Personalize Your Emails

There's a reason why massive companies put so much effort into appearing smaller than they are...  they want to seem relatable. Then why do small companies put so much effort into trying to appear larger than they are? Sure, there's something to be said about building brand credibility and trust. But ultimately, it's important that small businesses recognize the value of their size and put more effort into emphasizing this. 

It's time to ditch the corporate stock photos, buzzwords, and neutral voice. Embrace your small business identity. Customers (and prospective customers) want a face. 

While this strategy should be implemented across the board, email marketing is an easy place to start. 

Over the years, we've built a robust email campaign and automated flow infrastructure. We've tested (and continue to test) different approaches. What strategy continues to be a win? Personalization. 

Let's take a look at two of our highest revenue-producing automated email flows: Abandoned Cart and Post-Purchase sequences. 

1) Abandoned Cart Flow: instead of a generic follow up email stating, "you forgot something [insert product]," we've crafted a personalized message that comes from an actual Paddle North employee. The email ASKS why they didn't purchase. This approach has succeeded because 1) the customer is given a voice, 2) they can provide incredibly valuable feedback that allows us to reevaluate how we sell and market our products, and 3) it gives us an opportunity to hear and respond to objections and questions. 

What's the outcome? Since implementing this personalized approach, we've been able to consistently keep our abandoned cart recovery rates well above 10%. It also allows us to identify trends that allow us to optimize how we sell our products. 

2) Post-Purchase Flow: many brands send out a "thank you" email after a purchase is made. This is an essential automated flow in any email strategy, but we've found success with more personalization. First-time buyers receive an email from Pete and Matt (co-founders of Paddle North) thanking them for the purchase. In this message, are given more insight into the Paddle North story, ethos, and values. 

What's the outcome? The engagement rate on this email is incredibly high, which has many benefits in overall email strategy (always keep that sender reputation top of mind). But even more importantly, it has increased our customer lifetime value (yes, there is substantial revenue tied to this email sequence). We've also obtained a surprising amount of UGC (user-generated content). Our customers love sharing images and videos enjoying our products. We love this too!

Consumers appreciate small business. As you build and scale yours, don't lose sight of this. 

__

Follow Brennan on Twitter → @bmogck