{"id":14881,"date":"2024-09-23T04:12:18","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T04:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=14881"},"modified":"2024-09-23T04:39:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T04:39:45","slug":"personalised-marketing-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/blog\/personalised-marketing-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Personalised Marketing That Keeps Customers Engaged"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It feels like you\u2019ve found \u201cthe one\u201d \u2014 a customer ready for a long-lasting brand relationship<\/a> built on personalised marketing. But then, just as quickly as the sparks fly, they fizzle out. Engagement plummets and those once-enthusiastic customers disappear. What went wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the world of personalised marketing, making the wrong moves can turn a promising relationship into a fleeting encounter. The truth is, our data shows that 81% of customers<\/a> expect faster interactions as technology advances, and a whopping 73% crave better personalisation<\/a>. Without these, you risk losing customers because of poor service, which is the number one reason<\/a> customers stop purchasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With timely data at your fingertips<\/a>, influencing customer behaviour seems like a slam dunk. But there\u2019s a catch: not using all the data you have available can negatively impact customer experiences \u2014 and push customers away faster than you can say \u201cunsubscribe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what can you do to build one personalised marketing journey rather than a series of personalised, yet disparate, interactions? First, let\u2019s define what personalised marketing is, explore some do\u2019s and don\u2019ts, and see best-in-class examples to inspire you to plan for better long-term customer relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Personalisation Trends Shaping Marketing<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Stay ahead with insights on AI, Data, and Personalisation in the latest State of Marketing Report.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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What is personalised marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Personalised marketing ditches the one-size-fits-all approach, using data to tailor messages and offerings to individual customers. This can range from including a customer\u2019s name in an email, to recommending products based on past purchases, to tailoring customer conversations with chatbots powered by artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI). Done right, it fosters loyalty and boosts revenue. Done wrong, it becomes annoying and intrusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What constitutes a \u201cpersonalised\u201d experience continues to evolve, and there\u2019s a stark difference between how marketing teams are adapting. We found that 54% of marketers in India<\/a> take a lifecycle approach to personalisation \u2014 targeting potential customers with awareness campaigns and nurturing existing ones with product support and loyalty programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During that journey, marketers engage customers across an average of 10 channels<\/a>. And that\u2019s exactly what customers expect. But, access to up-to-date data can make it difficult to reach customers across all of those channels \u2014 much less influence them to take the next step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like any relationship, personalised marketing requires effort to make it work. Companies have to collect and analyse customer data responsibly, while ensuring it translates into clear audience segments. They also have to share this customer data across departments to create a truly connected experience. Every interaction, big or small, counts and can make or break a relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintaining personalisation also requires constant monitoring and adaptation \u2014 a challenge for businesses with limited resources. Here\u2019s where size comes in. Large enterprises often have more data that requires the infrastructure and data analysis<\/a> capabilities to execute complex personalisation strategies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small businesses<\/a>, on the other hand, may rely on simpler tactics to apply customer preferences or offer targeted promotions. While the scale differs, the core idea remains \u2014 understanding your audience and tailoring your marketing to resonate with them. But just like in real-world relationships, rushing things or being overly clingy can lead to disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 6 do\u2019s and don\u2019ts of personalised marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Imagine getting served irrelevant ads, or worse, recommendations for something you already bought. The key to avoiding losing your customer is building trust with your audience. Flip your relationship from doomed to devoted with these tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Don\u2019t rush the \u201cget to know you\u201d phase<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sure, you want to personalise, but not before you understand your audience\u2019s needs. It\u2019s just as important as knowing if your partner likes coffee or tea, roses or tulips, sweet or salty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take time to collect accurate data and segment your audience<\/a> based on this data. Look beyond demographics and delve into past campaign interactions to form a deeper understanding of their preferences. You need all the information about a customer to truly know them \u2014 and that data can live anywhere, so don\u2019t let data live trapped in silos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Don\u2019t forget to collaborate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A truly successful customer relationship thrives on open collaboration between departments and shared understanding of the customer<\/a>. This requires data that\u2019s securely accessible and actionable across the business. Marketing has customer engagement activity, sales has lead details, and service has case history, and commerce has past purchases. Break down departmental silos and share customer data to create deeper connections<\/a>, anticipate customer needs, and streamline processes for the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Don\u2019t be selfish<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think of customer data as a two-way street. The more information they share (with clear explanations of how it\u2019s used), the more you can tailor their experience. But remember, it\u2019s a give-and-take. Offer valuable content, discounts, or loyalty rewards<\/a> in return for their insights.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Don\u2019t send too many messages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a fine line between interested and overbearing. And you definitely do not want to appear desperate. Using incomplete or inaccurate data can lead to overwhelming customers with irrelevant recommendations in hopes that they respond. Techniques like waterfall segmentation and propensity to purchase scores can prioritise truly interested audiences and prevent oversaturated promotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Don\u2019t ignore the little details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make them feel valued with a truly personalised experience in real time. Offer targeted promotions when they\u2019re most engaged and on the channels they frequent. Imagine getting a discount on that jacket you just browsed \u2014 on your phone, while you\u2019re still contemplating the purchase. That\u2019s personalisation done right.