As editor of the eNews Builder Newsletter, how can I appeal to you, the subscriber, while learning more about you? Well, there is actually a lot that I can do, in steps, as part of a process. Each step will hopefully get me closer to understanding you, building a relationship, and delivering the precise information that you have indicated is relevant to you.
At eNews Builder, we have defined this process ‘Informative Marketing’ and an essential part of it is personalizing our content, not only to deliver information specifically geared to you, but also to catch your attention.
What are the Advantages?
Personalization is an extremely powerful tool; among marketers who measure it, 90% say that it leads to better results, according to a study in eMarketer. The basis of the idea behind personalization is that you are making your reader realize that you truly know and understand him, and at the same time, using intelligence and analytics to build a relationship based upon the exchange of relevant information. If you employ an e-newsletter provider that supports a content management system with robust personalization tools, you can direct a message to a specific recipient, with timely, relevant and actionable content. With these advantages, it is easy to understand why personalized messages have a high open rate and are very successful in getting a message across to elicit a response.
Personalization has many uses and can be applied in many ways. You can individualize a specific message or article, but you can also individualize an entire newsletter, directing advertisements, articles and images at a specifically targeted subgroup of your subscriber database. In fact, in a recent study published in eMarketer, it was found that the more personalization elements that are used, the higher the response rate, increasing 3-fold from using 2 elements up to 8.
How to get Attention
The greeting that you lead your article or publication with can be the determining factor as to whether it is read or even opened. Depending on the recipient, using a first name may be appropriate, but for a business letter or communication, it is best to be less casual and use a salutation and last name.
One of the most effective ways to quickly draw a reader in is with a reference to a recent activity, such as a purchase or attendance at a corporate function. Another effective way is by relating to him and referencing something that you know he will be familiar with, such as an activity or event in his hometown or city. In fact, according to a study by IMT Strategies, referencing location elicits one of the highest response rates (29.7%) and conversion rates (8.1%) of all personalization methods.
Once you have the attention of the reader, mentioning a commonality or membership in an organization can help to keep his interest. Also, an offer linked to membership giving a discount or service can be an effective way to personalize and also benefit by providing a platform and reason for the reader to respond and take action.
Keeping Information Current
As you can see, there are many ways to personalize your newsletter, all of which are highly beneficial, but there can be severe drawbacks if the process is done incorrectly.
The first and most important piece of the puzzle is your database and the accuracy and fields of information that it contains. The information that you collect from your database, answers to surveys, and your tracking of previous responses gives you insight into the mind of your subscribers and useful data to understand and serve them better.
In many cases, recipients at one point submitted their information, so the data you have is only as accurate as what they entered. However, it is essential to check and maintain your data with accurate and meaningful information. If you are writing to someone in Boston and “personalize” by mentioning the recent success of the New York Yankees, I can assure you that you will most likely never hear from the recipient again.
One way to keep your data current and accurate is to constantly provide opportunities for subscribers to update your information. Contests and other offers are effective ways of collecting data as well as surveys, seminars and conferences. In addition, it is always good to have a section that says, “Moving? Tell us your new address and contact information,” just like magazines do. By doing this and also providing blank fields to enter information for various offers or information requests, it allows your subscriber to have his correct information, so that you can reach him and so that he can get what he wants from you.
Once you have accurate data, personalization is very influential, but you also have to be careful not to go overboard and become a turn-off to the recipient. As with any transaction or communication, comfort is key and the more comfortable your reader feels, the more receptive he will be. To make sure you aren’t becoming too ‘curious,’ make sure to steer clear of information requests such as health status, money, family, etc. If a subscriber feels that his privacy has been invaded or that a message is too direct and intimate, you may achieve a negative result and be ignored or perhaps even asked not to contact the recipient again.
Bringing the Process Full-Circle
Lastly, a critical component of delivering your message is the technology that you use to transmit it. Many companies and organizations outsource their personalized e-newsletter. The features to look for in a provider are: that it is equipped with the technology to build and maintain your database; can design and build your newsletter with the appropriate features for personalization; and that it can send your message to your subscribers with the back-end tools to track and analyze your results. These features bring the process full-circle, so that you can understand your customers further and make your personalization that much more effective.
To sum up, the data you have at your fingertips can be a more powerful tool than just allowing you to reach your subscribers. The data allows you to really know them, who they are and what they want from you. By taking advantage of the information you have, you can identify with your customers, get their attention and further, get them to respond.
