. The timing and relevance prompts action.
As you can see, many creative yet non-intrusive personalization tactics exist beyond just adding names.
Now let‘s switch gears to best practices for personalized email.
Top Best Practices for Personalization
Doing personalization well is an art and a science. Follow these guidelines:
Personas Guide Relevance
Develop 3-5 hypothetical personas based on subscribers‘ key attributes like demographics, interests and behaviors.
Tailor messaging to align with personas for greater relevancy. Regularly update personas based on feedback.
Thoughtful List Segmentation
Your subscriber list is not one homogeneous group. Segment strategically based on attributes like past purchases, location, interests and engagement levels.
Ensure segment sizes are large enough for sufficient personalization options. And make it easy to move between segments.
scaffolded Email Automations
Well-designed email sequences that intelligently respond based on user behaviors drive higher engagement over time. Put in work upfront to maximize long-term value.
And allow subscribers to easily opt out if they feel manipulated.
Avoid Over-Personalization
While personalization boosts performance, overdoing it feels intrusive and tone deaf. Don‘t stalk subscribers by overly referencing obscure preferences or past behaviors without context.
Regularly Optimize
What worked six months ago may now annoy subscribers. Use A/B testing and surveys to dynamically refine personalization approaches, triggers and content.
The keys are relevance, nuance and choice. Now let‘s discuss technology enabling personalization.
Enabling Personalization Technology
Specialized technology helps personalize email at scale while respecting subscriber preferences. Here‘s an overview:
Email Service Platforms
Mature email service providers like Mailchimp, SendGrid, Constant Contact and more make personalization easy through segmentation and email automation.
CRM Integration
Sync your customer relationship management platform like Salesforce to combine email and behavioral data for targeted campaigns.
Marketing Automation Platforms
All-in-one systems like HubSpot and Marketo help create unified subscriber identities for coordinated personalization across channels.
Identity Resolution
Specialized identity software matches contacts across devices to avoid sending repetitive, irrelevant messages.
Analytics Integration
Email and site behavioral analytics guide smart personalization. Gain consent, then track engagement data through tools like Google Analytics into your email platform.
As your needs grow, an integrated martech stack gives greater personalization flexibility. But start small with the basics like segmentation before getting fancy.
Now let‘s peek at the future of personalization.
The Future of Email Personalization
Personalized email is only growing more advanced. With AI and identity graph capabilities improving quickly, marketers gain unprecedented customization powers.
But while the tech presses forward, restraint is advised. Continue weighing innovation against respecting subscriber consent and preferences.
If you meet expectations of value in exchange for data sharing, helpful personalization will thrive. But if you disregard individuals‘ needs in the name of technology, relationships suffer.
Tread carefully yet optimistically into this exciting future where 1:1 relationships at scale finally become possible. Just keep the human touch.
Well, that wraps up this guide on email marketing personalization techniques and best practices! I hope you picked up some ideas to refine your approach. Reach out anytime @templatewriter on Twitter if you have any other questions. Just be careful not to personally email me excessively…I‘d find that creepy! 🙂
