How Data Drives a Personalized Experience

Throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks isn’t marketing.  

It’s abstract art. 

Cold calls, blanket coverage and the unfortunately familiar “spray and pray” approach aren’t effective tactics in today’s marketing world, where people are continuously carpet bombed with so much media and in so many forms that tuning out unwanted messages has become a new form of muscle memory for the mind. It’s become second nature to flick the mental “off” switch. Lights out. Nobody’s home. Go away. 

Yesterday’s one-size-fits-all marketing has fallen by the wayside. Today’s consumers are looking for that snug, custom fit. Modern marketing brings more strategy and precision in its attitude toward targeting a specific audience — and the personalization in those plans is driven by data. 

According to an article in Forbes.com, more than 42% of marketers surveyed saw at least 20% of their budgets lost on wrong strategies and channels, accounting for at least $16 billion squandered. Building the right blueprint to reach the right people at the right time and in the right way to make that connection and attain that relevance has become crucial for success. 

A survey of 1,500 U.S. consumers uncovered just how much personally relevant content increases their purchase intent for a brand’s products and services. Among the findings of the study by OneSpot and Marketing Insider Group were:  

Brands risk alienating consumers by not making content personally relevant. 

• Nearly half (45%) of consumers won’t spend time with branded content if it’s not relevant to their interests. 
• 42% of consumers are less interested in a brand’s products and services if the content the brand provides is not personally relevant. 
• More than half (51%) of Millennials said they were less interested in a brand’s products and services if the brand’s content isn’t personally relevant. 

Consumers are more inclined to purchase and pay more for products from brands that personalize content marketing. 

• 88% of consumers said that personally relevant content improves how they feel about a brand. 
• 78% said that personally relevant content increases their purchase intent for a brand’s products and services. 
• 50% said they would pay more for products and services from brands that do a good job of providing personally relevant content. 

Not all digital channels are created equal when it comes to content discovery; Facebook stands above the others. 

• 50% of consumers surveyed cited Facebook as a primary discovery channel for branded content. 
• E-mail and Search tied for the second top discovery channel at 29%. 
• Millennial respondents cited YouTube (42%) as a primary channel for branded content discovery. 

If personalization is now the arm to connect with the consuming public, then data is the heart and mind extending that arm to the right audiences. 

The real success of relevant campaigns is that they rely on data to truly customize the recipient’s message and create audience segments and communicate relevant messages to each group. Successful marketers know how to leverage data to deepen relationships, drive engagement and action, and — ultimately — build brand loyalty. Data is the foundation of every sound marketing strategy, particularly when it comes to getting your message through the deluge of content customers face on a daily basis. 

Whether you want to build better brand loyalty or position a new product or service, segmenting your data helps you understand your customers and why they’re buying from you, allowing you to plan what marketing messages you want to provide. 

If you’re not collecting customer data in an organized way, it’s time to start. Technology has progressed to the point where customer database systems and web analytic tools are more useful than ever to detect characteristics of current customers and then overlay that data with larger databases to identify look-alike prospects to approach. 

At F.P. Horak, we can evaluate your data and help you understand your customers’ buying habits on a continuous basis to offer more satisfying, personalized promotions to meet your individual customer’s unique needs. If you’re ready to elevate your marketing efforts with data-driven personalization, give us a call at 989-892-6505 or visit us at fphorak.com.