PERSONALIZATION IN MARKETING AUTOMATION: HOW TO CREATE TARGETED CAMPAIGNS THAT CONVERT

Personalization in Marketing Automation: How to Create Targeted Campaigns That Convert

Personalization in Marketing Automation: How to Create Targeted Campaigns That Convert

Blog Article

Today's customers do not prefer bland, one-dimensional marketing approaches. They expect personalized experiences that cater to their unique needs and preferences. In response, many businesses are adopting marketing automation to create personalized campaigns on a larger scale to foster stronger customer connections and increase conversion opportunities.
Personalization in marketing automation is about creating highly relevant content, offers, and communications based on individual behaviors, interests, and interactions. This allows companies to strengthen their connections with their audience by delivering targeted solutions exactly when they are most relevant.
However, effectively implementing personalization in marketing automation requires a strategic approach. Businesses must gather and analyze data, segment their audiences, and use advanced tools to deliver timely, personalized campaign messages across multiple channels.

How to Create Targeted Campaigns That Convert


Let's explore the strategies for developing tailored, targeted campaigns that grab attention and transform potential leads into loyal customers.

Segment Your Audience


Segmenting your customer base according to shared traits, behaviors, or interests lets you craft tailored messages and offers that connect with each group, resulting in enhanced engagement and increased conversion rates.

  • Demographic Segmentation: This approach divides customers based on age, gender, location, income, education, or occupation. For example, you might target a different message to a young professional than to a retiree, as their needs and preferences vary.

  • Behavioral Segmentation: Here, you group customers based on how they interact with your brand, such as past purchases, website activity, or engagement with your content. By analyzing behavioral data, you can identify each customer's stage in their purchasing journey, which allows you to deliver messages that are timely and highly relevant to their specific situation.

  • Psychographic Segmentation: This focuses on customers’ lifestyles, values, and interests. For instance, an environmentally-conscious customer might respond better to a message highlighting sustainable product features, while a price-sensitive customer may prefer discount offers.


Use Behavioral Triggers
Behavioral triggers are automated actions or messages that are initiated based on specific customer behaviors or interactions with your brand.
Here’s how behavioral triggers work and how they can be used in your marketing automation strategy:

  • Abandoned Cart Emails: A frequent use of behavioral triggers involves reaching out to customers who have placed items in their shopping cart but failed to complete the transaction. An effectively timed abandoned cart email can serve as a gentle reminder of their interest, provide enticing incentives such as discounts, and prompt them to complete their purchase.

  • Post-Purchase Follow-ups: After a customer makes a purchase, behavioral triggers can send personalized follow-up emails to thank them, offer related product recommendations, or request a review. This not only enhances the customer experience but also encourages repeat business and brand loyalty.

  • Browsing Behavior: Marketing automation platforms can track a user’s browsing history on your website. When a customer spends significant time exploring a specific product category without making a purchase, you can follow up with a customized message featuring curated product suggestions, exclusive discounts, or insightful information about those offerings.

  • Engagement-Based Emails: If a user has engaged with your content, such as downloading an ebook or attending a webinar, you can use behavioral triggers to send follow-up emails that nurture the relationship. These emails can provide additional resources, promote related products, or guide the customer toward the next step in the sales funnel.

  • Event-Based Triggers: Behavioral triggers can also be set up based on life events or milestones, such as a customer’s birthday or anniversary of signing up with your service. Sending personalized messages during these moments helps build a stronger emotional connection with your brand.


