How Can AI Boost Your Email Personalization Performance?

Jai Amin and Mike Hall

May 27, 2019

A flurry of economic reports confirm that shoppers are still spending, and brands have a bountiful supply of goods and services to sell them. So, where is the sweet spot where the two intersect? This is where machine learning, or AI, comes into play; it can delve deep into the consumers’ intent. This interaction between the consumer and the machine allows brands to personally connect with customers and thus, redefine their shopping trends.

Retailers that are incorporating AI into their email marketing efforts are harnessing enough power to extend their lead over competitors – or overtake them. Think of it as catching lightning in a bottle. Brands that blend AI into email marketing are revolutionizing the customers’ retail experience. AI technologies play a vital role in providing brands with insight into what the customer wants, showcasing a new level of personalization.

On a quest to find the next trends in marketing, BrightEdge asked more than 500 search, content and digital marketers to share their perspectives. Respondents named the next two trends as AI and personalization.

Make It Personal Across the Entire Customer Journey

Consumers suffer from email fatigue; an average inbox may receive hundreds daily. The emails that attract the attention of subscribers are ones that resonate with them personally. Others are sent to the email graveyard. To differentiate yourself, consider leveraging the power of AI. As it conducts organic searches, AI extracts data from inquiries along with various other touch-points to forecast the consumers’ preferences. It compiles all the information for you so you can optimize your entire email marketing campaign to achieve the best possible personalization.

Power Hitters Provide Proof That Personalization Is Moving the Needle

Still skeptical? Take a look at these brands’ findings:

Netflix – Based on viewers’ history, the company recommends television shows. More than 80 percent of television programs watched can be traced back to Netflix’s recommendations.
Amazon – The behemoth attributes 35 percent of its sales to AI-generated recommendations

To discover how AI can help you achieve better results, consider these five tips, which can be easily employed to personalize and improve future email campaigns.

Ask Subscribers to Set Preferences

After welcoming new subscribers to your fold, ask them to share what is on their wish list. This knowledge will empower you to create personalized emails. Sending blanket emails to everyone on your distribution list to promote a sale on snow skis may only inspire a sliver of skiiers; one-size-fits-all tactics belong to antiquity, alongside dial-up internet. AI points us to the future; it is similar to having around-the-clock personal assistant that investigates the interests of shoppers, as well as their online behavior. Allow these data-driven insights to steer you as you craft a content-rich, yet personalized email that will build brand loyalty.

Divide and Conquer

Visualize the produce section of a large grocery store. Instead of fruits and vegetables housed in their own designated containers, they are piled four-feet high in the same receptacle. That’s how many brand marketers view consumers, failing to appreciate their distinctive interests and desires. To build customer loyalty, you will need to discover what those interests are, as well as your customer’s location and demographic. Once again, AI comes to the rescue by studying trends and past purchase patterns. The emails that attract the attention of your subscribers are ones that resonate with them. Others are sent to the email graveyard. Technology can automatically make sense of your subscribers’ behaviors and sort them into manageable, meaningful groups.

Choose Your Subject Lines Wisely

Some things shouldn’t be left to chance. In the universal game of marketing, brands that make a smart selection of words on the subject line will advance as champions. Use persuasive, enticing words. Ignite some interest. The body of an email may contain a map to a pirate’s sunken treasure chest but if the subject isn’t compelling, it won’t be opened.

Without leveraging the power of AI, finding the right words is a shot in the dark. While you were sleeping, AI has been busy tunneling into data-rich reservoir. No need to rely on guesswork, as AI can instantly provide you with the proper selection of words that have the best change of triggering subscriber engagement.

Parade of Recommendations

Once AI has mined all the searches, page clicks and viewing habits of shoppers, it uses predictive analytics to personalize an email. For most, finding an appropriate recommendation for each subscriber would be a monumental, time-draining endeavor. Thanks to the ingenious way that AI tracks every online move the consumer makes while browsing your site, it can make appealing personalized recommendations of another product. This in-depth knowledge about a person’s online activity can prevent a brand from showcasing an item that is deemed irrelevant or obnoxious.

Machine learning can teach us a great deal about the psychology of shoppers. Data reveals that personalized emails can fuel a trifecta of deliverables: 1) boosts brand loyalty, 2) enhanced engagement, and increased revenue. Brands that adeptly leverage AI to personalize email interactions with customers will demonstrate how valuable they are to them. This will also allow brands to dazzle shoppers and deliver an enhanced consumer experience.

Jai Amin and Mike Hall

Jai Amin is a Senior PPC Director at Jellyfish with nearly ten years of experience. He has focused heavily on Paid Search. Mike Hall is an Email Marketing Director at Jellyfish with nearly ten years of experience. Mike focuses on supporting some of the world's largest brands.