All of marketing can be summed up by one question: what do my customers want? Figuring out the answer is where the real work comes in.
For most people, that answer is customized content. Pro Opinion reports that 77% of consumers want personalized content. In a world inundated with constant information, it makes sense that most people appreciate when a company takes the time to personalize content for them.
Is this easier said than done? How can your small business provide that singular experience?
The power of segmentation
A great place to start is by utilizing email segmentation. Email segmentation is the process of separating and targeting specific groups of your customers, rather than contacting everyone at once.
Billions of emails are sent every week. The average office worker between 2014 and 2018 received about 90 emails a day and sent around 40. A staggering rate of 86% of business professionals prefer email as their primary method of communication. Email communication as a whole is one of the most important parts of any marketing strategy.
The simple truth is that a potential client who doesn’t know about your brand, product, or reason to buy is not going to become a customer. You need them to gain trust in your voice. According to Mailchimp, open rates for segmented emails are 14.31% higher than non-segmented campaigns
There’s a huge difference between a cold lead and a customer on the verge of buying. It makes sense that they need different content.
Blog subscribers can be one of the largest lead pools for your content funnel, but it is only through segmented email marketing that they will remain subscribers and actively engaged with your content.
Match their stage in the buyer journey with specific delivered content. It is imperative that your company doesn’t attempt to move leads down the funnel without developing their internal motivation.
Get specific for an excellent customer experience
The reason email segmentation, and personalized content itself, is so effective is because it adds value to the customers’ experience with your company.
Take the necessary time to consider what is relevant for your target and their unique situation. Customers who feel understood are far more likely to pursue a business relationship than their counterpart, yet traditional marketing doesn’t always have the mindset necessary to research and customize messaging properly.
By ensuring that, not only does your company have the right tools, but also the right content, you will find that customer retention and happiness will rise.
How to get started
Getting started with email segmentation doesn’t have to be hard. First, you need to consider the flow of steps the customer will take to achieve their goal.
From the welcome email to the blog subscription to the trial phase, the end goal is to convert a viewer into a buyer. Email communication is foundational for any business relationship.
When considering your content flow, you need to give the potential client opportunities to buy in. Show them you value their time, offer them quality, customized content, and let them realize what your company can do for them.
Long-time customers can’t be ignored, either. Make sure you’re regularly keeping in touch and sharing new info that shows they’ve made a good choice with your business.
Resources like infographics, podcasts, and video content are great for your more established audience, to keep their interest.
“Don’t try to generalize. By attempting to appeal to everyone, you run of the risk of boring, overplayed concepts. It’s a waste of your time and a waste of your audience’s time,” Answer 1 explained in their guide to visual content. “You can use visual content to follow up with leads from past events. It’s much more exciting to receive a custom e-book or infographic with a call to action than to receive yet another ‘just following up’ email.”
Email segmentation is a relatively straightforward way to add immense value to your customers’ experience with your business. People want to feel like you’re respecting their time and understanding their needs. Do that with customized email content, and you’ll be on your way to building a loyal customer base.
Resources
https://masterful-marketing.com/marketing-communications-channel-strategy/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlywhitler/2018/05/13/how-data-is-changing-the-role-of-marketers/
https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
https://trackmaven.com/marketing-dictionary/engagement-rate/
https://blog.scrunch.com/measuring-an-influencers-engagement-rate
https://www.groovehq.com/blog/top-of-the-funnel-marketing
https://www.mailjet.com/blog/news/turn-email-subscribers-into-paying-customers/
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