How to Create Authentic Client Relationships with Marketing Personalization
Marketers today have access to endless tools that can help them get to know consumers, and as more companies lean into technology to help them gather data, consumers have come to expect more, too. Since businesses now have access to so much client information, it benefits them to create individual marketing experiences for their clients to create a one-to-one client-business partnership.
Hyper-Personalization Marketing and Consumer Sentiment
How consumers feel about your brand has far more impact than what they think about it. According to a Gallup survey, 70% of consumer decisions and brand preferences are based on emotion, while just 30% are based on rational factors. That’s exactly why you need to build an emotional connection between your company and your consumers.
70% of consumer decisions and brand preferences are based on emotion, while just 30% are based on rational factors.
Marketing teams who only market to the masses without using targeted personalization and emotional marketing risk losing out on valuable connections that lead to consumer confidence, trust and loyalty. But those who use the data they have gathered to create marketing plans that are heavy in emotional authenticity—that truly meet consumers where they are—are most likely to succeed in building solid, lasting partnerships built on trust.
Here’s what consumers think:
71% of consumers say they expect companies to deliver personalized experiences, while 76% say they become frustrated when this doesn’t happen.
69% of customers appreciate personalization—as long as it is based on data they have shared with businesses.
44% of consumers say they will likely become repeat shoppers if a company delivers a personalized experience.
31% of shoppers say they wish their shopping experience was far more personalized than it currently is.
Consumers crave the authenticity that a personalized experience offers, and more and more, they demand this from companies in exchange for their loyalty. Good marketers know that no matter how much money is dumped into a marketing campaign, if it lacks authentic messaging, it will fall flat.
Shared Experiences Lead to Customer Connections
While creating an emotionally engaged marketing plan that will reach all your customers in just the right way may seem daunting, there are a few things you can do to kickstart your connections and immediately stand apart from the crowd. At Hallmark Business Connections, we’ve perfected the art of…well, connecting…and we help businesses big and small stay in touch with their clients in some of the most meaningful and memorable ways.
You’ve probably seen other notable brands getting creative in the marketplace. By sharing experiences with their customers and connecting with them on a deeply emotional level, they are building relationships that will last, and that will bring customers back again and again. For example, TOMS donates a pair of shoes or glasses for every pair purchased; Trader Joe’s brings adventure to shopping for food.
Here’s how Hallmark Business Connections helps businesses connect authentically with clients:
Personalized greeting cards. With a range of personalization styles, clients can select from card sentiments that are pre-written by our in-house Hallmark writers, then they can add their own sentiment and signature in one of several handwriting fonts. Cards can be purchased in bulk for several occasions, so be sure to think outside the box! It’s great to stock up for client birthdays, but be sure to be prepared for events like weddings, new babies, new homes, graduations and more somber life events like encouragement and sympathy, too. For happy occasions, many clients opt to include promotional materials as an added incentive to get clients to shop with them.
Mail to One greeting cards. To personalize your greeting cards even further, take a step toward hyper-personalization with our Mail to One service, which offers all the same personalization options, but instead of ordering in bulk, cards are ordered individually for a single recipient. Once you have entered your personalization online, we’ll stamp and mail your greeting card for you via the USPS, and your recipient will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind card from you in the mail in just a few days.
Gifts, flowers and tasty treats. You’ve gotten to know your clients as you’ve done business with them, so you know who will love an inspirational calendar and who might more enjoy a fresh cut bouquet of flowers to celebrate a special day. At Hallmark Business Connections, you’ll find corporate gifts like calendars, bookmarks with uplifting quotes and magnets to help you leave a lasting impression on customers. And for clients who stand apart from the rest, consider Hallmark’s fresh cut flower delivery or a decadent selection of boxed chocolates from Christopher Elbow. You can’t go wrong either way, and it’s worth the investment to remind your clients exactly how special they are to you.
Personalization is all about being connected to consumers and making sure they feel recognized and heard by you. When consumers feel connected to your brand, they not only become repeat buyers, but they will also advocate for—and even defend—your brand in personal conversations and on social media. And when you create real human moments with your customers, you’ll nurture lifelong brand advocates who will continue to believe in your brand.