Making it Personal – A Look at Personalised Content Marketing

If you've ever said 'personalisation is too hard or expensive' this article may stop you in your tracks. Here's four excuses you'll no longer be able to use after reading it. 

Making it Personal – A Look at Personalised Content Marketing

Nathan is a highly successful registered nurse living in a beautiful small town in northern Michigan. He is a private man and he has very little use for modern technology. His attention to things that are not work and family is limited and he has little patience for things that try to pull that attention away. He also happens to be my brother-in-law.

Nate and I have a wonderful relationship and we discuss a lot of unique and interesting topics. Well, topics which are interesting to us anyway. While we really enjoy one another’s company, we rarely discuss work because our fields are so different. He asked me an interesting question recently that I felt needed more discussion than our normal obligatory “how is work?” exchanges. He asked, “Why isn’t every ad that I receive custom-made to my tastes?” The reason that he asked is that he has started to take notice of the advertising, online and in print, which is catered to his past buying habits and personal lifestyle. He clarified, “why are these companies sending me information on things that I don’t want or need?” While I tried to avoid going right into “selling mode,” there are some solid takeaways from his inquiry.

It is the marketer’s job to make individuals want something that they did not even realize existed before they were exposed to the advertising. But the questions that Nate raised were solid. He was expressing a desire that a lot of people are feeling. They don’t want advertising. They want specific messages, images, and offers that make them feel like they are in a “relationship” and they have “VIP” status. Instead of explaining the benefits of every marketing tactic available, I explained to him the current challenges marketers face in moving to personalized content.

So, what is the answer? Why doesn’t every company use personalization? The answers vary from organization to organization, but if marketers are not creating content to be more personalized, then customers and prospects will start relationships with other companies. It’s important to go the extra mile to win their hearts (and dollars). There are really four main reasons marketers are delayed in their path to personalization.

1. I don’t know where to start – This is the easiest of all obstacles to overcome. You need to start by simply taking the first step that is right for your business. Failure to move at all is not an option. Awareness and presence are no longer enough for modern brands. Over three-fourths of marketers see custom content as the future, but few are challenging all of their media channels to get them there now and not just some random time in the future. If your new and traditional marketing and advertising partners are not walking with you down the ”yellow brick road” to a more personal relationship with your clients and prospects, then it may be time to find new partners. Traditional methods still work, but tweaking and adding personalized content will make the old ways new again.

2. How personal is too personal? – Today, marketers have access to an unprecedented amount of consumer data. This powerful information is like rocket fuel; it can propel marketing efforts into the stratosphere, or it can completely backfire. The challenge that marketers oftentimes face is how do we walk the line between offering something meaningful and relevant, without being too invasive? Effective use of personalization isn’t about revealing that you know personal details about the consumer. It’s about recognizing what they’re interested in, and offering that consumer a solution based around that interest. In other words, don’t try to sell hamburgers to a vegetarian. Direct mail allows you to speak directly with prospects in a personal way. But marketers must use common sense and recognize when it gets too personal.

3. It seems expensive – It is true that the modern customer requires an investment. The fact is that personalization is no longer a luxury, but rather the expectation. Direct mail has been a pillar of the personalization movement for decades and its ”fashion forward” approach is now being seen in media across the advertising landscape. Consumers today are plugged into multiple channels and served with integrated print and digital personalized content at every turn. For example, Netflix automates your movie recommendations, Amazon suggests products based on your viewing history, and Facebook delivers personalized news feeds that correspond to your tastes, preferences and behavior. The message here is that you need to find the tactics that fit your objectives. The response and ROI are typically well worth the investment especially now that there are affordable ways to get there.

4. It’s complicated to execute – This is simply not true. Plus, anything worth doing is worth doing right and we are talking about getting closer to your customers/prospects. This is something worth the planning time. The problem is that most businesses don’t have the kind of engineers and data volumes needed to implement such powerful, automated resources.

   For small and medium businesses, long-term marketing strategies, including content marketing and social media, develop an understanding of the target audience that permits this level of personalization.

   Direct mail has the longest history in the space and direct mailers understand how to help marketers navigate the latest ways to implement personalization strategies. E-mail has such wonderful possibilities to be closer to your loyal customers. YouTube allows businesses to put a face on their enterprise and connect with users in a way that makes them feel that their voices are heard. In each instance, these marketing channels take time to develop. A well-curated Direct mail program, e-mail campaign, YouTube channel, blog or Facebook page turns into a hub of conversation, ideas and positive brand association, but none of it occurs without methodically, organically cultivating a following.

I would never have thought that a conversation that I had with my brother-in-law would have turned into a discussion about personalized marketing. It seems like consumers are ready and willing to accept personalized advertising. Marketers have the ability to drive personalized content. Media organizations can help by continuing to make personalized marketing affordable and accessible for acquisition and loyalty programs.

If everyone can move together, we can fulfill the dream of more personalized content. And that would make Nate a very happy consumer and a happy brother-in-law is always a good thing.