Don’t underestimate the power of personalisation. With inboxes overflowing and attention spans dwindling, generic emails simply don’t cut it anymore – enter personalisation! Personalised subject lines alone can boost open rates by 50% – that’s huge. In this guide, we’ll explore the latest techniques and best practices to help you create effective personalised emails that capture attention, drive engagement, and increase your bottom line.
Benefits of Personalised Emails
Increased Open Rates & Click-Through Rates
Personalised subject lines are proven to grab attention in crowded inboxes. By including the recipient’s name, mentioning a recent interaction, or highlighting a specific interest, you can significantly increase open rates.
But getting them to open is just the first step. What you really want people to do is click through and convert. You can boost those click-through rates by tailoring the email body to each recipient’s preferences, behaviour, and stage in the customer journey. In fact, studies show that personalised emails generate 14% higher click-through rates than non-personalised emails.
Real-World Examples
Consider the email strategy of online beauty retailer Beauty Bay. They send personalised product recommendations based on each customer’s browsing and purchase history.
Another excellent example is Spotify’s “Personalised Concert Recommendations.” When an artist has an upcoming concert, Spotify suggests it based on the user’s listening habits. This highly engaging email strategy encourages listeners to open the email because it is both useful and tailored to their music preferences.
Improved Conversion Rates & Revenue
Clicking through is great, but conversion is the ultimate goal. You can dramatically increase the likelihood of a purchase by recommending products or services that align with each customer’s needs and interests.
According to MailChimp, ‘69% of shoppers abandon their carts before checking out.’ Retarget those customers and recapture lost sales by adding product recommendations to your abandoned cart emails. By suggesting new items, you can entice people to return and purchase.
But personalisation goes beyond just product suggestions. Targeted offers, such as exclusive discounts or early access to sales, can also drive conversions. By segmenting your list and tailoring promotions to each group, you ensure the right offer reaches the right person at the right time.
Like Superdrug does in the example below:
Enhanced Customer Loyalty & Retention
Personalisation is not just about driving immediate sales. It’s a long-term strategy for building customer relationships.
When you consistently deliver content that feels tailor-made for each recipient, you create a sense of connection and appreciation. Customers feel seen, understood, and valued – not just as a source of revenue but as individuals with unique needs and interests.
This emotional bond is a powerful retention tool. Customers who feel a strong affinity for your brand are more likely to stick around, even in the face of competition or pricing pressure. They’re also more likely to become brand advocates, recommending your products or services to friends and family.
Personalised emails play a key role in nurturing these relationships over time. Keeping the conversation going and continually providing value keeps your brand top-of-mind.
Example: The Skimm’s Personalised Newsletter
The Skimm, a popular email newsletter, does a fantastic job of using personalisation to build reader loyalty. Subscribers can customise their newsletter by selecting topics of interest, such as business, health, or entertainment news.
But The Skimm takes it a step further by infusing the writing with a casual, relatable tone that feels like chatting with a friend. They also include personalised elements like birthday greetings and location-specific weather forecasts.
By combining useful content with a sense of personal connection, The Skimm has cultivated a fiercely loyal subscriber base. The lesson? Personalisation is not just about inserting data points. It’s about crafting an experience that resonates on an individual level and leaves a lasting impression.
Personalisation Strategies for Email Marketing
Customer Segmentation Based on Demographics, Interests & Behaviour
Effective email personalisation starts with segmenting your email list into smaller, targeted groups. By dividing subscribers based on shared characteristics like demographics (age, gender, location), interests (product categories, content preferences), and behaviour (purchase history, email engagement), you can create highly relevant campaigns that resonate with each segment.
For example, an e-commerce brand might segment its list into:
- New subscribers who haven’t made a purchase yet
- Loyal customers who buy regularly
- Lapsed customers who haven’t purchased in 6+ months
- VIP customers with high lifetime value
By tailoring email content, offers, and messaging to each segment’s unique needs and preferences, you can significantly boost open rates, click-throughs, and conversions compared to generic, one-size-fits-all campaigns.
Micro-Segmentation for Hyper-Personalisation
Consider using micro-segmentation techniques that combine multiple data points for hyper-targeted campaigns to take segmentation even further. For instance:
- Location + Weather: Send region-specific product recommendations based on current weather conditions.
- Demographics + Interests: Promote gender- and age-appropriate products related to each subscriber’s content interests.
- Past Purchases + Browsing Behaviour: Suggest complementary products based on a customer’s purchase history and recent product views.
Behavioural Triggers for Timely & Contextual Messages
Behavioural email triggers are automated messages sent based on specific subscriber actions or milestones. You can deliver hyper-relevant content at the perfect moment by tracking user behaviour on your website and within your emails. Some common behavioural triggers include
By automating these behavioural emails, you can deliver highly contextual, timely messages that drive engagement, conversions, and long-term customer loyalty.
Real-Time Personalisation with Live Data
To make your behavioural emails even more impactful, consider incorporating real-time data like:
- Inventory levels (e.g., “Only 3 left in stock!”)
- Price drops or sales events (e.g., “24-hour flash sale: 30% off your favourite brands”)
- Countdown timers for urgency (e.g., “Your cart expires in 2 hours”)
- Weather or location-based content (e.g., “Warm up with free hot cocoa at your nearest store”)
By leveraging live data in your triggered emails, you create a sense of timeliness, relevance, and FOMO that can significantly boost response rates.
Conclusion
Personalised email marketing is non-negotiable. By leveraging customer data and segmentation, you can create highly relevant and engaging email experiences that resonate with your audience.
The benefits are clear: increased open rates, higher conversions, and enhanced customer loyalty. With the right strategies and tools, you can unlock the full potential of email personalisation and drive meaningful results for your business.
So, How will you use email personalisation to create memorable, valuable experiences for your customers?
Recommended Read: Understanding the Basics of Email Marketing in Travel
Need help with your marketing strategy? Contact us today.
