Every day, we send and receive more than 293 billion emails. Most of them are generic batch-and-blast messages we delete without even opening. Nothing stands out in the inbox better than personalization. In fact, according to Campaign Monitor research, including someone’s first name in a subject line increases that email’s chance of being opened by 14.68%. That’s the lowest-hanging fruit of personalization that can be achieved by simply pasting {{first_name}}. Imagine what more advanced personalization can do.
Email is the most lucrative marketing channel, delivering an average ROI of $44 for every dollar spent. Advanced personalization can add an extra $20 to that, according to research from our sister brand Liveclicker and The Relevancy Group.
But what is advanced personalization? It uses real-time data to deliver superior experiences tailored to each individual customer whenever they open the message. Retailers who use these tactics drive 17% more revenue than their counterparts deploying basic personalization. Here are four examples:
Advanced Personalization Element #1: Inventory
Inventory moves fast, especially now that we’re getting to closer to the holidays. Make sure your emails don’t promote unavailable products. This creates a poor experience for the customer… and for you. If an item is out-of-stock on a retailer’s website, 52% of Prime members will go straight to Amazon, according to 2018 research from IHL Group.
Look at this message from Liveclicker client Hot Topic. The bottom part, where it says “Now available in-store,” was dynamic, automatically updating to reflect current inventory levels as each customer opened the email. While Hot Topic incorporated advanced personalization into its messages, clickthrough rate increased 20% while customer complaints were virtually eliminated.
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Advanced Personalization Element #2: Weather
Hunter’s iconic rain boots come in every color imaginable, but few are as popular as gray, which go with everything and come in the dirt-repelling glossy finish. What’s more, they’re available at DSW for 28% off the original price. But wouldn’t you be more inclined to take advantage of that deal if it wasn’t, say, 75 degrees and sunny outside?
That’s why DSW uses advanced personalization in its emails, aligning sure the products highlighted in messages reflect the customer’s current climate. Some of these booties are functional, while others are fashionable — but they all included the original price so the customer knew what a deal she was getting.
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Advanced Personalization Element #3: Location
Last year, Sailthru by Marigold by Sailthru surveyed 2,000 people in the U.S. and the U.K. to learn more about consumers’ attitudes toward brick-and-mortar retail. We found that on- and offline channels work together, and that about one-third of the people we spoke to had visited a physical store because of an email they had received.
Another Liveclicker client, Pier 1 understands email’s potential for driving store traffic and as a result, uses this advanced personalization technique. The map is dynamic and reflects the recipient’s current location. Pier1 also included contact information and directions, as well as store hours, which may vary based on location.
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Advanced Personalization Element #4: Time
Countdown clocks are among the rarest advanced personalization tactics. Of the retailers surveyed by Liveclicker, 41% currently do this, while only 24% plan to. But more should. Countdown clocks are easy to implement and help create a sense of urgency, which is great for sales.
Frank And Oak went this route last November, with the clock ticking toward Cyber Monday in real time. Of every email Sailthru sent during last year’s holiday season — and we send millions of messages every minute — this yielded among the highest open, clickthrough and conversion rates. Of course, the eye-catching creative also helped. Color psychologists credit yellow with grabbing attention, and evoking energy and happiness.
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To learn more about advanced personalization tactics, and their challenges and benefits, click here to download Liveclicker’s guide.