Leverage Dynamic Content


You can tailor messages in real-time based on a recipient's data, preferences, or past interactions with your brand. Unlike static content, dynamic content changes for each individual, creating a personalized experience for every customer without the need to create multiple versions of the same campaign.
Dynamic landing pages adapt in real-time to display content tailored to each user. For instance, if a customer clicks on an ad for a specific product, the landing page they’re directed to can feature that product prominently, along with personalized campaign offers or discounts. This seamless experience aligns with the customer’s intent, making it easier for them to take action.
With dynamic content, you can customize email elements such as subject lines, images, product recommendations, or offers based on the recipient's behavior or profile. For ecommerce stores, dynamic content can be utilized to showcase product recommendations tailored to a customer's past purchases or browsing behavior.
Dynamic content can be used in online advertising, such as display or social media ads. You can present various versions of an ad to distinct audience segments, tailored to their interests, demographics, or past interactions with your website. This ensures that the content speaks directly to the needs and preferences of each user, improving the ad’s relevance and effectiveness.
Beyond personalization based on customer profiles, dynamic content can also adjust based on real-time behavior. If a customer places an item in their shopping cart but abandons it, you can deliver a follow-up email or a retargeting ad that showcases that exact product, motivating them to complete their purchase with a personalized incentive or reminder.
Dynamic content can also be used to personalize communications based on geographic location. This approach is especially beneficial for companies that function across various regions or countries. By tailoring the language, currency, or region-specific promotions within emails, ads, or landing pages, you can create a more relevant experience for users in different locations.

Personalize Subject Lines and Messaging


Personalizing subject lines and messages is among the most straightforward yet highly effective methods to increase the engagement and impact of your marketing campaigns. In an era where customers are bombarded with emails and ads daily, personalized content helps your message stand out, increases open rates, and drives higher engagement.
The subject line is the initial element that captures a recipient's attention upon receiving an email. It plays a vital role in their decision to engage with the content that follows.
Including the recipient’s name in the subject line creates an immediate sense of connection. For example, "John, Check Out These Offers Just for You" feels more personal and attention-grabbing than a generic subject line like "Exclusive Offers Inside."
If you have data on the recipient’s location, preferences, or past behavior, use it to craft subject lines that are more aligned with their interests. For instance, "Special Deals on Winter Gear in Boston" is more likely to resonate with a Boston-based customer than a broad, untargeted message.
Subject lines can also reflect a user’s recent actions. For example, if a customer browsed your site but didn’t make a purchase, a subject line like "Still Thinking About That Item? Here’s a Special Offer" can reignite their interest.
Use data you’ve gathered on the customer to address their specific needs or interests. If they’ve previously purchased certain types of products, you can include related recommendations in the email. For instance, "Based on Your Recent Purchase, We Think You’ll Love These Accessories."
Personalizing emails with details like the customer’s name, previous interactions with your brand, or purchase history helps make the content feel more relevant. A message like, "Thanks for your recent purchase, Sarah! Here’s 10% off your next order," makes the customer feel appreciated and valued.
Personalizing messages also means sending different content to different audience segments. You can send new subscribers a welcome email with an introduction to your brand, while long-term customers could get loyalty rewards or product updates based on their past purchases.
Even your calls-to-action can be personalized. Instead of using a generic CTA like "Shop Now," try a more tailored approach such as "Explore Your Recommended Products" or "Claim Your Exclusive Discount."

Measure Success and Refine Your Marketing Strategy


The final step in personalizing your marketing automation strategy is to measure its impact. Key metrics to monitor include:

  • Open Rates: Track whether your personalized subject lines are effective in capturing attention.

  • Click-Through Rates: Determine if the personalized content within your emails or ads is engaging users.

  • Conversion Rates: Analyze how many of your targeted leads take action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a webinar, or downloading content.


By reviewing these metrics, you can refine your marketing strategy to improve results, ensuring your campaigns continue to convert at a high rate.

Final Thoughts


Personalization in marketing automation enables you to deliver campaigns that speak directly to your audience’s needs, preferences, and behaviors.
It’s important to understand that personalization requires a customized approach rather than a universal solution. Testing different aspects of your targeted campaigns, including messaging, subject lines, and offers, through A/B testing helps you discover what appeals most to your audience.
You must experiment with different tones, calls to action (CTAs), and formats to see what drives the highest conversions. Schedule your emails or ads for various times throughout the day or week to determine when your audience is most receptive to engagement. Compare how personalized videos, images, or text perform in your targeted campaigns.
Continuous optimization ensures that your personalization efforts evolve with your audience’s preferences, maximizing conversion rates over time.

Author Bio


Andy Beohar is the Managing Partner at SevenAtoms, a leading PPC Advertising agency. SevenAtoms is dedicated to driving growth for SaaS and B2B businesses through innovative and optimized paid search and is recognized by Google as a Google Premier Ads partner. At SevenAtoms, Andy plays a strategic role in managing paid search campaigns. Let's connect on LinkedIn and Twitter!

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