The most effective marketing strategies build trust to drive customer engagement. Experts call it personalisation—shaping one’s messaging to reflect clients’ individual tastes. Data prove its effectivity, as well. According to personalisation platform SmarterHQ, 72 percent of customers engage with a brand only if they feel its marketing messages speak directly to them. The task looks clear, then. As a business owner, it would be a good idea to personalise your marketing plan so customers feel heard.
However, it is not that simple. In their effort to individualise their marketing efforts, some brands may overdo it, alienating their intended market. Others may not support their strategy all the way through with solid content.
See how some personalised marketing campaigns work and why others miss the mark.
eDM
Boosting your brand identity using electronic direct mail is an efficient complement to social media and content marketing. You get to directly address each of your customers with messages tweaked according to their preferences.
What may work but usually does not
You personalise your eDM with bot-supplied first names of customers. After your salutation, though, you go straight to a call-to-action, or a CTA.
What works better
The more hardworking eDMs offer customers some value before asking them to do something for you. Offer to solve a problem your client has or describe a benefit they’ll enjoy before actively selling your product or service.
Video
Using videos in your marketing strategy is almost always a sure win. Two years ago, Hubspot did a study on the effectivity of marketing videos. They found that 64 percent of users tend to buy a product after watching a video about it.
What may work but usually does not
Using data, you know the products and services your customers like. So you put out a hard-sell video that focuses only on selling the product or service.
What works better
You create a video that reflects your knowledge of your market’s personality and taste. Your video touches on the specific points that make up your customers’ buying journey. The most effective marketing videos are not only about you. They are also testaments of your brand’s ability to identify with your market.
Social media
A study says close to 59 percent of the world’s population is on social media. This platform is not only an effective way to keep tabs on your network. It is can also be a lucrative vehicle for your business. After all, where else can you post an ad and have it reach millions of people simultaneously?
What may work but usually does not
Your posts are on-point with your brand identity and your market’s preferences. Followers immediately react and comment. But then, you focus only on posting and not on user engagement. Your comment section is always a one-way communication platform—you never reply to comments.
What works better
Your social media posts don’t end once you publish something. In fact, you maximise each post’s potential to personalise marketing by engaging your audience. You use polls and reply to relevant comments and inquiries.
Authenticity wins each time
When you personalise your marketing plan, it can go two ways. It can reach your target market swiftly and efficiently, and help your business grow. Or, if you use tired personalisation techniques, your audience could sense some insincerity and leave.
To correctly launch a personalised marketing strategy, you must be authentic, easy to identify with, relevant, shareable, and data-driven. If you get the combination right, your audience will respond with higher engagement and loyalty.
To read more about the events business landscape, visit Unearthed Productions.