The dawn of the personalization age marks a shift in the way brands are communicating with customers. To embrace this change, you need to be able to think like a person and not just any person but your customer.
You have to understand how they think and talk so that when you write content or develop experiences for them, it feels natural and authentic like something they would say or do themselves.
In short: It’s no longer enough for your brand to tell people what you want them to know; now you have to show them why it matters personally for them too.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Implement data-driven content personalization. |
| 2. Use storytelling to connect with the audience. |
| 3. Leverage user-generated content for authenticity. |
| 4. Create content that addresses individual needs. |
| 5. Incorporate interactive elements for engagement. |
| 6. Segment your audience for targeted messaging. |
| 7. Optimize for various devices and platforms. |
| 8. Foster two-way conversations with the audience. |
| 9. Incorporate user feedback for improvements. |
| 10. Develop a consistent and unique brand voice. |
| 11. Experiment with personalized email campaigns. |
| 12. Utilize AI and machine learning for insights. |
| 13. Measure and analyze the impact of personalization. |
| 14. Keep adapting and evolving your strategies. |
1. Get Personal In Your Bio
Your bio is your personal brand, and it’s the first thing a new follower sees when they land on your page. So make sure to give them a good reason to stay!
Include your name. This helps people feel like they know you by showing that you are an individual person, not just another brand or business account.
It also helps users remember who you are and makes it easier for them to reach out with questions or comments later on in their relationship with your page.
Include a photo of yourself or at least one of the faces behind the company (if applicable).
People are much more likely to click “follow” if they can see who owns the account and represents its contents, especially if that person looks trustworthy and friendly enough for others to want to engage with regularly themselves.
Make sure there’s some personality in there too especially if yours is an online store selling products aimed at women who want fashionable clothing options but don’t necessarily love shopping as much as men do;
These shoppers will relate well with someone who talks about struggles between work-life balance while also finding time for family vacations every year!
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2. Tell The Personal Stories Of Your Customers
One of the best ways to create personable content is by telling the stories of your customers. This can be done in a number of ways:
Share customer quotes in blog posts, on social media, and on your website. Include their full name and location so that readers know who they are talking about.
Showcase photos of happy customers using products in their home or office environment. You can also show photos taken at events that you hosted for them (like trade shows).
Use video clips to show how people use your product or service, including testimonials from happy customers with great things to say about working with you!
If possible try filming these videos at real-life locations where people use your product or service (e.g., restaurants or offices).
3. Create Empathetic, Human Experiences, And Interactions
To create personable content, you need to show your readers that you’re human. You can do this in a variety of ways:
Be genuine. Empathy is key for creating an emotional connection with your audience. This means being honest and sincere in your writing; don’t just write generic content that’s meant to be read by anyone and everyone.
Use emotion-laden language. You can convey emotion through words like “love,” “hate,” or “sadness.”
For example, instead of saying “I am really sad right now,” say something like “I felt heartbroken when…” which will invoke the reader’s emotions more than simply stating facts alone would achieve (e.g., “My cat died today”).
Use tone of voice (“tone”) effectively throughout the story so that it conveys what emotion is being expressed at any given point in time.
This will help readers empathize with characters as they experience similar emotions themselves while reading/watching stories unfold across time periods ranging from minutes (iBooks) all the way up past several years (Netflix).
For example: “You have no idea how much pain I’m feeling right now! Do not ask me why just let me cry my eyes out until we both fall asleep exhausted from lack of sleep.”
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4. Use Language That Demonstrates Empathy And Compassion
The key to creating personable content is demonstrating empathy and compassion. Use language that your audience can relate to, and never assume that what worked for one customer will work for another.
Remember, personalized experiences start with understanding how the various customers in your audiences perceive the world around them the problems they face, the difficulties they have encountered in the past and present, etc.
The more you know about them as people and not just as numbers on a spreadsheet the easier it will be to create a personalized experience that speaks directly to their needs at all times.
5. Ask Yourself, “Is There A Way I Can Make This More Personal?”
You’re writing to your audience, not just about them. This means that you need to think about how your content will be received by your target reader. Will it resonate with them? How can you tailor it so that it does?
Personalize the content for your audience — use personal pronouns like “you” and “your,” as well as names when possible, instead of relying on generic terms like “the reader” or “the customer.”
