When & Why to Personalize Your Content

As James Tennant points out in a Content Marketing Institute blog, "Stop Thinking About Personalized Content as an Extra," there are few arguments against content personalization.

Put Thought Into Personalizing Content

For personalization to be genuinely effective, you've got to have the correct data and the ability to segment it to your specific audience. Emma O'Neill says one way to obtain it is to ask the right questions. She suggests contacting your audience about why they visit your website, asking for your email updates, or signing up to receive your newsletter.

Part of your Content Marketing Strategy should be to build buyer personas. Buyer personas are semi-fictional representations of your ideal customers based on market research and real data about your existing customers' behaviors and demographics. So now that you know why to personalize content and ways to segment data, let's examine three channels often leveraged for content personalization.

1. Email

Email is a powerful channel for content personalization. While simple tactics are effective, more sophisticated methods can yield even better results. Proven personalization tactics include:

• Basic Personalization: Use the recipient's name in the greeting (e.g., "Hi, Sally") and the email subject line for an easy and effective touch.
• Advanced Customization: Tailor the email's content based on specific data you have about the recipient, such as their geographic location, gender, or past interactions with your brand.

It's been proven repeatedly that personalized emails sent to members of your audience that identify them by name and directly address their needs and wants are far more likely to be read and acted upon than generic messages.

Personalization is not about saying "Hello, <First_Name>," it's about understanding a customer's needs and tailoring the experience to them.    - J.C. Penney

2. Website Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone webpage with a specific purpose, such as presenting a focused offer and capturing visitor information. When you send a personalized email to a prospective customer, it should include a clickable link to a corresponding landing page.

This page facilitates a value exchange:

• What the visitor receives: An item of value, such as a white paper, an infographic, survey results, a product brochure, or a no-cost consultation request.
• What the visitor provides: Information via a form, which can include their name, company name, company size, job title, and their purchasing authority.

3. Discount Offer

Personalizing a discount offer makes the recipient feel known and valued, creating a sense of receiving something unique and special. Rather than offering a generic discount, you can create a targeted offer using several criteria:

• Previous purchase history
• Cost of previously bought products or services
• The buyer's geographic location
• Time of year or seasonality

In the B2B world, discounts are often a company's primary marketing investment, according to the Boston Consulting Group. It can reach 30% off list price sales or even more. But it's critical to use discounts strategically. Instead of broad, across-the-board discounts, BCG recommends value-based discounting, which ties discounts to the value provided by a particular customer.

Content Personalization Works

Now you know why content personalization is essential in the business world. People and organizations must sort through a constant stream of information sent to them. Beyond just having good content, whether and how your content is personalized and your messages are tailored to recipients will often determine if you gain their attention and spur them to take the action you want them to take.

Do you want to learn more about content personalization and how it can help grow your business?