Marketing personalization changes everything—from the offers you present to the way you communicate with your prospects, personalization is a complete mental reframe.
And in 2023 and beyond, personalization is key to establishing a strong brand identity. With a continuous shift in consumer demands, steep competition, and marketing noise, standing out is a must.
If you’re ready to use personalization to create a competitive edge and help prospects feel more connected to your business, you’re in for a treat.
Today, we’re going to cover five simple yet powerful ways to personalize your marketing approach.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.
Get to know your prospects in a profound way
Before you can personalize everything to your audience, you need to get to know them profoundly.
That means going beyond simple data, such as age and gender, and looking at more in-depth metrics, such as their:
- Pain points
- Buying habits
- Current stage of life
- Needs, wants, and desires
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Likes, preferences, and most beloved items
- Messaging and communication preferences
- Core values
- Vision and purpose
While you can use a customer data platform, cookies, and a CRM to collect and analyze this data, you may need to dig a bit deeper to uncover more about who they truly are. You can do so by interviewing some of your VIP customers that align with your target audience and/or by sending questionnaires, polls, and surveys to your prospects via email and social media.
You can also use social listening tools, peruse forums like Reddit and Quora, and visit social media groups to get a closer look into the minds of your audience. You can also leverage social media analytics tools to assess the performance of your marketing efforsts across different platfotms and get to know your audience more.
Make a habit of doing this on an ongoing basis so you can keep up with your prospects’ shifting demands and changing needs.
When you have a firm grip on the metrics we detailed above, create a pain points list, buyer personas, and an ideal customer profile. Use Google Docs so you can update these documents in real-time and relevant team members can get access to updates right away. Alternatively, you can use a PDF editor if you prefer to share and edit files in a more static format while still allowing for annotations and revisions.
Going forward, review these documents anytime your team comes together to plan content, ads, and other marketing campaigns.
And speaking of content …
Create content that answers their questions and solves their problems
Prospects feel deeply connected to brands that can anticipate their needs and solve their problems.
A simple way you can show your audience that you care about meeting their needs is by creating content that answers their FAQs.
For instance, if you run a business formation and branding company for aspiring entrepreneurs, one of your audience’s most burning questions is likely what kind of business to start in the first place.
In this case, sharing articles about viable business ideas and how to get started on them can help give your audience a significant leg up during their journeys toward entrepreneurship.
Or, if you sell a complex product or recently released a new feature, then your audience may want to know more about how your product or feature works. In this case, you could create definition-based articles, like the following article called “What is OAuth and Why Should You Use It?”
Prospects may also look to you for industry expertise and clarity on how to make important decisions.
For instance, if you run a SaaS company, many of your prospects probably conduct research first so they can figure out which software apps to invest in. In this scenario, you could write comparison articles, like the following one on Madkudu alternatives to put the purchasing power back in your audience’s hands.
Other types of content you can create to answer your audience’s FAQs include:
- Listicles
- How-tos
- Ultimate guides
- Walkthroughs
- Tutorials
- Demos
- Case studies
- Industry reports and predictions
Pro-Tip: Create a master list of FAQs in a Google Doc and update it often. Continue addressing and solving your audience’s questions and problems throughout your content going forward.
Give them something they love for free
Show your prospects how much you care by throwing in a free gift when they make their first purchase.
You don’t have to make giving things away for free a routine habit for every customer, but adding in a goodie or two when someone finally decides to invest in your brand is a great way to make them feel special.
The key? Give them something you know they’ll love.
Review your research and highlight the top items your prospects love purchasing (bonus points for creating a living “most loved items” document, too!). For instance, if you own an online flower delivery company, those items might include a box of chocolates, a touching greeting card, or a personalized coffee mug.
Or, if you sell digital products, such as editing tools or meeting software, those items might include free design templates, a board minutes template – capable of reducing a meeting of even several hours into a few organized pages – or access to a free AI Writer.
Or, if you’re a service provider specializing in recording voiceovers for B2B and B2C brands, you could include a mini voiceover project, free of charge or add a credit toward their next investment.
Before finalizing your freebies, meet with a business consultant to strategize the best way to approach gifting. While you want your new customers to swoon, you also don’t want to put your business at financial risk. A consultant can help you strategize the most practical freebies and investment guidelines so you don’t go over budget.
Understand and apply their ideal messaging and communication preferences
How you speak to your audience determines how they’ll perceive your brand and whether they’ll feel comfortable receiving communication from you.
For instance, if your prospects are direct, transparent communicators, they’ll appreciate and trust brands that can mirror that style.
If they’re sensitive, empathetic communicators, they’ll align more with businesses that show care and concern in their communication. That’s why it’s crucial to understand and apply your prospects’ ideal messaging and communication preferences in your marketing approach.
To help your team stay consistent, review your prospects’ communication expectations in detail and use them to create a style guide. Ask your team to follow the style guide anytime they create copy or content so your messaging stays consistent across the board.
You’ll also need a firm grasp on the specific communication channels your audience prefers using so you can show up in the correct online spaces.
For instance, if you sell general ledger software like SoftLedger, or HR software like Bambee, you’re likely targeting B2B audiences. In this case, your audience might prefer channels, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and email.
Or, if you manage a healthcare site that offers online prescriptions and doctor visits, like PlushCare, you’re likely appealing to consumers, businesses, and the general public. In this case, your broader audience might prefer channels, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even TikTok.
Personalize their recommendations, lead magnets, and offers
There’s a reason prospects don’t usually mind accepting some form of cookies — and that’s because audiences appreciate personalized recommendations and offers. The key word here is “personalized”.
Audiences don’t appreciate being bombarded with misaligned offers or marketing noise.
To stand out from the crowd and truly help prospects feel connected to your business, you need to tailor your recommendations and offers to their unique needs, wants, and preferences.
For instance, if they’ve been perusing your undereye masks but haven’t purchased them yet, consider using retargeting ads to highlight a generous discount off their first purchase or free shipping.
Or, if they’ve been on the hunt for a new career coach but haven’t reached out to you yet, consider using lead magnets and funnel marketing to help them understand what to look for in a coach.
Write and speak in the second person—use their first name when possible
Keep your messaging and content pointed toward your prospect by speaking in the second person or using their first name if possible.
For instance, notice how the following article headline is titled “The 4 Types of Competitors You Need to Monitor”?
And notice how it’s not called “The 4 Types of Competitors Businesses Need to Monitor” or “The 4 Types of Competitors Brands Need to Monitor”?
That’s because DivByZero understands how crucial it is to speak directly to its ideal reader. This is one of the best and simplest strategies you can use to help your prospects feel seen, heard, and, most of all, connected to your brand.
Again, if you know their first name, use that instead!
For instance, if you’re sending them a marketing email, address them by their first name before presenting your offer or content.
Here’s a quick example:
“Hey, Sam!
We noticed you’ve been a subscriber for two years! That means a lot to us.
Here’s a 25% off coupon you can use on any of our leather pants through the end of March. It’s our way of saying “Thank you!” for being such a loyal fan of the LeatherCult brand!
Talk soon. 🙂
Warmly,
Your friends at LeatherCult”
Wrap up
Marketing personalization has become one of the most powerful ways to connect with prospects and build a lasting brand.
And the best part is?
If you know your audience profoundly, you can help prospects feel more connected to your business using super simple strategies, like the ones we covered today.
That’s it for today, marketers and PR professionals. Here’s to your success!
