How to create personalised email campaigns that boost customer loyalty and sales
16 Jun 2023
Personalisation is not a new concept in marketing, but it has become more important than ever in the digital age.
Customers expect and desire personalised experiences from the brands they interact with, whether online or offline. Personalisation can help retailers differentiate themselves from competitors, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and drive up revenue and profits.
But what is personalisation, and how can it be applied to email campaigns? In this article, we will explain what personalised email campaigns are, why they are important, and how you can create them effectively.
What are personalised email campaigns?
Personalised email campaigns are email marketing techniques that target specific subscribers based on the data and information you have about them. They can vary in sophistication, from using a subscriber’s name to changing the content based on their location, gender, or behaviour. Personalised email campaigns aim to deliver relevant and timely content to each subscriber, which can boost engagement, revenue, and customer loyalty.
Personalised email campaigns are driven by customer data platforms and require understanding the stage of the customer’s journey. For example, a new subscriber may receive a welcome email with an introductory offer, while a loyal customer may receive a personalised recommendation based on their purchase history.
Why are personalised email campaigns important?
Personalised email campaigns are important because they can help you connect with your customers on a deeper level and show them that you care about their needs and preferences. According to a 2022 McKinsey report, 71% of consumers expect companies to offer personalised communication, and 76% get frustrated when it doesn’t happen. Personalisation can also increase customer retention and loyalty, as customers are more likely to repeat purchases from brands that provide them with relevant and valuable offers.
Personalised email campaigns can also improve your email marketing performance and ROI. According to Campaign Monitor, emails with personalised subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened than those without, and Rich Relevance found that revenue is 5.7 times higher in emails that employ personalisation. These results stem from the fact that personalised emails are more relevant to subscribers and can capture their attention and interest.
How to create personalised email campaigns?
Creating personalised email campaigns requires a combination of data collection, segmentation, content creation, and testing. Here are some steps you can follow to create effective personalised email campaigns:
- Collect customer data: The first step is to collect as much data as possible about your customers, such as their name, email address, location, gender, age, interests, preferences, behaviour, purchase history, etc. You can use various sources to collect data, such as web analytics, CRM systems, social media platforms, surveys, feedback forms, etc. You should also make sure that you comply with data privacy regulations and obtain consent from your customers before collecting and using their data.
- Segment your customers: The next step is to segment your customers into different groups based on their data. Segmentation allows you to tailor your email campaigns to each group’s characteristics and needs. You can use various criteria to segment your customers, such as demographics, psychographics, lifecycle stage, purchase frequency, product category, etc. You should also update your segments regularly based on new data or changes in customer behaviour.
- Create personalised content: The third step is to create personalised content for each segment based on their data and interests. Personalised content can include elements such as personalised subject lines, greetings, images, offers, recommendations, testimonials, etc. You should also use dynamic content that changes based on the recipient’s data or behaviour. For example, you can use geo-targeting to show different offers based on the recipient’s location or use behavioural triggers to send emails based on the recipient’s actions or inactions.
- Test and optimise your campaigns: The final step is to test and optimise your campaigns to ensure that they are delivering the desired results. You should use A/B testing or multivariate testing to compare different versions of your emails and see which one performs better in terms of open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, etc. You should also use analytics tools to measure the impact of your campaigns on key metrics such as revenue, retention rate, customer lifetime value (CLV), etc. You should also seek feedback from your customers and make improvements based on their suggestions.
Final Thoughts
Personalised email campaigns are a powerful way to enhance your customer experience and grow your business. By using customer data and segmentation techniques, you can create relevant and valuable content for each subscriber that can increase their engagement and loyalty. By testing and optimising your campaigns regularly, you can also improve your email marketing performance and ROI.
Sources:
- Personalising your email campaigns – EmailOctopus
- The Ultimate Guide to Personalized Email for Every Marketer | Campaign Monitor
- What is a Personalized Email? 7 Tips to Get Higher Results in 2023
- Today’s retail environment is challenging from almost any perspective because of price pressure from discounters, market disruption from online players, and increased price transparency for shoppers. Traditional differentiation approaches in retail—such as a unique selection or strategic pricing and promotions—are not as effective as they once were, as competitors can easily imitate them. But differentiation is still possible through personalised approaches in which retailers create unique experiences tailored to individual customers.