Everyone knows that it’s best practice to customize the emails you send to your customers. You know that, right? If you didn’t, now you do. Make sure you’re customizing emails to your customers. The most common and simple way to do this is to use merge fields, so that emails come to them by name. You’re probably already taking this step.
But did you know there are way more ways to consider customizing your emails? Check out the tips below for some ideas you may not have thought of, collected from around the web, including from our friends at Keap. These go way beyond just “Hi, First Name!”
Say Happy Birthday!
If you’re not sending birthday emails, you definitely should be. It’s easy to get this information from your customers, but Experian reports that Happy Birthday messages get 235% more opens and 300% higher click-through rates than other promotional mailings. That’s worth paying attention to!
If You’re Trying to Sell Something, Keep it Relevant
It’s worth segmenting emails based on products purchased whenever you can. Selling kitchen products? If you know that someone’s most recent purchases from you are mixing bowls, whisks, and measuring cups, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume they might be interested in cupcake liners or cookie sheets, but an email about grilling and BBQ tools might feel like it’s out of the blue.
You’ve Got a Whole Message You Can Customize
Don’t limit yourself to just the intro or subject line. Lots of folks make the mistake of only saying “Hello, First Name,” but you can customize so much more! Insert information about previous purchases, reference their location, or use their name in more than just the intro. In the example below, the company kicks the email off with Brett’s first name, but they also include it again at the end to make sure it isn’t missed. All of these tips can help your email feel less standardized and more customized, which translates into a better relationship with your customers.
Don’t ALWAYS Sell, Sell, Sell
Make sure you’re including relevant information for people to engage with your content. A great example of this would be tips on how to use a product they just bought, or statistics on how they’re engaging with your product. As a user, Grammarly sends updated statistics weekly to show how many words you’ve written, how many grammar mistakes were spotted, what tend to be your biggest issues. Apple always follows up a purchase or OS update with tips and tricks on how to use your shiny new toy or features. These emails are helpful on their own, but also turn your email messaging into an ongoing conversation that helps your customers understand that you’ve got meaningful content that they WANT to read. That keeps them opening your emails, and THAT keeps them engaged so when it is time to send a sales email, they’re already likely to open your communications.
Say Happy Anniversary, Too!
We’re not talking wedding anniversaries here, we’re talking about their relationship with YOU. Consider customizing your messages to include how long they’ve been among your customers. It helps people feel appreciated and connected to your brand. According to a poll by Acquia, almost 80% of US consumers expect messages to be personalized, and nearly 50% of US Consumers expect you to remember how long they’ve been a customer. You have this data already, your customers WANT you to use it. This one is a win-win!
Conclusion
You don’t need a massive investment in data management to send good personalized emails. Just a few simple pieces of information (most of them probably already being tracked in your CRM!) are enough to get your customers’ attention and keep them engaged with your emails. It’s all about the personalization.
