Let’s face it. Running a small business is tough. You’re juggling everything from sales to customer service, trying to stand out in a noisy marketplace. But what if you could do one simple thing that 90 percent of consumers already want—and that actually helps you get more customers?
That “thing” is personalized marketing.
Yet when I speak with small business owners—and my business has served 126,217 clients, most of them SMBs—they think personalization is “for the big guys” with multi-million-dollar ad budgets.
This might have been the case a few years ago, but advancing technology has leveled the playing field. And if you aren’t ready to adopt some new, more personalized marketing tricks, your competition might beat you to it.
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Here are ways your business can leverage personalization in your marketing and keep the eyes of leads and customers focused on you.
Double (or even triple) your response rates by using first names
Ever seen your name on a postcard or email subject line and felt an instant connection? That’s the magic of personalization.
When it comes to emails, adding a name costs nothing. Use dynamic first name tags (something most email service providers allow you to do easily) that automatically add the recipient’s first name to every email that you send out.
Take this a step further by adding the name in the subject line, such as: “Carol, you missed this in your shopping cart.” Addressing individuals this way builds rapport without making them question privacy concerns.
And get this: Direct mail outperforms email by 800 percent in response rates, with email’s average response at 1 percent and direct mail’s at 9 percent. So imagine combining that power with a personal touch.
Placing a person’s name in big bold colors on the front of a postcard screams for attention. One study reported that 84 percent of respondents would be more likely to read a direct mail piece if it was personalized to them.
It doesn’t cost much more, but it makes your message impossible to ignore.
Create “set it and forget it” automations that feel personal
Personalization goes beyond a first name. What if you could follow up with a lead based on exactly what they did on your website, without lifting a finger?
That’s where automated, responsive marketing comes in.
Let’s say someone adds a product to their cart but doesn’t check out. Instead of letting that sale slip away, you can automatically send them a reminder email, or even better, with a physical mail piece, where it’s more likely to make a deeper impression. This is done by automatically matching the person’s digital IP address to a physical address..
Every action a lead takes can trigger a personalized message from your business that helps persuade them to do more.
These responsive tactics should not only be personalized to each prospect’s behaviors, but also automated so that you aren’t expending too much time, money, or energy with follow up.
This only takes a little bit of code on your website, connecting that code to your marketing platform of choice.
My favorite way to personalize follow-up is with direct mail retargeting. You can automate postcard mailings to anonymous website visitors. You can even set parameters around what triggers a mailing, such as the specific web pages they click on, how long they stay on your website, and if they place items in a shopping cart or fill out an online form. Then, a couple days later, they receive a postcard reminding them of why they were interested in purchasing in the first place.
One of our clients mailed 1,000 postcards to their anonymous website visitors and generated $285,000 in revenue.
Automation not only keeps your business top of mind, but it also keeps the conversation going over time. And it does it all without adding to your ongoing workload.
They key with personalized marketing is meeting people where they are and appealing to what makes them unique. In the end, it is really about connection. Focus on providing them with exactly what they need. You can’t go wrong with that strategy.