“The only way to win at content marketing is for the reader to say: “This One was Written Specifically for Me””. – Jamie Turner
Campaign personalization seems to one of the preferred methods for companies, to increase conversions and build relationships with existing and prospective customers. Putting forth offerings in a familiar and targeted manner moulds customer behaviour, increasing the propensity for purchases from a company on a sustained basis. This is exactly what every business requires, especially in the highly competitive environment of today – where competition seems to continue unabated. We have mentioned several times that customers love to feel important and special – personalization ensures they feel that way through every interaction.
What does campaign personalization for customers mean? Simply put, it is the process and the ability of a company to use the knowledge, of their target audience, to advantage. Through campaign personalization, the messages that a company sends, lets customers know that the company understands them, and is committed to delivering experiences that would be pertinent, relevant, and useful to the customers. However, campaign personalization requires dedication, effort, and time, and research shows that over 60% of marketing professionals continue to struggle with this aspect. This means that there is still a lot of scope for companies that are willing, to put in place strategies and find new ways of doing things that would support personalization, which in turn would lead to engagement, higher conversion rates, and increased business.
With new technologies – mobile devices and connectivity are always on, and customers seem to be active in the online world 24×7. This in turn has led customers to want companies and relevant information available to them all the time. It is the job of companies to live up to these expectations, providing them with attention, and personalized information whenever customers want. While it is challenging, this also presents companies with several opportunities to engage existing customers, and attract prospective ones, thereby adding to their business. With several new channels of communication, and the resurgence of email as a marketing tool, companies have more opportunities to generate interest and leads, convert leads, and gain sustainable business – but they must use these channels judiciously and consistently. Companies need to make considerable effort to ensure campaign personalization – messages and interactions that would be relevant for the customer receiving them. In the crowded and noisy market of today, campaign personalization and customer segmentation have probably become focal areas and companies are beginning to see their importance.
It is not hard to see the advantages of campaign personalization and customized solutions. When customers receive messages made specifically for them, and contain offerings that would be most interesting and relevant to them, they are more likely to be drawn towards the company, and chances of conversion too become higher. Campaign personalization is all about presenting content and offerings in a manner that optimizes the chances of success for the company, since the recipients would see immediate benefit in associating with it. Strangely, however, some companies still seem to fall short – unable to personalize content and offerings – research shows that at least 80% of businesses still send the same content to every customer, irrespective of the needs, location, preferences, and expectations of the recipients. Is it any wonder then that several campaigns fail miserably, leaving customers disappointed and disillusioned?
By ignoring the importance of campaign personalization for customers, companies are, in a way, disrespecting their customers and prospects. Each customer and prospect seems treated as a number in the company’s massive database of people – disregarding their actual needs. Customers and prospects provide personal information to companies in the belief and expectation that they would receive preferential / special treatment, and would receive value from the association. However, such ‘umbrella’ messages and offers leads to disillusion, betraying the faith that customers started out with, in the company. Cookie cutter messages just do not cut it – they push customers and prospects far away from a company since such messages make them feel part of a crowd.
The truth is that in today’s competitive scenario, marketers do not really have a choice but to go down the path of campaign personalization and customization. They must create customer personas and segments based on likes, preferences, needs, and business situations. The other reason why campaign personalization is so critical is the fact that the customers of today have access to information, know how to use the information, are more aware of their rights, and refuse to play second fiddle. Customers are in a position of power with so many companies offering a large number of products and services, and all of them desperately vying for the attention for similar customer groups. The only way left for companies and brands to differentiate themselves, is by offering something that no one else can, and to get this across they must begin with campaign personalization. Companies need to arouse interest and gain attention by letting each customer that they are important, and treat each customer as though they were the only customer for the company. It is critical to engage customers at a personalized level in order to stand out, and make the difference apparent.
The fact is that companies do not have an excuse for why they cannot gain an in-depth understanding of their existing and target customer base. People leave information all the time on social media, and other online ‘places’, making it simple to understand what they like, dislike, the kind of content they read, the friends and associates they interact with, and other such details. Of course, companies must respect the privacy of people, and yet create individual level campaigns that would immediately find favour with the target recipients. As mentioned, there is a lot of random information available everywhere that people access daily. However, if they associate with a company, they expect that the company would sift information that would be relevant and pertinent to them, and send it across in a timely and organized manner. Doing so consistently will ensure that the target customers come to trust and depend on the company, making them more amenable to form a business association with the company.
It is true – it is almost impossible to get a second chance to make an impression. Companies that mess up, often find themselves ignored and relegated by customers and target audiences. With so many choices, customers do not deem it necessary to stick with a company that fails to give them what they want and how they want. The best way to get the attention that a company deserves is through campaign personalization – not just as a one-off but consistently and meticulously. Keeping pace with the changing needs and expectations of customers and target audience is essential to ensure that every message addresses their most current requirements. Grab their attention, and make a point before their attention strays. Campaign personalization ensures that a company is able to arrest the attention of customers for long time, by showing them that the company truly understands them and cares about giving them what they want. Campaign personalization is key to the success of a company’s endeavours – customers stay only when they feel liked, wanted, and special.
