Despite the sheer abundance of marketing channels present in modern times, it seems email marketing continues to not only stay relevant but excel in terms of ROI. Despite the advent of social media, chatbots, and applications, email marketing retains its top spot.
A survey conducted by Litmus, which included 2,000 marketers, shows an average 3,500% ROI for email marketing, or $36 for every $1 spent. Other studies have shown numbers as high as $44 for each $1.
One of the major factors driving these insanely good numbers is the fact that email marketing offers legroom for personalization. Email personalization is one of the most effective ways to build an actual connection with customers, provided it is done right.
In this blog, we’ll go over the dos and don’ts of e-commerce email personalization, so you don’t accidentally mess up what makes it truly unique.
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What is Email Personalization?
Before we begin, let’s understand what email personalization stands for. It refers to the practice of customizing emails based on data collected from the recipient. This data usually includes the following:
● Shopping behavior, such as purchasing patterns, style preferences, cart abandonment rates, and purchasing history.
● Basic information, such as their name, gender, and current geographical location (if relevant).
● Preferred devices and activity times.
Having this information handy makes it much easier to formulate a personalized email that goes beyond simply using the first name and calling it "personalized."
The Do’s
Thanks to being so widely used and loved by the greatest marketers of our times, the best practices of email marketing personalization have been well established and are practised by digital marketing agencies and marketers around the globe. Here are a few of them:
Include Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Personalization doesn’t mean a CTA (Call to Action) is no longer relevant. It still plays an important role. Every email you send out should have a specific goal, whether it’s encouraging the recipient to make a purchase, sign up for an event, or simply drive traffic to your website. To make your CTAs more effective, take into consideration the preferences and recent activity of the customers.
Subject Line Optimization
Grabbing the attention of a recipient at a single glance is quite important, and personalized subject lines are a great way to do so. Simply inserting their first name or perhaps a witty phrase can make them feel more connected to the email and, thus, compelled to actually open and engage with it.
Segment Your Email List
Customers aren’t all the same; all people are unique, so segment your email lists based on behavior, location, past purchases, and other relevant data that you’ve collected with consent. This way, you can send more targeted messages, which are more effective. For example, sending a customer a coupon code for a winter jacket is far more effective when they’re in colder regions or if their purchasing behavior indicates they’ve added jackets to their shopping cart but ended up abandoning it. This is a surefire way of ensuring your emails are actually relevant.
Use Behavioral Triggers
While staying vigilant is great, it isn’t possible around the clock. However, technology has come a long way. Make use of behavioral triggers; they are basically automated emails that you set up to send when someone does something specific on your website. Let’s say someone adds a product to their cart but then leaves without buying it—that’s a trigger! They’ll automatically be sent an email with, say, a discount code, which helps them close the deal.
Ask for Feedback
A chef should not be ashamed of asking people, “Did you like the food?” The same logic applies here. A personalized email ought to appeal to your audience, but subjectivity plays a major role in personalization and marketing in general; not everybody likes the same thing. So, it’s best to ask your audience directly if they enjoy your emails and how you can improve. In fact, making your individuals feel included is one of the best psychological tricks for making something feel personal. Keep in mind that it is hard to spot the chink in your armor if it’s on your back, but someone else can point it out.
Test and Optimize
Similar to what we stated above, not all customers are the same, so what works for one might not work for another. Marketing and personalization are an art, and artists need to try different tactics to improve their work. Try out subject lines and call-to-actions, include some humor, and see what works best for your audience. Use A/B testing and make an active effort to consistently improve results.
The Don't's
Despite being around for several years, there are still plenty of e-commerce email personalization mistakes that organizations and individuals tend to make. Below are some examples:
Using Generic Content
Email personalization is a fantastic way of showing the creativity that your organization houses. You don’t want your emails to be overly complex, but you don’t want something generic and boring either. Using a customer’s first name and calling it “personalized” doesn’t work. This can come off as lazy and doesn't truly add value to the customer’s experience.
Missing Out On CTA
Personalization doesn’t mean a CTA, or Call to Action, is no longer relevant. It holds an important place in the email marketing strategy, and one must include a clear CTA that encourages the receiver to perform a desired action, be it signing up for an event or making a purchase.
Overdoing It
The quickest way of landing on a user’s spam list is by, well, spamming them with emails. Don’t bombard customers with content that’s too personalized in a single email. Over-personalization can feel invasive and may lead to unsubscribes, so keep it simple. Maintain a healthy frequency of sending out emails, and don’t make them personal to the point of being uncomfortable.
Not Respecting Privacy
Privacy is highly valued, and many customers already fear their data being misused by organizations. Don’t give them another reason to be fearful. The goal is to connect with them, after all. So, always respect the privacy of your customers. Don’t misuse data and don’t collect data customers haven’t consented to. Customers appreciate transparency and a company’s commitment to valuing their privacy, and they’re more likely to engage with a company that does so.
Don’t Skip Mobile Optimization
Currently, the majority of users primarily use their smartphones for everything—from scrolling social media to shopping, as well as opening emails. Naturally, emails that aren’t optimized for mobile are more likely to be ignored or have a negative impact. Make sure the emails you send aren’t just attractive, consisting of catchy lines and clear visuals, but are also responsive when viewed on all devices, including mobile and PC.
Don’t Be Inconsistent
Consistency is key, the old saying has come true yet again. Personalization should be a regular and consistent part of your overall marketing strategy. Do not send out an email every couple of months, create a consistent schedule. This builds trust and shows you’re genuinely paying attention to your customer’s needs. Out of sight, out of mind.
Conclusion
Remember that email personalization is an ongoing effort behind which there is no math; it requires constant improvement, constant testing, and refinement. A/B testing should be performed to find out whether or not what you’re trying to accomplish is working, and whether that technique is effective. Personalization should always aim to enhance the experience, not invade privacy or feel intrusive. If you’re new to the digital marketing sphere, partnering with a digital marketing agency like Trena Digital, offering services such as landing page design, PPC management, email marketing, and CRO across cities like Langley, is a great way to get started and use their expertise to your advantage.
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