If there’s room in the copy to add some anecdotes or examples from real people (or even yourself), go for it! It’s always good to have an anecdote or two sprinkled throughout an essay text;
They help break up any monotony in reading and keep the reader engaged with what they’re reading.
6. Share Unexpurgated Customer Feedback
Another way to create personable content is by sharing the kind of feedback that you may not be used to seeing.
Share positive and negative feedback. The most popular company on earth, Apple, is famous for its transparency around customer service and support issues.
They even publish a blog called “The Note” where they regularly share stories about how people are using their products and how they sometimes aren’t! If you want to be transparent, start by being honest with yourself and your customers about what’s really happening in your business.
Share feedback that isn’t filtered or edited before it gets published on your site/blog/social media account (or anywhere else).
Many companies have a policy where employees who receive customer complaints need to filter out any potentially offensive or unprofessional comments before publishing them for public consumption.
So when someone does find their way into the world beyond company walls it can feel like an act of defiance against the powers that be at your organization!
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7. Give Your Content Personality By Conveying Emotions And Tone Of Voice As Well As Words Alone
To give your content personality, you can:
Use humor. If there’s a joke that fits, tell it! Nothing bonds people like laughing together at a shared joke.
Use quotes from other people to convey their opinions or ideas on the subject matter at hand.
Quotes from experts in the field show that you understand what they have to say about it, which gives readers confidence in your understanding of the topic as well and helps build trust between them and yourself.
Employ metaphors and analogies when describing difficult concepts or processes so that readers can relate those concepts back to their own lives (and hopefully learn something valuable along the way).
A good metaphor should be easy enough for anyone who reads it to understand both sides of its comparison.
Whether this means comparing two things that actually exist within one another (like comparing an apple tree with its fruit) or just two completely separate things (like comparing apples with oranges).
Make use of similes by comparing one thing directly with another without using “like” or “-er.” Similes help make abstract ideas easier for readers to grasp by explaining how two things are similar but not identical;
Using them is especially effective when writing about complex issues like technology or science because they allow writers more flexibility than do metaphors alone when describing abstract ideas in terms of simpler ones
8. Use Video And Audio To Create A Sense Of Personal Presence And Connection, Even If It’s Automated (E.G., Voicemail Greetings)
You should use video and audio to create a sense of personal presence and connection, even if it’s automated. For example, greetings at the beginning of voicemail messages can be personalized with your company’s name, or they could include an employee’s name or voice.
You can also use these methods to give customers access to information that isn’t available elsewhere on your website for example, by recording how-to videos that cover specific problems your customers commonly face.
In addition to this kind of content, ask yourself if there was any way you could have made your other content more personal? Would publish more customer feedback make it feel like someone from the company really cares about those customers (and their problems)?
Could publishing some unapologetically emotional content make people feel like they’re getting a glimpse into what life at work might really be like?
9. Talk About Real People, Not “Customers” Or “Consumers”
When we talk about our industry, it’s easy to fall into the trap of using words that are hyperbolic and vague. We can all agree that the language we use is important when trying to communicate ideas and messages.
But when you’re talking about your customers, it’s best to avoid using words like “customers” or “consumers.” Such terms tend to dehumanize both your audience and yourself by erasing their individuality as people with needs, wants, dreams, and goals.
They also perpetuate a false sense of distance between you and them (you being the business owner/marketer). Instead of saying something like “your customers want this,” try saying something like “my neighbor needs this product because…”
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10. Publish Content With Real People’s Names On It Rather Than Anonymous Authorship (“The Team At [Brand Name]” Or “Jane Doe”)
The best way to add personalization to your content is by using real people’s names in place of anonymous authorship. For example, instead of saying “The team at [brand name]” or “Jane Doe,” use the actual person’s name.
You should also make sure that your brand itself has a human face, even if it’s an avatar on social media. By doing this, you’ll be able to connect with consumers in a more meaningful way and build a lasting relationship with them.
This includes voice- and gesture-recognition technologies (like the ones used in Amazon Go stores) as well as automated emails triggered by user behaviors (such as those created through AI).
Over-the-top content on streaming services like Netflix is another great example of how personalization can be incorporated into marketing materials like advertisements and commercials.
11. Design Experiences Around Individuals Rather Than Segments (Which Are Averages Of Many Individuals)
You might be tempted to create a single “best experience” for everyone. After all, the logic goes, that way you can optimize the user experience (UX) and drive conversions. And that’s not wrong but it does mean you’re missing out on opportunities to be more personalized.
