Personalization:The Key To Success In E-Marketing

Posted: 04/2002

Personalization: The Key To Success In E-Marketing

By Maribeth Kuzmeski

You already know marketing is about relationships. If you were a door-to-door salesman, you'd call Mrs. Jones by name, smile and make eye contact, and you'd show her how you could make her life easier.

If you were sending her a direct mail letter, you'd certainly make sure it was addressed to her (rather than the dreaded "occupant").

And if Mrs. Jones were a regular customer, you'd know enough about her to really personalize your products and services.

So why do so many e-marketers fail to personalize their e-marketing efforts?

I think it's because the Internet is such an immediate, real-time medium that we assume we don't have to. After all, your web site or e-mail is right there in front of the client. Or maybe it's because "high-tech" and "warm and personal" somehow seem, well, mutually exclusive.

I'm here to tell you e-marketing can be very personal. Actually, it has to be!

Building strong relationships with clients is an integral part of my business philosophy, Red Zone Marketing. My system compares the most critical and magnified area on the football field -- the red zone, that final 20 yards before the goal line -- to the most critical and magnified area in business -- the unmarked territory where you either lose or win a prospective customer.

The following suggestions for personal and effective e-marketing efforts are straight from my Red Zone Marketing philosophy. I hope they will spark some ideas for you to use in your own campaign.

• Include names on all e-mails sent to current and potential clients.  It sounds so obvious, doesn't it? Unfortunately, too many companies send out mass e-mails addressed, in effect, to "whom it may concern." (This is the true definition of spam!) Invest in a database program that personalizes your e-mails. And by the way, when e-mailing clients in response to questions, put their names in the greetings -- it's not hard to do and it makes them feel special.

• Make sure your e-newsletter makes sense for your clients. These newsletters are so easy to send that nearly everyone has considered doing one. But an ill-thought-out e-newsletter will only annoy clients. Be sure you put the same level of thought into your e-newsletter as you would a traditional direct mail campaign. I suggest a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly newsletter filled with news from your company, suggestions to make clients' lives or jobs easier, coupons, notification of special events, etc. Keep the tone warm and chatty, even interject (appropriate) humor. Receiving regular, useful communications from you will keep your company uppermost in clients' minds -- and will make them feel that they matter.

• Use e-mail to "Keep In Touch" with clients. I recommend that my Red Zone Marketing clients institute a Keep In Touch (KIT) Program for their clients. The e-newsletter I mentioned is one way to do that. But why not take it further? Send e-greeting cards to your clients on their birthdays and on holidays. And if you come across something you know a specific client would be interested in -- say, a fascinating article about his industry or a link to web site about one of his hobbies -- e-mail it to him with a "this made me think of you" note. Believe me, he'll be flattered you thought of him.

• Make clients feel like an honored "guest" at your web site. Take a cue from the major "e-tailers" who greet regular customers by name. Talk to your web site developer and ask how your home page can welcome Mrs. Jones when she stops by for a visit. Remember, to the virtual visitor, your web site is your office. Be sure it's friendly and easy to navigate -- and be sure Mrs. Jones feels right at home.

• Use the Internet in your quest for referrals. I am really, really big on referrals. In fact, one of the things I teach my clients is how to be a referral champion. Try sending an e-mail to your top clients asking them if they have friends or colleagues who may be interested in your services. Or include a link on your web site inviting clients to join your "referral" club; clients would receive special privileges or some sort of gift in exchange for some promising leads. How does this fall into the personalization category? Well, what could be more personal than asking people to share the names of their friends and family? Just the fact that you asked means you view them as "important" -- and that you trust their judgment. What better way to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship?

See, it all comes back to relationships. The Internet can foster strong links among human beings! Anyone who has received e-mail from a long-lost pal or created a "new baby" web site for friends and family or had an hour-long Instant Message conversation will attest to that. So why not use the power of the Internet to grow and strengthen your business?