Personalisation within marketing is something that may be considered a vital factor for brands, no matter the industry. In 2013, 49% of UK consumers believed that personalisation is important. While this may seem like a large number, it suggests that 51% of consumers believe it not to be important. A 2015 survey from Econsultancy on personalisation stated that 50% of users experienced a minor uplift in conversion rates through SMS, with 25% experiencing a significant uplift, and 25% had no uplift. This suggests that while there may be a visible improvement in conversion rate, this tactic needs to be planned carefully.
When it comes to personalisation, there are times when it is appropriate, and times when it’s not. Depending on your brand, personalisation may not be relevant to your marketing strategy at all. But if it is, when should you personalise?
Loyalty Reward Program
Personalisation within marketing is something that may be considered a vital factor for brands, no matter the industry. In 2013, 49% of UK consumers believed that personalisation is important. While this may seem like a large number, it suggests that 51% of consumers believe it not to be important. A 2015 survey from Econsultancy on personalisation stated that 50% of users experienced a minor uplift in conversion rates through SMS, with 25% experiencing a significant uplift, and 25% had no uplift. This suggests that while there may be a visible improvement in conversion rate, this tactic needs to be planned carefully.
When it comes to personalisation, there are times when it is appropriate, and times when it’s not. Depending on your brand, personalisation may not be relevant to your marketing strategy at all. But if it is, when should you personalise?
Loyalty Reward Program
An example of using personalisation within SMS marketing could be a loyalty reward program. If you offer a loyalty scheme, you could personalise messages to your consumers based on products that they regularly buy. For example, “Hi Sam, thanks for being a loyal customer. Claim 10% off your next eBook with code BOOK10”. This method would be useful for clients who have purchased from you previously. Not only is this likely to result in a happy customer who feels special and that they have been approached with relevant offers, but it could also increase the chance of further purchases.
New customers vs regular customers
Text message marketing is a much more personal means of marketing in comparison to other methods, meaning that personalisation may often be unsuitable or perhaps intrusive. If your database comprises of consumers that use your services on occasion, or that have just signed up to use your services it may be better to use “Dear customer/Welcome to…”, saving personalised messaging for when you have built a relationship with them, or once they have been using your services for a longer period. There are strict rules set by ICO on marketing communications, ensure you are up to date on these and abiding by these.
While the name vs no name debate could be argued indefinitely, there are other
methods of personalisation within SMS messaging. For example, pizza companies are renowned for sending text messages promoting their deals throughout the week. Instead of using first name personalisation, they instead opt to personalise by offering deals and giving the phone number of the local branch that their customer has previously used. Audience Segmentation
The primary challenge of personalisation within SMS marketing is to ensure that the content is relevant to include their name, letting them know that the deal exclusively selected for them. You can segment your audience on various factors; it could be basic information like their gender, age, location or maybe something more detailed such as their interests or purchasing habits. By segmenting your audience, you can then tailor your message to suit their needs, increasing engagement rate and ROI. If it’s a generic message (maybe you’re letting customers know your opening times have changed), then there’s no need to personalise. If you’re sending a message to offer specific discounts to a client, then it would be the perfect opportunity to personalise.
For more information on when to personalise your mobile marketing campaigns, contact us today on 0845 122 1302 or email [email protected].