Personalization is an effective approach to marketing because it helps convey a more authentic, honest message. It also allows you to make your business stand out from competitors by offering customers a unique experience. For instance, instead of sending the same emails from everyone, you can segment your email list and use an Email API to send your more personalized messages instead. This guide will tell you how to add personal touches to your marketing.
Speak Directly to Your Customers
When writing about your customers and prospects, use the word “you” to speak directly to them. This helps personalize the marketing message. For example, “You can do X with our product/service” instead of “Customers can do X with our product/service.” This is effective because it makes the reader feel like they’re part of a group and gives them a sense of ownership in what you’re saying.
Try an Email API
An API—application programming interface—allows you to access a third-party service and integrate it into your system. An email API is just like any other API, except that instead of connecting to another piece of software, it connects you with an email provider. With an email API, you can send emails through the provider’s system instead of sending them yourself.
This saves you time and effort—especially if you’re sending out many emails at once or sending the same message repeatedly. It’s also an easier way to create segmented email marketing lists so that different customers receive different messages. It’s important to learn how to use email APIs before you try and send messages right away.
Show up on Social Media Platforms Your Target Audience Uses
Your target audience is most likely already on social media, so it’s a great place to engage with them. To get started, choose the right social networks for your specific business. You should be able to tell which platforms are appropriate based on the type of product or service you offer and who your ideal customer is. For example, if you own a coffee shop that serves specialty drinks made from espresso beans grown in Ethiopia, Instagram and Pinterest might be good places to start sharing photos of your products while LinkedIn could help you connect with other professionals in the industry.
Use the Language They Use
This is one of the most important things you can do to personalize your marketing, but it’s also very easy and often overlooked. Use the language they use. Use the words they use, not just the words you think they might use. Their terminology may vary depending on region or industry, so don’t be afraid to ask questions before you create marketing messages. Additionally, think about the age of your audience. If your audience is 50+ year-old men, you will speak much differently in your marketing than if your audience is 19-year-old women.
Make it Personal
Personalization is the use of language that speaks directly to an individual, making it feel like they are being addressed and not just a faceless customer. Use personal pronouns like I, we, our, your, and you, instead of he, she, it, and they.
Share Relatable Stories
Share stories that are relevant to your audience. People like to read stories that matter to them, so if you’re a plumber and have a story about fixing someone’s sink, it’s going to resonate more with your audience than an article about how much watermelons cost in China. You can leverage stories to share about a client who struggled with a problem, and your product or service helped them.
Help Engage Your Audience in the Story
Write in a way that lets them see themselves in the story. When writing your content, you should use the first-person narrative to let the reader see themselves in the story. A conversational tone will also be effective at getting your message across. Personalize it by using a friendly and casual tone or write it in a simple manner that’s easy to read. Make sure the tone of the marketing pieces matches the content and the audience.
Use Local References
Local references are great for showing your audience that you understand their needs, and they can even help you stand out from the competition. For example, if you’re selling bed linens, a local reference might be using the name of a local hotel in your copy. Or maybe you’re writing an email to introduce yourself to potential customers where you offer them a free t-shirt. In this case, it could be helpful to mention that shirts are made locally by someone who lives down the street from them.