As someone in the world of digital marketing, you’ll be no stranger to the power of email marketing. Whether it’s used to promote a new product, nurture a lead or engage with customers, this marketing channel has been a staple in every marketer’s toolkit. But with the rise of personalization, the email landscape has changed. Personalized emails have been proven to yield better results in terms of open and click-through rates as compared to generic ones. But does that mean personalization is the best way forward for email marketing? Let’s find out. 💡

Generic Emails: What’s Wrong with Them? 🤔

Generic emails are the emails that you might send out to your entire email list. They are the ones that follow a standard template, with a generic subject line, the same opening line, body text and CTA. There’s nothing wrong with sending generic emails, but it’s important to remember that such emails are only a one-size-fits-all solution. They’re not tailored to the individual recipient and don’t reflect their interests or behaviors. As such, generic emails are not always the best way to get your recipient to take action. 👎

A cartoon image of a person holding a stack of identical envelopes

Personalized Emails: The Benefits of Customization 🤗

Personalized emails, on the other hand, are emails that use your customer’s data to show more targeted content to each recipient. They’re tailored to the individual recipient based on their past behaviors, interests, demographics, and so on. Personalized emails showcase that you know your audience and are using the information gathered on them to make their experience seamless. Statistics show that personalization in emails increases open rates by 29% and click-through rates by 41%, which goes on to show that if you provide a personalized experience for your customers, it increases your chances of having a successful campaign. ✨

A woman giving survey answers, and an email answering to her survey questions on a laptop

Which One Is Better? 🤨

It’s clear that personalization is the way forward in email marketing, but that doesn’t mean you should entirely disregard generic emails. Instead, use them alongside your personalized emails to create a well-rounded campaign. Use generic emails to create campaigns that you want to cover a broad audience and use personalized emails for segments within your lists. Remember, a balance of personalization and standardization works best, so decide how important personalization is for your brand and then tailor your communication strategy accordingly.

A split image of a generic email and a personalized email side by side

Dos and Don’ts of Personalization 🔎

If you want to personalize your email marketing campaign, here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind:

Do:

✅ Use their name in your email’s subject line or opening sentence.

✅ Segment your email lists and use dynamic content.

✅ Send emails triggered by individual behaviors.

✅ Have a targeted message aimed at the recipient.

Don’t:

❌ Fall into the trap of treating your customers too familiarly, and coming across creepy.

❌ Use personalization tactics too often that lead to spamming.

❌ Use incomplete customer data, which leads to sending irrelevant content.

❌ Make the subject line too lengthy or complicated.

Conclusion 🏁

In conclusion, personalization is the way forward in email marketing. By using personalization within your email marketing campaigns, you can provide a seamless experience to your customers and increase your click-through rates and open rates. But, as with everything, it’s essential to balance personalization with standardization. So keep a balance and continue to test, measure, and refine your email campaigns for continued success.

A group of diverse people having a video conference call and checking their mailboxes on their laptops

Now, if you’re planning your next email marketing campaign, remember that personalization is key. Follow the dos and don’ts mentioned above and make sure to keep a balance between generic and personalized emails for maximum success. Good luck! 🚀