We have been talking about the benefits of personalization for years, but today the context is different. Consumers are exposed to hundreds of messages every day and, in the face of that constant noise, they no longer expect generic communications: expect relevance.
In fact, personalization has become a decisive factor. A Segment survey makes this clear:
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Buyers 50% you have purchased a product thanks to a personalized recommendation.
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Nearly 75% is frustrated when he receives massive offers that do not consider his interests.
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The 44% would be willing to become a repeat customer if they receive an experience tailored to their needs.
The conclusion is straightforward: personalization impacts conversion, loyalty and brand perception.
Although it's not a new practice, many organizations - large and small - are still taking their first steps. The good news is that you don't need to do it all at once. In this article we'll take a look at four initial and concrete steps to start personalizing your communications in a strategic and sustainable way.
Ask the right questions
As with any marketing or management initiative, it all starts with a key question:
What specific problem are you trying to solve?
Personalization is not an end in itself. Its true value is in helping your customers understand, quickly and clearly, why your product or service is relevant to them.
For example:
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Maybe you offer many products or services and your customers don't know which one to choose.
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Maybe your website gets traffic, but users leave before making a decision.
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Or maybe your proposal is very specific, but the market does not perceive it that way at first glance.
Precisely defining the problem you want to solve will allow you to:
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Reduce initial scope and avoid unnecessary efforts.
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Define clear KPIs, aligned to real results.
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Choose where, how and with whom start customizing.
The key is focus, not volume.
2. Really know your audience
Once the objective has been defined, the next question arises:
Who are you customizing your content for?
Traditionally, digital projects work with “typical users” or personas. This approach is still valid, but personalization requires going a step further.
It's not just about demographics, it's about understanding:
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What questions your customer asks at each stage.
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What problems are you trying to solve.
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What information you need to move forward.
Following the complete user journey - from first contact to post-sales - allows you to detect real opportunities for personalization.
The better you understand their context, the easier it will be to offer them the right message at the right time.
3. Content strategy is the real driver
No personalization is possible without content that is ready to adapt to people. And this is where many initiatives come to a halt.
A common mistake is to try to customize without having first defined how this content will be created, organized and maintained.
A good practice is to build a map of contents, The map should allow you to visualize the entire universe of information that you communicate. This map should contemplate:
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The different audience profiles.
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Content categories (products, services, industries).
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All points of contact: web, email, store, support.
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Available formats: text, images, videos, automated messages.
This exercise not only tidies up, it also helps you size your effort and prioritize what to customize first.
4. Be realistic and move forward step by step
Personalization offers many possibilities, but it must be approached like any marketing initiative: with criteria and measurement.
Being realistic means starting with what you can handle today, test, learn and optimize over time. There is no need to customize every touch point from the start.
Some key questions to define the initial scope:
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Will you start only through the website or also by email?
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What about customer service or mobile app?
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What tools do you need to unify customer information?
Measuring each initiative correctly will allow you to understand what works and where to invest more effort. Effective personalization is built incrementally.
Conclusion
Implementing a successful personalization strategy is not immediate, but it is achievable. Even companies like Amazon started with simple approaches and became more sophisticated over time.
Understanding that you can't do everything at once will help you to better prioritize, to move forward with focus and to maintain a clear strategic vision.
The most effective customization is the one that solves real problems for real people, demonstrating that your proposal is relevant. The result is clear: better experiences, greater trust and more satisfied customers in the long term.
And for this whole process to be successful, having a robust, flexible and experienced platform is key. MasterBase® is your strategic partner for the development of email marketing campaigns. With more than 20 years of experience in multiple countries, it helps companies like yours to communicate with precision, confidence and results.
