Peter Shankman may have said it best during his Vocus webinar: “Make your customer 1 percent happier than they expect, and they’ll go out and do public relations for you.”
Need an easy way to get a customer to go that extra mile? It doesn’t always take a grand gesture. Small-scale acts of personalization work wonders.
For example, Peter says it always makes him feel special when Morton’s Steakhouse answers his calls, “Hello, Mr. Shankman.”
Here are twelve ideas for how to create a similar effect with your digital marketing.
Search
1. Target your content better – By picturing your target audience, you can better create content that appeals to them. Keep in mind variables like age, gender, geography, hobbies and how they use the web when creating content. This will make your content more appealing for your target audience.
2. Use personal relationships – Is there someone with whom you have a good working relationship? Link to their content. They may be inclined to do the same for you, creating valuable backlinks. The collaboration could even inspire ideas for new content.
3. Personalize with Google+ - This tip combines search and social media. People signed into G+ have “personal results” showed to them by default when they search. This means public G+ posts and pictures are more likely to appear in results when people in your circles search. Create content to accommodate the searches the people in your circles will make and post it on G+.
Social
1. Respond to mentions – Nearly three in four complaints on Twitter go unanswered. When responding to those tweets, be sure to address the person by name and use a personal account if possible.
2. Avoid automatic responses – It may sound like a good idea to have a tweet go out when someone mentions your brand, but computers don’t always do a good job of reading emotion. Marketing expert Ann Handley still speaks glowingly of a time when she sought advice about digital cameras on Twitter and became a Kodak customer because the CEO responded to her.
3. Listen before speaking – Take the time to read the content that your target audience produces and engage them in conversation. In addition to making a personal connection, you will discover what type of content your target audience wants to receive, whether it’s deals, how-to information, news or something else.
1. Use autoresponders – Sending people emails automatically may not sound like personalized marketing, but it is if it’s done right. Calculate how long it takes people to use your products and have an email sent to them around that time so they can replace it.
2. Segment emails – If you sell more than one type of product, you should have multiple email lists. Just because you only sell wine, for example, doesn’t mean everyone loves reds. Consider segmenting email lists by product preference, geography, demographics and more.
3. Send messages as a human – Nothing says impersonal quite like an email from DoNotRespond@yourcompany.com to “Dear Valued Customer.” Send messages from a human to a human. Use a personal account to send emails and address the customer by name.
Retailers who use personal information to improve shopping experiences have happy customers.
Publicity
Just as customers prefer a personalized approach, so do reporters. Developing a relationship with a reporter comes from understanding her beat and deadlines. Only then will she see you as a reliable, regular source.
1. Create several pitching lists – A mass pitch is like a mass email: it often reaches people who don’t care, discard the information immediately and lose trust in the sender.
If you must send to a list, create several of them. Break the lists down by what the journalists cover and send them the news that fits their beats and interests.
2. Craft pitches to individual publications – You won’t stand out with a copy-and-paste press release. Your pitch should address why the reporter should be interested in your story or the perspective you have. Before writing, think of a unique and relevant angle that makes you stand out from the crowd.
3. Pitch reporters like they’re humans – With the state of the media the way it is, journalists often where many different hats. This means they may not be up to date on the latest industry jargon. (Also, their readers likely aren’t either.) Appeal to the journalists and their readers with easy-to-read, compelling information.
A final note…
Not convinced that personalized marketing trumps mass marketing? Consider this: three of every four consumers want retailers to use personal information to create improved shopping experiences.
Need to know your audience better? The Vocus Marketing Suite can help. Take a demo here!