The power of content personalization is undeniable, but how do you do it right? That is the golden question that most marketers keep asking themselves. So let’s have a look at ways of getting there.
Personalization is a strategy that helps businesses deliver a great experience to every customer by providing them with relevant information.
What is personalization?
Personalization is not simply a matter of targeting the right person with the right message at the right time–it’s also about delivering the right content. In a digital world where anyone can get their hands on any product or service they want in just a few clicks, customers demand more than products and services—they want experiences. And personalized content is the missing piece that determines whether those customer experiences are average or amazing.
Personalization starts with data. The companies that have been using personalization for years have mastered this concept. And now everyone else wants to catch up. However, companies are quickly coming to realize that it takes more than just good data to implement personalization well. You need people and processes that support it as well!
Why you need to personalize your content
User engagement and satisfying the customer experience are two of the most important factors when it comes to content marketing. The better you can engage customers and give them a good experience, the more likely they will be to become loyal customers. If you can also educate your customer on your products or services at the same time, it’s beneficial for both parties.
Did you know that 80% of frequent shoppers only buy from brands that personalize their experience?
There are many reasons why you should personalize your content, some of them include:
- Increase conversions
- Improve customer relationships
- Increase ROI (Return On Investment)
- Improve customer retention, which in turn increases Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) or Lifetime Customer Value (LCV)
- Improve customer satisfaction and increase loyalty levels from satisfied customers leading to a more positive brand perception
A few examples of what content personalization looks like
Content personalization has several different names and uses. It can be achieved through hyper-targeting (using your browsing history to deliver relevant content). Geo-targeting (delivering content based on your location). Or segmentation, targeting, and contextualization (delivering content based on specific factors).
Dynamic content is another example of content personalization. This is a piece of web copy that changes depending on the viewer’s location, device, or time of day. 74% of customers feel frustrated when website content is not personalized. So make sure to the steps to make their experience better.
You can also use personalized URLs to send a viewer to a page specifically tailored to them. You could create multiple versions of the same piece of content with slight variations; then, when you send them out via email, direct each recipient to the personalized version they’ll find most relevant.
How to get started with content personalization.
Start with a content audit and work from there. The first step is to collect data on which parts of your content are working well and which ones are not. Once you have that information, you can start to identify the specific problems you need to address.
Identify what needs changing before making changes.
Set clear goals before starting any content personalization project. Without a clear understanding of what you want the outcome of your project to be, it will be hard to tell whether or not you have succeeded in your efforts. If possible, set up an A/B test so that when all else fails (or doesn’t), at least you’ll know if it’s better or worse than what already exists
Content personalization is a way to generate and deliver effective content.
Content personalization is a way to generate and deliver effective content, but it requires the right processes and people in place in order to be successful.
Getting personalization right requires you to put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. If you were on the receiving end of your content, would it have made an impact? Would it have stood out? Would you even notice that its delivery was personalized?
How would you feel if you came across a piece of content that was so relevant to your exact point in time that it seemed like it had been created just for you? How did that feeling compare to when there wasn’t personalized pressure at all? What about when the experience went entirely wrong – how did that affect how likely or unlikely you are to use an app or visit a website again?
How to use data to nail content personalization
Let’s talk about how you can use data to create best-in-class experiences for your customers.
To know what your customers prefer to see and engage with, you need to understand your customers on a deep level.
One way of doing that is by having a Customer Data Platform (CDP). It is software that collects, consolidates, and analyses all customer data across all channels. This way you can gain a full overview of each and every customer and understand not only what their preferences are, but why they are like that.
The cool thing about a CDP is that it is often based on first-party data. This means that is high-quality, and it is compliant with privacy regulations. That way, you won’t have to worry about the moral dilemmas of using customer data in your business, as it is expressed in this blog.
Final thoughts on content personalization
Content personalization is key in order to stand out in a time where the customer has access to all products and services with just a few clicks. That is why the best companies focus on delivering the best experiences for their customers.
About the author
Arijan is a copywriter and marketing nerd with love for everything memes, start-ups and technology. He enjoys writing content that helps people understand how they can use tech to improve their customer experience. As a marketing specialist at Custimy.io, he wants to help SMBs understand that they can leverage the same power of data as enterprises, without having to pour in millions of dollars for it.