The key is designing experiences around individuals rather than segments (which are averages of many individuals). For example, if someone has already signed up for your product or service, then there are likely many things about them that you know: t
Their name, address and phone number; the industry they work in; whether they have kids at home; where they went to university; etc.
If you use this information to inform your decisions about which content recommendations and offers would appeal best to this individual and how those messages should look then you can tailor your strategy with precision while still maintaining a great UX overall.
12. Be Transparent About The Things That Are Personalized For You As A Reader (Your Name, Choices You’ve Made To Customize The Experience, Etc.)
Be transparent about the things that are personalized for you as a reader (your name, choices you’ve made to customize the experience, etc.).
It’s important to tell people if something is personalized for them. This can be done through sharing tools like RSS feeds and email notifications so that readers can easily see what content will be relevant to them.
You can also do this by being more transparent about the things that are personalized for you as a reader your name, and the choices you’ve made to customize the experience (for example: “You selected ‘Leather’ from our color palette”).
And why these elements are relevant (for example: “We chose this shade because we think it complements your skin tone”).
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13. Showcase Your Brand’s Achievements With The Individuals Who Made Them Possible (Employees)
You can also showcase your brand’s achievements with the individuals who made them possible (employees). Use employees as examples of how your brand is achieving its goals, and showcase their personal stories through a combination of video and written content.
Be sure to highlight employees across departments as well as in different roles. For example, if you want to demonstrate that employees are passionate about what they do and why they love working at your company.
Consider interviewing several people from different areas within the organization an account manager might talk about how much she loves helping customers solve problems;
A salesperson may share his excitement for getting new products out into the market; an engineer might describe his love for solving tough technical challenges every day.
14. Personalize Experiences With The Help Of Artificial Intelligence Like Natural Language Processing (NLP) And Machine Learning (ML)
Natural language processing (NLP) is a type of AI that lets you analyze written material and make sense of it.
Machine learning (ML) is another type of AI that allows you to train a computer to behave intelligently, without being explicitly programmed.
It’s easy to see how this kind of technology could be used in marketing for instance, by collecting data about users’ behavior on your website so that you could target them with personalized ads later on.
It can also be used in customer service:
For example, if someone asks for more information about something specific after receiving an email from your brand, NLP/ML can analyze their message and determine whether there are any relevant articles on the site that might interest them at this time.
In addition, NLP/ML can be applied directly inside content itself by using information gathered from previous visitors’ experiences this way they’ll know exactly what interests readers before they even get started reading!
Conclusion
Personalization is a powerful tool for connecting with people, but it’s not magic. You can’t just throw some AI at your marketing strategy and expect it to work. The key is knowing when and how to use personalization techniques like those we’ve outlined here so that they’re effective.
If a tactic doesn’t make sense for your brand or audience, don’t use it instead, look for another way to engage with them on a human level.
Further Reading
Explore these additional resources to learn more about content personalization and marketing strategies:
Personalization in Marketing: Step-by-Step Guide: A comprehensive guide outlining the step-by-step process of implementing effective personalization strategies in your marketing campaigns.
Content Personalization: Unlocking Engagement: Dive into the concept of content personalization and discover how tailoring content to individual preferences can enhance audience engagement.
Crafting a Successful Personalization Strategy: Learn the key components of a successful personalization strategy and how to apply them to optimize your marketing efforts.
FAQs
What is content personalization?
Content personalization involves tailoring your content to the specific preferences, behaviors, and characteristics of individual users, creating a more engaging and relevant experience.
How can I implement personalization in my marketing campaigns?
To implement personalization, start by collecting data about your audience, segmenting them based on various criteria, and then creating content that addresses their unique needs and interests.
Why is personalization important in marketing?
Personalization is important because it enhances user engagement, builds stronger connections with your audience, and increases the likelihood of conversions by delivering content that resonates with individuals.
What are some common techniques for content personalization?
Some common techniques include using dynamic content based on user behavior, segmenting email campaigns, utilizing recommendation engines, and tailoring website experiences based on user preferences.
How can personalization improve customer loyalty?
Personalization can improve customer loyalty by showing customers that you understand their needs and preferences, making them more likely to trust your brand and continue engaging with your content and products.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.