The number of emails sent and received on a global scale has gone up annually. Last year, there were a total of 319.6 billion emails exchanged daily across the globe. With an overload of information available, today’s consumers are difficult to reach through traditional marketing methods. Customers and email subscribers typically prioritize the emails that matter most to them. To cut through the noise, marketers have to create emails that are truly meaningful and interesting. One of the ways to do this is through personalization.
This article covers what email personalization is, why it’s important, as well as the best email personalization examples from well-known brands.
What is email personalization and why is it important?
Email personalization is the practice of tailoring an email content to specific individuals or segments. This can involve using a recipient’s name, referencing past purchases or interactions, or targeting a specific demographic.Β
To stand out in today’s busy media landscape, it’s important for businesses that want to connect with their audience to craft personalized messaging. This kind of communication has several advantages:
Provides a positive user experience
Personalization helps companies create relevant content and send individualized offers to subscribers. A majority of consumers (71%) want companies to communicate with them on a personal level.. This tailored approach helps strengthen your customersβ emotional connection to your brand, maintain audience engagement, and reduce unsubscribes.Β
Strengthens customer relationships
Personalization makes communication between salespeople and customers more human. Customized emails are highly valued because they show subscribers the brand’s attention to their needs and interests. As a result, the brandβs subscribers β their customers and prospects β will have a positive experience.
Increases the effectiveness of the email strategy
Email newsletters are more than a marketing tool when brands personalize their messages. 91% of users are willing to buy from personalized content. Quality is favored over quantity in this case, so fewer emails are sent overall.
Helps increase clickability
According to statistics, emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be clicked on, and calls to action that are personalized perform twice as well as generic ones. When crafting emails, consider the needs and interests of your individual subscribers, address the recipients by their name in the subject line.
For example, if you are promoting a new product, tailor your CTA language to speak directly to how it solves a problem or meets a desire for each individual recipient. Instead of a generic “Buy now!” CTA, try something like “Get ____ to solve ____ problem” or “Upgrade to ____ for ____ benefit.”
Best email personalization examples from famous brands
According to Litmus research, only 21% of users find the promotional emails in their inbox “memorableβ. In general, browsing email is not a pleasure, but rather an obligation.
That’s why many brands rely on personalization in their email strategies to make the subscriber feel that theyβre getting an email not from a robot, but a friend.
Most importantly, a personalized email campaign is easy to create. In the past, businesses had difficulty creating personalized emails for their subscribers due to the lack of technology. Now, marketing automation has made it possible for companies to send unique and specialized emails that cater to each individual subscriber’s interests.
Here are the best examples of personalization in emails. Use these email marketing tips to create your own successful campaign.
Todoist
Todoist, a popular task and project management app, personalized one of the welcome emails in the chain by addressing the recipient by their first name. It shows that the message was specifically intended for this particular person, rather than being a generic mass mailing. Todoist also provides a customized guide to help the user master a new application. The email contains compelling instructions and additional information to encourage users to spend more time on the service.
Netflix
Marketers who can personalize their offerings based on customer preferences and past purchases are more likely to see increased sales and loyalty. By recommending products that a customer is likely interested in, businesses can provide a better shopping experience overall.
This is true for on-demand viewing platforms such as Netflix. With so much content on the internet, users sometimes search for a movie longer than you watch it. To cut the usersβ search time and to keep them on the platform longer, Netflix provides recommendations for customers based on previous preferences. As a result, subscribers of the service continue to watch movies on this resource.Β
This approach is also relevant for platforms that provide e-books, webinars, and blogs.
Nissan
Customers often forget about renewing warranties or scheduling maintenance for the products they purchase. You can use email personalization to send helpful reminders to your customers. If you send timely reminders as a brand, your customers will appreciate your efforts.
Nissan is setting a great example:
Alaska Airlines
Not every customer will become a loyal repeat buyer. Some may become inactive after just one or two purchases. However, you can use email personalization to re-target dormant customers and encourage them to return to your website.
Alaska Airlines uses a personalization strategy in its emails when it wants to win a customer back. In this email, the company encourages their passengers to redeem their accumulated miles for their next trip.Β
This email demonstrates how to bring back customers who have stopped engaging. It could be just the motivation they need to take action and buy something from your company again.
American Eagle
Email personalization based on the products or content that the user has already viewed can increase open rates and engagement with the brand. This can be done by using data on the userβs website browsing behavior or previous purchases to target them with relevant messaging.
One example of successful email personalization is American Eagle. As the new season approaches, they showcase the latest collection of clothes based on the customer’s past purchases. This personalized approach can increase the chance that the customer would make a repeat purchase.
Amazon
You can use your customers’ previous actions and behaviors to re-engage them and move them through the sales funnel. For example, Amazon sends an offer to subscribers who have previously purchased from the grocery section of their site. They get a discount on their first order and free shipping from any restaurant on their list. What’s more, the company emphasizes that this discount coupon is only valid for a specific person and no one else.
OpenTable
Providing a positive customer experience is important. But it’s also key that you collect feedback from customers on the products they’ve purchased. By requesting reviews via email, you not only provide social proof for potential customers, but also improve future buying experiences. Complete the customer journey by asking for feedback after purchase; this sends the message that their opinion is valued.
The OpenTable email is a great example of how this strategy can be used effectively:
Flight Centre
If you want to send tailored travel deals, keep an eye on customers’ preferences and break down your contact list accordingly. One way to group your contacts is by their behaviors, such as the links they click in emails or what kind of purchases they made before.
By segmenting your email list, your subscribers receive content that is relevant to them, which increases the likelihood that theyβll convert. Flight Centre increased their conversion rate by sending Sunshine State-specific emails to individuals who had previously clicked on links to promotions for Florida vacations.
