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How to Combine Humanization with Personalization

Overwhelmed by personalization?

Perhaps you’re hoping it’s an unnecessary option, which only some businesses will waste their time playing with. But you’d be fooling yourself. Personalization is integral to onsite marketing now, and it will continue to be an important aspect of digital business for years to come. And yes, personalization means adjusting every single aspect on your website, so that you can tailor your content for each and every customer. This is all made possible by machine-learning technology. However, that doesn’t mean an end to the human touch. In fact, machine learning actually makes it possible to increase the level of humanization in your online marketing.

That’s if you know just how to combine them.

Humanization and Ecommerce Personalization: The Perfect Duo

Ecommerce personalization makes customers want to purchase everything they see, as the online shopping experience is tailored to their needs and interests. And when humanization is done well, it makes people want to support that brand, as they feel more connected to it. This is important because it’s easier to generate more revenue from your returning customers than your first-time customers. That’s why personalization supported by humanization is the key to success in ecommerce. When these two are intertwined, it is rocket fuel for onsite marketing success.

When there is a human element weaved into the marketing, it’s not the same as dealing with cold, hard sales from another faceless corporation. As a customer, you believe you know the people behind the company logo. Moreover, you feel as if you can trust them.

A great example is Nagshead Hammocks. The company includes a CTA in the hammock box, in the form of a simple card that invites customers to meet the people who created their hammock. The humanization here will inevitably make customers think of Brandt and his family every time they lie in their hammock.

3 Ways to Add Humanization to Your Online Marketing

Getting personal with customers online is a strategy that modern marketers have taken mainstream. But humanization is a little trickier. Whereas ecommerce personalization is driven by data insights, humanization requires a more subtle, empathetic mind. This is something many companies struggle to get to grips with. So, how can you add humanization to your personalization techniques?

1. Use Clever Wording with Your Campaign Titles

The most valuable demographic today are millennial shoppers. Following the money makes sense, but you shouldn’t assume all millennials have cash to burn. For that reason, companies should craft their content to connect with their target audience, making it irresistible to them. How?

Through clever wordplay that highlights the benefits, creating content that resonates with people on their level. After all, that is the core of ecommerce personalization. Instead of simply stating that your product is ‘50% off’, tailor the wording to speak directly to the customer. For example, going with the line ‘Fits your budget’ is a simple adjustment that connects on a more personal level. Implementing a more human touch will enable you to make smart offers that are more likely to be engaged by your customers.

2. Use the Power of Data and Speak to Your Customer with Their First Names

The impact of personalization really can’t be overstated. Coca-Cola took the strategy to another level when they launched their ‘Share a Coke’ campaign in 2011. It was a hit in Australia, and three years later, it turbocharged sales volumes across the U.S. for the first time in over a decade.

The company has continued to expand the first names list each year, and also started using second names in a drive to increase their global reach. It’s not the only company to try this, as Zumba Fitness generated an impressive 50% click-to-open rate using recipient names in their personalized email campaign.

Today, machine-learning makes it very easy to personalize marketing. You can boost engagement by taking that extra step to build a human connection through video personalization, or with a relatable gimmick.

3. Use the Power of Storytelling

According to Business Insider, just 22% of consumers are happy with the current level of ecommerce personalization they encounter. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.

A key part of humanization in marketing comes down to storytelling. You have to make your company seem less like a business that wants money, and more like a friend who is trying to help. Using brand storytelling is an imaginative, creative technique that enables companies to turn marketing materials into emotional leverage. It can instill curiosity, excitement, empathy and joy in customers, and ultimately, help forge a stronger connection with the people you are trying to serve. Many brands get storytelling all wrong, according to marketing leader, David Beebe. The award-winning media mogul thinks that many modern marketers do understand the importance of the tactic, but unfortunately miss out when they try to use it.

In Beebe’s words, “Marketing is like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second.”

It’s crucial that the focus is on the customers. IKEA introduced us to their designers, making the brand seem more human. By starting a project with college kids, they innovated in an otherwise stagnant industry, connecting with their audience on a deeper level.  Storytelling sells the experience, instead of the product. This drives engagement and can maximize the success of machine-learning-led personalization.

Humanization Amplifies Ecommerce Personalization

Marketing automation is always welcome, but combined with humanization techniques like story-telling or onsite engagement, it will always give you better results. Ecommerce personalization is arguably the biggest trend in online retail in recent years, and it’s not going anywhere.

Personalization increases the relevancy of your brand messaging. This influences customer behaviors in many ways, driving them to open more of your emails, click more recommendations, and share more content. By adding humanization into the mix, you nurture a sense of kinship. This breeds trust in your brand, which encourages people to become advocates for your company. Together, the two concepts provide a rock-solid foundation for your onsite marketing, which over time will help you grow faster, and earn more.

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