Why Personalization Matters: And How To Use It To Drive Conversions Sarah Posnak, HubSpot Inbound Marketing Specialist

AGENDA 1 What is personalization? 2 Why personalize your website? 3 How smart content serves your users 4 How to use smart content

BUT FIRST, a little background…

BROKEN. THE OLD MARKETING PLAYBOOK IS 86% 91% 44% 200M skip TV ads unsubscribe from email 44% of direct mail is never opened 200M on the Do Not Call list

Inbound updates the playbook based on the way people buy today. Content Get Found Online: Website pages Blog articles Social media messages All optimized to drive qualified leads to your site. Your

Inbound updates the playbook based on the way people buy today. Get Found Online: Website pages Blog articles Social media messages All optimized to drive qualified leads to your site. Understand Your Buyers: Personalize your marketing Identify buyer needs Understand what content pulls leads through sales funnel

Marketers need a lot of tools to do their job right.

ALL IN ONE 89% of online consumers use search engines when making a purchasing decision Content marketing generates 3x as many leads as traditional marketing, but costs 62% less Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower cost 88% of consumers have read reviews to determine the quality of a local business

1 WHAT IS PERSONALIZATION? But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

People are human and they change People are human and they change. They access your content from multiple devices. They come at it from a number of different channels. And, perhaps most importantly, as their experience with your company grows, their needs and interests change. And yet, most marketing still treats them all the same. Personalization is a tool that you can use inside of your larger contextual marketing strategy. It allows you to focus on an individual and tailor the website experience by showing the most relevant message to each person. Smart content, allows you to deliver the right content, to the right person, at the right time. Remember that contextual marketing is a way to reach large, targeted groups of people that have something in common, such as their lifecycle stage. Personalization is a tool that you can use inside of your larger contextual marketing strategy. It allows you to focus on an individual. You’ll be able to provide even more value to your users by communicating directly to him or her using their personal details. For years retail stores have been providing personalized shopping experiences to help you find exactly what you’re looking for. And retail businesses are moving towards a more personalized experience with location-aware advertising that changes as you move through the store. In fact, it’s hard to get a cup of coffee without a personalized experience. There’s not much difference in a digital space. Companies provide personalized movie, book, and music recommendations tailored to an individual. And there are mobile applications that help you find the right paint color for your walls or virtually try on clothing, makeup, and eyeglasses.

74% of online consumers get frustrated with websites when content appears that has nothing to do with their interests. -2013 Online Personal Experience study

40% of consumers buy more from companies who personalize the shopping experience across channels. -MyBuys Study Why? 40% of consumers buy more from companies who personalize the shopping experience across channels. (Source:  MyBuys)  And personal recommendations are extremely effective.

2 WHY PERSONALIZE YOUR WEBSITE? But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

94% of businesses agree that personalization is “critical” to current and future success. -Econsultancy + Monetate Why? 40% of consumers buy more from companies who personalize the shopping experience across channels. (Source:  MyBuys)  And personal recommendations are extremely effective.

Have a website that never gets old. Create a remarkable user experience by showing new and relevant content.

Increase conversion rates. FLICKR USER CATALINA OLAVARRIA Increase conversion rates.

42% Calls-to-action that are targeted to the viewer had a higher conversion rate than generic CTAs by 42% -HubSpot study of over 93,000 CTAs

19% uplift in sales from companies using personalization (Source: Econsultancy + Monetate)

3 HOW SMART CONTENT SERVES YOUR USERS But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

Be the company that cares about its users. FLICKR USER JOSHUA BARNETT Be the company that cares about its users. You’re thinking about your users and delivering the content that they actually need.

Smart Content aligns with the right stage of the Buyer’s Journey. FLICKR USER SEANTOYER Smart Content aligns with the right stage of the Buyer’s Journey. This lets you guide users further along the buying process, increasing conversions.

Smart Content promotes new offers. FLICKR USER ASENAT29 Smart Content promotes new offers. This gives you an opportunity to boost conversions.

Smart Content cuts the number of steps to a conversion. FLICKR USER WESLEY ELLER Smart Content cuts the number of steps to a conversion. Offer relevant content instead of making users search for it, and never ask the same questions on a form twice.

TWO IMPORTANT CONCEPTS Lifecycle marketing: Promoters don’t just materialize out of thin air: they start off as strangers, visitors, contacts, and customers. Specific marketing actions and tools help to transform those strangers into promoters. Contact property: Pieces of information on individual contacts But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

4 HOW TO USE SMART CONTENT But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

Where do you start? Evaluate your contacts database. Determine the personalization purpose. Set default values for all personalization efforts. These are the best practices that will guide you in creating a good personalized experience.