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Don\u2019t be inconsistent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consistency in communication is key. Don\u2019t rely on inaccurate or siloed data to only give them what they want every now and then. Set the bar high by unifying your customer profiles<\/a> across all platforms and departments. This ensures your messaging stays consistent across all channels, no matter how a customer interacts with your brand \u2014 chatting on your website, clicking on an ad, talking to a sales rep, or via email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 best examples of personalised marketing in action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Amazon: customer focus turns forests into trees<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The retail and tech giant is famous for its relentless approach to personalisation. From customising each customer\u2019s home page so it contains the items they\u2019re most likely to buy, to using algorithms to offer combination purchases (think of the \u201cfrequently bought together\u201d feature), it goes above and beyond to make its marketing useful to individuals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Royal Enfield: strengthening rider connections through AI-driven personalisation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Royal Enfield, a brand synonymous with adventure and community, has always focused on creating more than just motorcycles \u2014 it crafts experiences. With Data Cloud<\/a>, it unified customer data from multiple sources into a centralised platform to deliver consistent, personalised communication across all channels.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a single view of over nine million unique customer profiles, Royal Enfield could better understand and engage with its community, tailoring interactions to each rider\u2019s preferences and behaviour. The results were remarkable. With Marketing Cloud, Royal Enfield executed targeted, contextual campaigns that doubled customer engagement rates and improved conversion rates by 2.7 times<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Spotify: curator, conductor and confidante<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

More than a few people have said that the streaming service\u2019s knowledge of their musical preferences is almost too good. Offering end-of-year rankings of your most played songs and \u2018Discover Weekly\u2019 playlists that predict artists and songs you might appreciate, Spotify\u2019s algorithmic prowess makes each consumer\u2019s experience unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotify also uses personalisation to amplify customer relationships for its advertisers. Salesforce provides a single source of truth for ad inventory<\/a> and provides advertisers with real-time information to serve up the right ads to the right customers at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Mahindra & Mahindra: contextual marketing campaigns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mahindra & Mahindra<\/a> is elevating customer engagement through 1:1 contextual marketing campaigns powered by Salesforce. Leads from the website seamlessly enter Marketing Cloud<\/a>, where teams can personalise prospect journeys and automate communications. This integration allows Mahindra to understand customer preferences better and deliver the right messages at the right time. Centralised and templated campaigns now offer consistent, omni-channel engagement, making customer interactions more targeted and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMarketing campaigns and customer lifecycle management have become much more effective with less effort,\u201d says Ritesh Shah, Head, Digital Product Management, Mahindra & Mahindra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Netflix: giving every user a personal cinema<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A great example of the advantage personalisation has over legacy marketing is what video streaming service Netflix does with the \u2018movie poster.\u2019 In conventional advertising, this single image of the movie has to try and appeal to everyone, but thanks to detailed customer data and intelligent algorithms, Netflix is able to deliver specific images to specific audience members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the first season of the hit show \u2018Stranger Things.\u2019 If Netflix algorithms determined someone was more a fan of fantasy than any other genre, the image they saw was dominated by an unnatural, red sky. If they liked teen dramas, they saw the show\u2019s main teenage love interest. While this might seem complicated, it\u2019s fundamentally a type of personalisation any company can accomplish. It all begins with data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. SP Robotic Works: personalisation isn\u2019t just for giants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Given the above examples, you might assume that only the largest companies can pull off personalised marketing. That isn\u2019t the case. SP Robotic Works<\/a>, an innovative learning platform focused on coding and robotics for children, proves that small and medium businesses can also leverage these strategies to drive significant growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By centralising all marketing data on a single platform, SP Robotic Works uses Marketing Cloud<\/a> to make informed, data-driven decisions and engage customers effectively across channels. “Carefully crafted user journeys nurture our prospects and customers, seamlessly moving them from one stage to the next,” says Sneha Priya, CEO & Co-Founder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The secret to personalised marketing? Unified data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In today’s marketing landscape, the key to delivering personalised experiences lies in unified data. Without a cohesive view of customer interactions across all channels, personalised marketing becomes an uphill battle. That\u2019s where Salesforce Data Cloud<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Cloud is a powerful data platform designed to unify customer data from a wide array of sources within your organisation \u2014 ranging from website behaviour and CRM interactions to ad performance and beyond. By bringing this data together in real time, Data Cloud transforms it into accessible, actionable insights that can be leveraged across your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a unified data foundation, your marketing efforts become more precise and effective. Data Cloud enables you to deliver highly targeted, relevant interactions at every customer touchpoint, ensuring that your marketing not only reaches the right audience but resonates with them. The impact is clear: faster lead processing, deeper customer engagement, and the ability to turn market trends into concrete outcomes, such as empowered teams, delighted customers, and increased revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Power Your Personalised Marketing Efforts<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and use unified data to deliver personalised customer experiences that drive growth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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