4 ways personalization can help brands reconnect with consumers

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This article was contributed by Diane Keng, CEO of Breinify

As we enter the third year of the pandemic, brands are trying to help consumers reconnect. With people spending so much time online, the most effective way for brands to do this is to create meaningful and relevant digital experiences with personalization that span the consumer journey.

The importance of optimizing the customer journey

It is no longer enough to personalize digital experiences based on demographics and broad segments. Consumers want to be served as individuals, which means brands need to deliver personalized experiences that are relevant at every stage of their journey.

With the increase in time spent on digital platforms, the consumer journey is now more complex and takes place across multiple channels. There is no longer a linear funnel – a clear path from point A to point B, like in a brick and mortar store. The journey is fragmented into countless touchpoints across multiple digital channels where decisions are made in real time and preferences are formed.

Google’s content marketing team found that consumers experience about 150 of these “micro-moments” per day, including buying, research and discovery moments. In these moments, brands only have seconds to grab and hold the consumer’s attention. It is no longer enough to personalize digital experiences based on demographics and broad segments. By personalizing every intense moment, brands can gain a competitive advantage. These are opportunities to earn or completely disable a consumer’s loyalty.

Here’s an example of this level of personalization in action:

Diane usually buys wine online from her favorite online liquor store on Thursdays to get ready for the weekend. But for a long weekend, in addition to wine, she also buys beer because she often organizes dinner parties and likes to spend time with friends.

With effective personalization, Diane sees product recommendations for wine before a normal weekend, but before a long weekend, she sees product recommendations for both beer and wine, perhaps even discounted on bundles of both. This ensures that Diane has a good experience and finds exactly what she is looking for at the right time.

How brands can create micro moments with personalization

1. Set clear business goals about what personalization will accomplish in the short and long term.

Long-term goals, such as increasing sales, are important, but sometimes difficult to measure or take time to see results. On the other hand, short-term goals can be used to measure progress and results relatively quickly. For example, it would be easier to measure results if the short-term goal was to improve cart-to-checkout conversions on ecommerce channels in a quarter.

2. Identify one or two data-driven use cases that can help achieve these goals on a specific marketing channel.

Using the example above, there are a number of ways to improve cart-to-checkout conversions on ecommerce channels. The most basic use case for personalization for brands is to provide personalized product recommendations based on purchase history and changing preferences to increase the likelihood of a conversion. Alternatively, if things sit in a consumer’s shopping cart for a week, push them to the checkout by offering a 20 percent discount that expires in two days.

3. Use AI-driven predictive personalization technology, which can deliver meaningful experiences and can also be used to measure results.

AI-powered solutions that are plug-and-play enable marketing teams to be more data-driven, as they can identify patterns and discover personalization opportunities that humans cannot. Predictive personalization for brands enables marketers to quickly see results and deliver personalized experiences at scale without time-consuming manual processes such as analyzing tons of data and then setting up segments and personalization rules. Aside from quick results, these tools also improve marketing ROI.

4. Choose tools and suppliers that align with your business goals and offer solutions that are scalable.

Technology should make your team’s day-to-day work easier, not harder. Choose tools and vendors that understand your business, offer easy integration with existing marketing technology, and don’t require too much manual configuration or technical resources. Most tools take at least six months to integrate, but it’s important to find tools that integrate within a few weeks to get results faster.

Brands can improve their connections with consumers by understanding their journey and optimizing it in meaningful ways — creating relevant experiences at the right time through predictive personalization. This includes understanding consumers’ changing preferences, external factors, and additional context that can influence their behavior to provide them with exactly what they’re looking for in moments of intent. It’s a win-win situation because consumers find what they need at the right time and have a good experience, and brands are able to achieve their business goals and improve marketing ROI.

Diane Keng is the CEO and Co-Founder of Breinify

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