Aside from sending a relevant email to a subscriber interested in going to Florida, Flight Centre also used the subscriberβs first name, Lisa, in the message and included flight deals to Florida that depart from her home airport of Ottawa.
Spotify
Another way to show your appreciation is by including relevant and useful details in your message. For example, Spotify has prepared a selection of podcasts that they think customers will be interested in. Again, this selection should be based on user preferences to ensure the best possible experience.
TikTok
TikTok tracks the actions of subscribers, and then uses this data to engage them with personalized emails. For example, if a user has not finished setting up their account, TikTok sends them an email reminding them of the benefits of completing the setup process. This kind of targeted marketing helps drive user engagement and keeps them coming back to the service.
It is also important to make the next steps clear and easy for the user to follow, such as including a direct link or button to finish setting up an account. As a result, you can help remove any potential issues that might prevent customers from completing the setup process.
The world’s largest internet forum is also the best example of personalization β in fact, all its work is based on the selection of content for each user. When registering, the user is prompted to choose the βsubredditsβ or online communities they are interested in joining. After a while, Reddit will then send the user a selection of posts from these subreddits based on their previous activity and engagement with content.Β
Additionally, Reddit allows users to customize their email notifications according to the types of updates they want to receive. As users receive relevant information in a timely manner, user experience and engagement are considerably improved.
Adidas
By using demographic data like age, gender or education level, and sending highly personalized content you can deliver a positive brand experience for your customers. Not only will they appreciate the effort, but they are also more likely to engage with your brand as a result.
Adidas does an amazing job at personalizing its promotional emails to each key segment, which makes both men and women much more likely to engage. By organizing products by color and creating customized CAC buttons for each gender, they ensured that every subscriber would see the most relevant and appealing products. This in turn would encourage them to make a purchase.
easyJet
Your customers will appreciate you taking the time to get to know them on a personal level. Using their data to tell a personalized story is an excellent way of showing that you care about them and want to create a connection with your brand.
A great example of email personalization comes from easyJet. They sent every customer a summary of all the places they had traveled with easyJet in the last 20 years. These emails struck a chord with their readers and reminded them of the great trips they had taken in the past.
People often use Linkedin to find a job. And this network gives them what they need to achieve that. For example, this social network sends emails to its users with personalized content, such as an offer to explore courses to prepare for a job search.
LinkedIn also personalizes its daily job roundup emails with job opportunities that match the user’s profile:
Including only positions in the field and with desired job title, the subscriber is more likely to pay attention and apply to some listings. In some cases, LinkedIn also sends their users information on events happening in their area.
With personalized emails, marketers can improve user experience by demonstrating an understanding of the recipient’s individual needs and interests.
Asics
Abandoned cart emails come in handy when visitors leave the site without making a purchase. And that happens often: almost 69.99% of visitors put items in their carts, but never make it to checkout. A cart abandonment trigger allows you to remind customers about the great pair of sneakers waiting for them on the site.
Asics does this with their abandoned cart emails. In their email, they include a call to action button and add a free shipping offer. It’s a great way to drive sales and recover lost revenue.
Monica Vinader
A personalized email that mentions the subscriber’s birthday can make them feel acknowledged and appreciated. On such a day, they are more likely to buy something to treat themselves. As a bonus, you can offer them a special discount or promotion to thank them for being a loyal customer. This type of campaign can help you gather valuable data on the purchasing habits and preferences of subscribers.Β
The Monica Vinader company, a jewelry store, sent a personalized email to a client who was celebrating their birthday. The email also offered a special discount on the client’s favorite product as a birthday treat.
In addition, including a birthday message or celebrating subscriber milestones (such as their first anniversary of being a subscriber) can make recipients feel valued. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and boost brand loyalty.
The Hustle
An email from The Hustle is another great example of a personalized message based on behavioral data. The business and tech website launched a referral program, encouraging its subscribers to invite their friends to subscribe. Its clever systems capture data on all subscribers’ actions to send personalized emails.
For example, one user was recognized as an official Ambassador for bringing in a specific number of new subscribers. As a way to thank them, The Hustle gave the subscriber not only a gift, but also access to a private community reserved only for those who go above and beyond. This community includes networking events, exclusive deals, and opportunities to connect with industry leaders.
By personalizing emails based on behavior, The Hustle can make subscribers feel appreciated for their participation. This ultimately helps motivate them to drive more referrals.
Sephora
When a customer makes a purchase, it’s time to engage with them and turn them into brand advocates. Post-purchase messaging strategies can be as simple as saying thank you, promoting your loyalty program, or offering incentives for the customerβs next purchase. This is vital for any company that wants to retain customers and continue growing.
Sephora, an online make-up store, uses post-purchase email to remind their customer to restock their make-up stash. They send personalized recommendations based on past purchases and other customer favorites.
This specific campaign can be successful in driving repeat purchases and increasing brand loyalty among Sephora’s customers.
Conclusion
Email personalization is the practice of using personal information, such as a recipient’s name or past purchases, in email marketing campaigns. The main task of personalization is to create emails that are highly relevant to subscribers.
Employing personalization in email communication can benefit a business by:
- Providing a positive experience for customers
- Strengthening customer relationships
- Improving the effectiveness of email strategies
- Increasing the likelihood of clicks
Customers generally appreciate companies that take the time to personalize content for them. In fact, they have come to expect it. By using the data collected from customer interactions, brands can provide more personalized recommendations which will result in a better overall customer experience. The examples of the best email marketing campaigns above illustrate how companies have used personalization in their email campaigns successfully.
New and noteworthy on our blog 
