Personalization in email marketing refers to the practice of tailoring the content of emails to individual recipients based on their characteristics, preferences, or past behavior.
We all are overwhelmed by all sorts of emails every day, and it has become a real problem to draw attention and involve recipients. Here is where personalized content becomes a key to success.
According to the Salesforce Research survey, 66% of consumers expect businesses to understand their needs. As per the report by Campaign Monitor Infographics, 73% of consumers claimed that they would prefer brands that utilize personal information to enhance the relevance of their experiences.
So if you want to create a solid connection with your audience, personalization is the answer.
Personalization is a core of email communication
So, personalization helps to boost your messages and make them more suitable for each recipient. But what lies at the heart of a personalized approach? Let’s deep dive together!
4R Rule
There is the 3R rule in email marketing (right message, right person, and right time), but we also believe in the fourth “R.” The 4R rule makes clear how personalization works in effective email marketing. 4R stands for the right message, to be precise:
- Right context
- Right data
- Right time
- Right language
In other words, personalization ensures that the right message is sent to the right person, at the correct time, and in the appropriate language. Meaning that personalization includes tailored offers in the recipient’s language.
(Source: Email from Nike)
Origin of customers
Cultural influence on personal preferences is enormous. Different meanings and associations usually arise from local traditions, religions, and historical backgrounds. You can learn about your client’s country’s traditions and the current situation by knowing where they are from.
Having the segmentation by customer’s location greatly enhances your personalization efforts. Here are several examples of why it’s important to know where your customers come from:
- Both Australia and the UK communicate in English. However, when it comes to the Christmas campaigns, you won’t send letters with snow to Australians since it’s not relevant to them. On the other hand, the British would understand and enjoy such emails.
- The unlucky Friday 13th concept is common for most Europeans, although Italians would be indifferent to such a campaign since, in their culture, this “terrifying” date comes on Friday the 17th. The matter originates in different numbers perceptions. In Italy, the number “13” is considered rather a lucky one, while “17” is believed to be an ominous number.
(Source: Email from KILLSTAR)
- In Japan, certain colors cannot be used in mass communication and advertising. For instance, white is a color of death and is associated with funerals, so it would be strange to send white campaigns to the Japanese.
- The last thing Ukrainians wanted to receive in February 2022 was a promotional newsletter. Due to the russian invasion on February 24th, Ukrainians became more loyal to brands that showed their support rather than those who sent regular promo emails.
(Source: ReallyGoodEmails)
- When it comes to business hours, keep in mind that in Islamic countries, for instance, Friday is believed to be a holy day, and business emails or calls wouldn’t be appreciated. So, let’s say, in the UAE, Fridays and Saturdays are weekends, while Sunday is the beginning of a working week.
Therefore, to keep your email campaigns up-to-date and personalized, you should be aware of the customer’s origin and cultural peculiarities. Below you can see an email from Email Marketing Heroes describing the importance of personalization and how people, even with similar backgrounds, hear the same words in different ways.
(Source: Email from Email Marketing Heroes)
How to personalize your newsletters: A short guide
We discussed what personalization is and why it’s important, as well as reviewed some statistics. But how do you create personalized emails? Stay tuned to find out!
Identify the customer’s language
Just knowing where the customers are located is not really enough. It is necessary to find out their language preferences or ask them directly since they come from different cultures.
For instance, according to the American Community Survey, the Hispanic population is the biggest minority group in the US. The five most popular languages in the United States other than English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic.
You can easily perform such segmentation through conversion forms such as short questionnaire surveys or check it manually from the browser cookies.
Listen to your consumers and know their preferences
Being attentive to details is vital for proper bonding with your clients. Track and listen to their needs and feedback. It would be easier to understand their preferences when you:
- Take into account the client’s language and location for a country segmentation. For instance, offer winter jackets for your subscribers from Canada and summer slippers for recipients from Florida.
- Analyze customer’s purchasing history to find out what they prefer.
- Ask for feedback after the order of what they are into for future campaigns.
Utilize content modules
Take advantage of content modules for your newsletter design. They are individual and reusable elements of content. Basically, content modules are your simplified email campaign builders. You can add new content, modify the old one, or remove some parts of it within several clicks.
(Source: Stripo)
With the help of content modules, you can create a unique email template with no additional coding. Afterward, thanks to a mailing system, you can automatically change the required language or insert relevant products based on the previous customer segmentation.
Use AI for predictive segmentation
AI will help you analyze the purchase history and customer preferences. It can predict customer needs and preferences, which will help in customizing email marketing strategies. By using the power of AI, you can forecast accurately what your customers want. This way, you can send the right products for each recipient individually, build stronger relationships, and enhance customer experience overall.
Conclusion
Content personalization is vital for your communication with clients. Most consumers expect brands to know their preferences and needs and communicate them through emails. Delivering content relevant to each recipient helps to develop trust and increase the efficiency of email marketing campaigns.
All in all, personalization stands on KYC (Know Your Customer) ground. Your message can be personalized only when you know what, whom, when, and in which language to send. It guides us to study and predict customers’ behavior and preferences by knowing consumers’ cultural and personal peculiarities. The rule is simple: know your clients, and they will remember and trust you!
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