In today’s online marketplace, customers more than ever are expecting brands to understand and anticipate their unique requirements and present them with targeted, specific advertising that meets these needs.
This is added to by the rise in social media marketing becoming the go-to place to get your message across. By targeting people in the places they spend their time (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), brands can reach their target audiences in new and innovative ways.
But it’s not enough to simply showcase your product on these channels. The careful use of personalized marketing is vital for showcasing how your product or service can help each individual customer.
How Netflix is an excellent example of personalized marketing
Netflix is brilliant when it comes to personalized marketing. Their “recommended” section is tailored for each customer based on what they’ve watched, binged, or rated, giving you a quality selection of shows and movies to watch next.
But Netflix actually goes a step further than this, tailoring even title images to match your viewing preferences.
The hit show Stranger Things offers a great example of this. Depending on your viewing preferences, users might be shown Eleven with blood trickling from her nose, the four boys on their bikes, an atmospheric woodland scene, or even Nancy and Jonathon for the hopeless romantics.
Which do you see? And which would be the most likely to make you want to watch the show?
These are the questions you need to be considering when it comes to understanding the effectiveness of personalized marketing strategies.
Personalization in social media
While Netflix has mastered personalization on its streaming service, many companies are also seeing the value in taking this marketing strategy out of their own domains and into social media.
Now, you don’t just get to see “other customers enjoyed…” at the bottom of your shopping basket. Companies also use intelligent algorithms and data collection to figure out who you are and what you want in your daily life, targeting you in the places you spend your time: social media.
1. Retargeting campaigns
Retargeting (or remarketing) is arguably one of the most impactful tools in a brand’s marketing arsenal. It allows you to speak to people who’ve already interacted with your brand to encourage a continuing customer relationship that will last far beyond “add to cart.”
In fact, studies have shown ads that utilize retargeting are up to 76% more likely to be clicked on when compared to standard display ads.
Wish
What they do: Online marketplace Wish is an excellent example of retargeting done well. Wish remembers the things you’ve purchased in the past along with your search history to offer targeted, specific adverts featuring other products on their site. These are usually in line with your budget and rarely feature a product you’ve already purchased, so there’s always something new to see.
What to learn: Taking time to understand customers and what they’re interested in by learning from previous interactions (and subsequent interactions) ensures Wish produces personalized ads featuring products you might actually want to buy.
2. Localization principles
Localization is also a vital tool in personalized ads on social media, taking advantage of people’s different priorities and concerns based on their geographical area. This is particularly effective for global companies, which can use slightly different languages and settings in their ads, depending on where you are in the world.
3. Polls, Surveys, and Quizzes
Polls and surveys have long been an effective way to see inside the minds of your customers. Giving loyal customers a chance to vote on the issues that matter to them is a great way to encourage engagement and show you as a company who’s actually interested in what they have to say.
Quizzes go a step further by actually collecting information about what makes you tick for a personalized response.
4. Personalized videos
We’re sure you’ve come across personalized videos on Facebook, particularly the ones that celebrate a “friendiversary” or other special occasions. While it might seem like a far-fetched concept for you to incorporate personalized videos into your social marketing, Cadbury has used it effectively before, and there are some less technical ways of creating unique video content as well.
5. Gifts, Giveaways, and competitions
Who doesn’t love a freebie? Gifts, giveaways, and competitions have long been the go-to when a brand wants to increase its engagement, visibility, and image, and for good reason!
6. Charity
The final item on our list of the best ways to utilize personalization in your social media marketing is charity. Everyone loves a company that is seen to be giving back, and we look to brands to lead the way in socially responsible practices.