Worth the effort: personalised communications

Many tactics in marketing are now digital or automated, but this doesn’t mean that marketing messages should be generic. It’s really important that companies communicate with their customers on a regular basis, to make them feel remembered and valued as clients.

By making customers feel that little bit special, Marketers can make forge an emotional attachment that increases the customer’s loyalty, and makes it less likely that they’ll be enticed by competitors or big-budget ads. Just making small tweaks to deliver a tailored message (whether it’s through email newsletters, social media, website updates or calls), can have huge impact on how well the communications are received.

Some methods of introducing personalisation are: 

Segmentation 
Sending out targeted communications that are relevant to the customers’ industry sector or product base is one of the most fundamental ways to increase personalisation, particularly for B2B companies. By segmenting the marketing database, tailored messages can be developed that are specific to each group of customers. This type of communication is proven to be far more engaging than a one-size-fits-all approach. 

Emotional triggers 
Building an emotional connection involves demonstrating that the customer (person) is most important, not just their business. Small touches such as addressing marketing emails to recipients by name, sending a birthday message or renewal reminder, are easy ways to connect on a more personal level. Many such tweaks can now be automated, so adapting communications doesn’t have to be a laborious task. 

Tailored online experiences 
Providing websites and pages that are tailored to the user is another powerful means to deliver a personalised customer experience. Visitors benefit because they receive the content they want, quicker. Brands can start to respond to customer needs and engage in dialogue – which in turn helps increase revenue. (http://www.themarketer.co.uk/archives/trends/personalised-marketing/)