Email Personalization

Email marketing is a powerful tool used by 64 percent of all small businesses in the U.S., and its popularity continues to climb. With so many companies using this form of marketing, you must get it right when you implement an email marketing campaign. After all, sending out an email aims to get users on the other end to open it. Let's consider email personalization, why it works for accounting firms, and top strategies that produce results.

What is Email Personalization?

Personalization in terms of email marketing means customizing the marketing emails that you send to subscribers. For example, you may collect data such as a first name when subscribers sign up for your email newsletter. You can add the personal touch of using their first name in the opening greeting with that information. It creates a unique experience from the start and makes readers more open to scrolling down the page to see what you have to say.

Of course, in today's competitive market, a higher level of sophistication is required to increase open and click-through rates and get subscribers to respond positively to your call to action. However, there is no doubt with the proper approach, email personalization works! Here's why…

Why Email Personalization Works

Regardless of all the tech at our fingertips, email engagement continues to rise. Statistics show that 77 percent of marketers saw an increase in email engagement over the past year. The data show that email marketing is not going away. If you're not using it, now is the time; even if you are using it, it is time to be sure you're using it effectively.

Tailoring content to your subscribers creates a personal connection that consumers crave. It taps into their selective attention. With all the background noise in our lives, multiple open tabs on our laptops, and phones pinging nonstop, an attention grabber that can break through all that is required. Enter the first name.

In the 1950s, a British researcher discovered all it took to capture the attention of individuals in a noisy, hectic setting was to faintly hear their first name spoken across the room. The so-called Cocktail Party Phenomenon also applies to seeing our name in communication. It's an attention-getter! The more personalized an experience is, the more attention-grabbing it is. Beyond getting your subscribers' attention, email personalization results in more open and click-throughs, fewer unsubscribes, and increased customer satisfaction.

By being authentic, engaging, relevant, and timely, personalized communication fosters a relationship of trust where subscribers feel they can rely on you for their accounting needs. In today's competitive market, that is of utmost importance.

Let's explore some of the top techniques for personalizing your email campaigns.

Top Email Personalization Techniques that Generate Results

Get the details and use them wisely.

The foundation of email personalization is collecting personal information from your subscriber base. The starting point is the email sign-up form, where you gather information like name and email. What you collect beyond that depends on how you intend to use your email marketing campaign. Subscribers may be deterred if you ask for too much information, so consider how you will use the information you request.

For example, if you want to send a personalized birthday greeting to your subscribers, ask for the month and day of their birth. If you're interested in target marketing regionally, ask for their location. Suppose you specialize in niche accounting for medical professionals. In that case, you may want to ask about subscribers' occupations.

Personalize the subject.

Subject lines are critical in getting readers to open an email. They typically get passed over if they're too long or generic. However, a personalized subject line increases the open rate by as much as 26 percent! There are several ways to personalize the subject line. For example:

• Directly address the subscriber by their first name (Sarah, This is Just for You!)
• Key in on a specific niche (New Tax Laws Impact Real Estate Accountants)
• Celebrate a birthday (Happy Birthday, Jim!)
• Base it on past business (Carol, It's Tax Time Again!)
• Create a sense of urgency (Bill, Only 4 Slots Left for Our Tax Webinar)
• Target location (Jeni, Join Us at Our Free Tax Event?)

Whatever your email subject, it should be a teaser of what is in the email and why your recipient will find value in it.

Reawaken your audience with triggered emails.

With the right email marketing software for accountants, you can nudge sleepy subscribers in a polite, fun, informative way they will appreciate. For example, you can send an automated yet personalized email to subscribers who:

• Haven't opened an email from you in a specific amount of time
• Haven't turned to you for accounting needs in a particular time frame
• May welcome a friendly reminder that it's almost tax time and could use valuable tips

Whatever the purpose of triggered emails, they reinforce your personal connection with subscribers, remind them that you're still there for them, and encourage them to act.

Automated emails also work for:

• New subscribers
• Long-time subscribers
• Top clients

A solid email marketing service can easily set up automated emails for any and all of these triggering actions, allowing you to capitalize on yet another personal connection with subscribers.

Personalize the message.

Continue the personal touch with personalized content. It may sound complicated, but when your digital marketing plan is in place, you can take advantage of the power of ever-accessible email. By doing so, you will soon see why email marketing for accountants is the number one way to grow your business.

To personalize email content, start with the greeting. Subscribers will open your email, see "Hello, Joni!" and immediately feel the personalization. They are likelier to continue reading, too.

Using email as an efficient marketing channel, you can create personal experiences to fit your client's needs and grow your business.