The digital landscape offers businesses a wide range of marketing techniques and tools. From social media marketing to search engine optimization (SEO), even small enterprises have the potential to reach global audiences. While it is often considered one of the less prominent forms of outreach, personalized mass email marketing remains a relevant, practical, and affordable method in the contemporary commercial environment.
One of the benefits of connecting through personalized mass email is that you have the ability to send communications to hundreds or thousands of consumers. Nevertheless, too many businesses use a generalized, copy-and-paste approach that fails to garner engagement. This is because they believe that personalizing every email either requires labor-intensive individual editing or tools that are too costly to invest in.
In reality, many businesses already have the resources to take a more individualized approach to their digital mailouts. So, let’s look at some key considerations that can help your business realize mass customization in email marketing..
Email marketing customization at scale is a practical option for an increasing number of businesses. Yet, this doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easy to accomplish. To do it well requires time, investment, and focus. These are all finite resources in any business, and the last thing you want is to negatively disrupt your operations. So, it’s important to understand why you should apply your focus toward mass customization in your email marketing.
At its core, mass customization helps businesses helps businesses meet growing consumer expectations for tailored experiences. When companies demonstrate that they treat consumers as individuals, this can incentivize greater customer loyalty. Customized marketing also ensures that the content is more relevant to the recipient, resulting in more meaningful engagement..
In some ways, personalized mass email enhances the wider customer experience your business provides. The individualized components in your emails can work alongside the personalized aspects of your website and mobile applications. You can link to deals based on customer needs, provide education related to the products they buy, and ensure that customers get materials and services suited to their needs no matter which of your online channels they’re using. By utilizing tools that make your relationship smooth, simple, and effective, consumers are less inclined to head to competitors.
You can also integrate in-app live streaming SDKs into your mobile applications, taking personalization to the next level. The combination of personalized mass emails and in-app live streaming SDKs allows you to communicate with your customers through multiple channels, delivering relevant and targeted content at different touchpoints along their journey. Whether they interact with your brand through emails or within your app, they’ll receive personalized experiences that cater to their specific needs and preferences.
One of the roadblocks many businesses hit when approaching personalized mass email customization is the incorrect assumption that they need to immediately level up their data collection and analysis. This can delay efforts as companies try to raise the capital and expertise needed. Yet, as with many other aspects of business, you shouldn’t wait until conditions are perfect before taking decisive and innovative actions. There’s a lot you can achieve with the data you already have.
Start by segmenting your current crop of consumer data into clearly definable persona characteristics. You can do this by analyzing prior interactions and purchasing behavior, geographical information, the types of content visitors engaged with, and demographic data such as age and income. These may seem like relatively simple data points, but they can help you make a solid start on customizing large numbers of your emails.
Remember, you’re not looking for completely tailored email content at this stage but rather a base to build from. Mass customization is like any other growth effort in your business: expecting too much too soon can cause you to overextend your resources or stumble early. These simple data segments can introduce consumers to your intent to provide meaningful interactions. Their engagement, in turn, gives you more complex data to utilize for greater customization later.
Personalized mass emails are not fully tailored materials. You should aim to apply as much relevant customization as possible without making it impractical to perform at scale. Often, the best way to achieve this is to create a clear email structure for each campaign. Then, create a range of different elements that can slot into each piece of the structure depending on the data segments recipients fall into. This provides practicality for your team and the perception of personalization for consumers.
Subject Header
When creating content for this part of the structure, it’s important to utilize segmented data on what appeals to your consumers about your business. After all, your subject header should be designed to entice recipients to open the email. Some may be attracted to the possibility of savings, in which case this can be the crux of your header. Others may be interested in solving certain problems, in which case your header can lean into the solutions you may present.
The components of the structure can include:
Subject Header: Use segmented data on what appeals to your consumers about your business. Your subject header should entice recipients to open the email. Some may be attracted to savings, while others may respond to problem-solving angles.
Customer Name: This is the simplest form of customization at scale. Use data gathered during sign-up or lead generation. Also, note whether customers prefer formal greetings or casual ones. Not all customers like being addressed by their first name, so segment this data as well.
Introduction: The introduction should feel personal, touching on location, shared values, or reasons for the contact. Each introduction should bridge the recipient smoothly to the main content.
Valuable Content: Present the core purpose of the email. This may be marketing content addressing specific problems or products suited to identified customer needs.
Call to Action (CTA): Different CTAs appeal to different segments. Customize your CTAs to match the preferences and motivations of each customer group. In most cases, a marketing email is wasted if it doesn’t prompt consumers to take some action. However, different calls to action (CTAs) will appeal to different segments of your consumer base. As such, this is something you can customize en masse with a range of appropriate encouragements to engage that fit your consumers’ identified preferences.
One of the risks of mass email customization is appearing disingenuous. Consumers value authentic interactions with businesses across all touchpoints. While personalization is important, be transparent about how and why you personalize communications. Inform subscribers during sign-up that their data may be used for personalized marketing.
Avoid writing emails from fake personas or falsely attributing messages to executives. Consumers can detect inauthentic tactics, which may cause them to disengage or lose trust. Always use a consistent, professional brand voice.
Additionally, avoid manipulative or confusing language. “Fruitloopery,” where language is used to mislead or obscure information, undermines trust. Never imply that messages come from medical or financial professionals unless accurate. Ethical, clear communication strengthens your credibility.
There have been some prominent recent examples of “fruitloopery”, which is where content is written using language that purposely confuses readers. The aim of this is usually to dissuade readers from sufficiently scrutinizing claims made by the business. The personalization in your mass email marketing shouldn't make consumers erroneously assume they’re receiving communications from qualified professionals in a medical, scientific, or financial field. You should also ensure they don’t think they’re receiving recommendations based on their medical history or other deeply personal needs.
Email campaigns are naturally considered the domain of marketing professionals. Nevertheless, personalized mass email customization or your materials can benefit from contributors with a range of expertise. You should, therefore, encourage cross-departmental collaborations when planning and executing these types of materials. This helps your materials not only be more impactful but also have greater relevance and agility.
From the outset of your project, you should take the approach of building a specific cross-departmental team to take charge of mass customization. Naturally, this will include members of your marketing department. It’s also wise to incorporate data analytics or embedded business intelligence professionals. Members of the information technology (IT) department can be instrumental in helping your team utilize artificial intelligence (AI) and automated tools that help support and execute a successful mass communications campaign.
Each member of this diverse team has unique insights that can help make your efforts more effective. Each department likely also has different ways of working. This can prevent your mass customization project from becoming siloed either by stagnant practices or limited knowledge bases.
Personalized mass email in your marketing is a practical option no matter what size your business is. Indeed, utilizing this tool can help you to gain better interactions and loyalty from your consumers. Start by analyzing and segmenting the data you already have on your consumers. From here, you can create email structures with components that are customized to meet the requirements of your identified consumer segments. Remember that acting authentically and with a varied team of efforts helps you to build more meaningful and effective campaigns. With some careful analysis and good organization, you can ensure your email marketing not just reaches a wide audience, but also engages them.
