Marketing trends show that customer segmentation and customer personalization increases business revenue.
People value connection over transaction when they make buying decisions. By segmenting your audience, you can deliver personalized messages to them.
Studies currently report that 80% of customers prefer to work with businesses that deliver a personalized experience (Wigzo, NotifyVisitors).
The best way to start creating that personalized experience is to prioritize customer segmentation.
Despite the customer feedback, 42% of marketers report they do not segment their customer base at all, and only 4% segment their customers based on multiple factors.
Whether you’re a large, established business or a micro business (team of less than 10 people and serve a small customer base), you can give your audience a personalized experience with a little bit of time and intention. Read on for 5 tips to help you get started.
Get (somewhat) personal with your customers
Consumers are placing more value on the authenticity of the businesses they work with.
If you are a micro business, you personalize your customer experience much quicker. Even though some of things you do wouldn’t scale to a larger audience, personalization would help you develop an authentic relationship with your customers.
So tell them you like Netflix, or underwater basket weaving. Or whatever lights you up.
Personally, I can’t help but infuse my faith into my content, because being a Christian is important to me.
I make a point not to exclude people in how I present myself and communicate. But I know that my faith may turn some people off to my content. And that’s okay.
Share valuable content other than “buy my thing”, “download this freebie”, and “book a call”. Post behind-the-scenes, day-in-the-life content.
If you also have a full-time job, show them how you’re balancing growing your business with your other responsibilities.
Talk to your audience about your values, vision, and your why. Celebrate personal wins. Share lessons you’re learning from past mistakes.
I will include an additional statement on this topic — people are not entitled to all of the intimate details of your life.
Because they invest in working with you doesn’t mean they get a say in every decision you make.
Use discretion in how much you share online, and protect your peace, always.
Customer personalization by turning your email platform into a CRM
Email is still the primary medium customers prefer to receive information from businesses.
Customer segmentation has led to as high as a 760% increase in revenue according to marketers. If you’re still sending the same email to your full list, you’re definitely missing out on some (or a lot of) revenue.
Don’t look at your email platform as another way to send general broadcasts (this decreases your click-through rate by 50%). Turn it into a customer relationship management (CRM) system by collecting customer information that you can use to provide a more personal experience.
Almost every email platform I can think of has a way to increase customer personalization. ConvertKit uses segments, tags, and now, subscriber preferences to help you get to know your audience even more.
Ask questions often to increase personalized experience for customers
I often find that my clients focus more on what they’re going to say than what they’re going to learn from their customers.
When creating lead magnets, preparing for webinars, or even writing email or social media content, you’re likely not thinking about ways to increase customer personalization.
But focusing only on your own perspective is a one-sided approach to serving your audience.
No one knows the value of the solved problem more than the person who’s dealing with it. As the expert, you may overlook the value of small wins if you don’t know what your customers value.
It’s like watching a teenager get their driving permit and start driving lessons. They are excited about the independence that comes with driving themselves around. As adults, we may not remember or appreciate this feeling since driving is now second nature to us.
Use customer segmentation in your email and social media platforms to so you can send more personalized messages.
Ask your audience how they feel about the problem you solve, what they would fix first, and what fixing the problem would mean for them.
Personalize customer experience with additional touchpoints
If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard a variation of the Marketing Rule of 7, which says that a customer has to hear a message 7 times before they take action.
While the number itself doesn’t matter, having to repeat your message several times before a customer takes action is accurate.
As you use customer segmentation in your marketing, continue the conversation by inviting your interested audience to another platform to connect.
In your emails, add links to a specific social media post about the topic you’re discussing. Direct them to a podcast episode or a blog that adds more depth to the topic as well.
When you’re on social media, direct people to a resource (e.g. lead magnet, blog post) that provides more information than your caption can.
Turn your cornerstone content into resources that can easily be accessed when questions come up in your audience.
Knowing how your customer segments respond to different types of content will give you clues about what to go deeper on and what to leave behind. This in turn helps increase customer personalization.
Consider providing personalized service to one customer segment
If you don’t have the time or capacity to serve multiple customer types, focus on one customer segment and become the go-to expert for solving the problem for them.
I do have to bring up the dreaded “n” word here (niche). Committing to a niche when you first get started will help you streamline your processes and quickly become an expert at serving a specific audience. And when you’re ready to expand your offers, your customers will already trust you to serve them.
Rory Vaden came up with the term “Sheahan’s Wall”, which describes an invisible wall that experts need to break through to be known for something they do well. The social proof from that expertise can then lend itself to future offers they create and help them build trust with their audience much quicker in the future.
Being exclusive and focused, in the beginning, will also allow you to maximize the ROI on your marketing efforts while preventing burnout, comparison, and any other distractions that could hinder you from your goals.
Customer personalization should be a priority
If you’re having trouble attracting customers consistently to your offer, it may be time to review your message and focus on customer personalization.
Segment your audience and ask more questions.
Provide solutions in response to the feedback you get and build momentum and demand for your offer.
The 80% have spoken. It’s time to listen up.