Evaluate your contacts database. Determine the personalization purpose. Set default values for all personalization efforts. First, evaluate your contacts database. Having good data in your contacts database is crucial to success in personalization. Make sure that you have all the data you need to use personalization. Is the information up-to-date? Do you have enough information? Do you have false information?   For example, if a user submitted a form on your website and input their name as only the letter “L”, then a personalization token won’t add value for this user. Take the time to evaluate what data you have about your contacts. If there’s a personalization property you want to use, but you don’t have on your contacts in your database, then you’ll update your forms to get what you need for a personalized experience.

Take the time to evaluate what data you have about your contacts.  For example, if a user submitted a form on your website and input their name as only the letter “L”, then a personalization token won’t add value for this user. Take the time to evaluate what data you have about your contacts. If there’s a personalization property you want to use, but you don’t have on your contacts in your database, then you’ll update your forms to get what you need for a personalized experience.

Evaluate your contacts database. Determine the personalization purpose. Set default values for all personalization efforts. Next, be sure to set default values for all personalization efforts.

What happens when contacts see a personalization token for a property that you don’t know about them? What happens when some of your contacts see a personalization token for a property that you don’t know about them? You should have a default value in place, which is also referred to as a “fallback term.” For example, if you sent a personalized email to a contact but didn’t know their first name, you could add a default value so the email still makes sense. The email can read “Hi Lindsay,” or whatever their first name may be

What happens when contacts see a personalization token for a property that you don’t know about them? or “Hi there” if the first name is unknown.

Evaluate your contacts database. Determine the personalization purpose. Set default values for all personalization efforts. Third, determine the personalization purpose.

PERSONALIZATION PURPOSE To drive engagement To communicate specifics to the individual. You won’t want to use a personalization token here, there and everywhere, just for the sake of using a personalization token. The purpose behind using personalization typically falls into one of two categories: to drive engagement or communicate specifics to the individual. A well-placed personalization token can help to solidify a connection between your company and the lead. In addition to driving engagement, personalization can help to communicate specifics about the individual.

Personalization can help to communicate specifics about the individual. A well-placed personalization token can help to solidify a connection between your company and the lead. In addition to driving engagement, personalization can help to communicate specifics about the individual. For example, an art museum could display an individual’s membership number on the homepage. A travel company could recommend an offer that will help a customer get ready for their next trip. Whether you are driving engagement or communicating specifics, a lead will naturally feel that the message is speaking directly to them.

Evaluate your contacts database. Determine the personalization purpose. Set default values for all personalization efforts. The last best practice for personalization is don’t create alarm by using sensitive information. You might know an individual’s revenue, but that doesn’t mean that you should display it with a personalization token. If the information seems sensitive, don’t use it in personalization.

WHAT DOES SMART CONTENT LOOK LIKE? But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

Smart Calls-to-Action Smart Text Smart Form Fields Personalization Tokens

Smart Text Personalize the text on any page to tailor your content to different audiences.

Smart Calls-to-Action Show a new, relevant offer every time and boost your conversion rates.

Personalization Tokens Personalization tokens insert small bits of information pulled from a user’s Contact record.

Smart Form Fields When a contact revisits a form, Smart Form Fields replace old fields with new ones.

SMART CONTENT PLACEMENT But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

Personalize your site pages. Map your site pages to the Buyer’s Journey to figure out which smart content will be most relevant.

Personalize your landing pages. Tailor your offer to different audiences and never ask them for the same information twice!

Personalize your blog sidebar. But caution! Don’t use smart text in your blog posts. Having multiple blog posts drives more traffic to your site - so don’t use smart text to compress all of your content on one post.

Personalize your emails. According to Experian, emails with personalized subject lines have a 26% higher open rate.

Personalize your thank you pages. Thank the user for getting your offer, and provide some tailored direction. Note: To make sure that the form on the landing page has time to sync, don’t personalize here with information that you just gathered.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

57% of people are “OK with providing personal information on a website as long as it’s for their benefit.” (Source: Janrain/Harris)

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

Start small. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with the possibilities! Personalize one area at a time.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Choose content that you know performs well with a broad segment of your audience, and optimize it for the keywords that you want to rank for.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

FLICKR USER DON MCCULLOUGH Don’t be creepy. Pick personalization tokens wisely - don’t make your users feel surprised to see their information. And craft other smart content to address the user’s needs.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

Make sure users can get to all valuable content. Show offers, products and services to all visitors if there’s even a remote chance of crossover between your different audiences.

SMART CONTENT BEST PRACTICES Promote a good user experience - create smart content that carries weight. Start small. Optimize default content for both first-time visitors and search engines. Don’t be creepy. Make sure users can get to all valuable content.

SMART CONTENT EXAMPLES But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

Some live examples….

NEXT STEPS 1. Pick the audience for your smart content, and decide on your segments. We recommend starting with your customers first. 2. Decide where to place smart content on your website. 3. Create one piece of smart content and place it on your website.

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APPENDIX But first, let’s define what personalization means in this context.

RESOURCES 1. The Contextual Marketing Training + Certification 2. How to Use Smart Content 3. The New Online Rulebook: Seven Elements of Contextual Marketing 4. An Introduction to Using Dynamic Content in Marketing