As technology continues to evolve and improve our insights into customers’ lives, we, as marketers, have powerful data readily available to better engage existing customers and acquire new customers. With general email customer data insights, we’re able to see trends related to overall email engagement, including standard tracking for click-through rates, open rates, and conversion rates. With more advanced tracking, marketers can see heat mapping of their emails to highlight how customers are responding to their templates, overall design, and copy efforts. One category of data that I see underutilized is customer and non-purchaser behavior insights. These insights outline who your customers are, how they engage on your site, what items they purchase, and how often they purchase. That, my friends, is the secret sauce! Using behavior trends to send tailored automated emails, as well as unique and effective single sends can elevate your approach to engaging existing and new customers, ideally retaining them for life.

USING BEHAVIORAL DATA

Using data sets related to the customers’ on-site actions provides ample opportunities for sending targeted & powerful emails. Customers who have premium memberships, purchased during select promotions, or browsed on different product pages across the site deserve unique emails.

Using Behavioral Data 101

If you’re just dipping your toes in, Browse Abandonment campaigns are a great place to start. The first step, is creating a triggered email: As new or prior customers view different product pages or category pages across the site, take that data and email the customer a reminder about the products he or she viewed, plus other tailored recommendations. In most instances, one email would suffice. You can then take your browse abandonment campaign to the next level with omni-channel strategies. Using platforms, such as Google Ads, using dynamic remarketing and remarketing list for search ads, and Facebook retargeting, a customer can get multiple reminders to go back and reconsider the products they viewed earlier. Windsor Circle clients can start running these omni-channel campaigns today with our existing Facebook integration, as well as our new Google Display Network Integration (currently in beta).

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One brand that does a phenomenal job of incorporating browse strategies across different channels is Bobbi Brown. I regularly high five their emails because, honestly, they are great. I was recently browsing some lipstick on their site, and later received a fun reminder about the products I viewed. The email hero image was tailored with lipstick creative, and the message showed exactly the item and shade I viewed. Throughout the week, I saw carousel ads on Facebook, and across sites on the Display Network. It might seem overbearing when reading the number of emails and ads I encountered in the span of a week, but it’s an extremely effective method of engaging new visitors and existing customers. Windsor Circle clients who run Browse Abandonment triggered emails see an average of 3% increase in revenue generated from customers who receive the messages.

Using Behavioral Data: Advanced

Sending tailored emails relevant to WHO your customers are is equally as important as sending emails based on WHAT they browsed.. An easy opportunity I’ve encouraged my clients to take advantage of is incorporating geographic data into their email launch strategy.

If you look at just the United States, seasonal opportunities vary considerably. In the Windsor Circle App we have the ability to segment by geographic location, meaning we can schedule emails for new Summer launches earlier in places like the West Coast and Southeast where it’s warmer in early May as compared to the Midwest and Northeast. If you are a skincare or cosmetic line looking to promote new summer skincare, you may want to start promoting in the geographic areas where it gets warmer first. Another interesting approach is using geographic data to promote smaller product lines to niche customers. For example, if you sell mostly fashion styled cowboy boots, but also sell a smaller line of work boots, you could send tailored emails to your purchasers in farm and ranch locations in the Southwest.

This concept can be applied to customer recency as well. Identifying churning customers and segmenting their emails from best customers, or recent purchasers is key for sending tailored content and recommendations. As a recent purchaser of custom evites from PaperlessPost.com, I received an email update about their newest custom mobile Flyers that are mobile friendly and easy to customize for parties and events. The email had engaging content, felt like a tailored recommendation for me specifically, and linked to the Flyer design page.

Tailoring email triggers and content based on customer behavior paves the way to increased engagement and retention. Identifying niche patterns in your customer base will allow you to promote relevant products and offers, treat customer groups with appropriate discounts, and continue to see growth as a business. The actions customers take on-site as well as their purchase history trends all lead to powerful marketing opportunities.