When it comes to content marketing, there’s one key element that stands out above the rest: personalization. It doesn’t matter if your content is well-researched, well-written, or even expertly crafted; if it’s not tailored to the individual reader, it’s not going to have the desired impact.
This is why personalization has become a staple in today’s content marketing strategies. It’s not just about addressing your audience in the most general sense (although that’s certainly a good place to start), but rather, it’s about understanding each individual reader and tailoring your content to their specific needs and interests.
However, with all that being said, personalization is still a relatively new concept in the content marketing world. It’s not something that’s been widely adopted or even fully embraced, despite the fact that it’s been around for quite some time now.
So, how can you harness the power of personalization to build relationships with your readers? Here are five unique ways to do just that:
1. Create a Profile for Each Reader
The first step in personalizing your content is to create a profile for each individual reader. This means that, from the moment they first visit your website, you can begin collecting data about their likes and dislikes, what they’re interested in, and how they’re doing things online.
You can do this by using tools like Google Analytics to track their behavior on your website and collect basic information like their age, location, and interests. And while that’s a good start, you can go even further by allowing readers to create an account or complete a profile so that you can gather more detailed information about them.
Once you have this profile information, you can use it to tailor your content to their individual preferences. For example, if they’re interested in gardening, you can share tips and tutorials on how to start a vegetable garden, or if they’re interested in art, you can share information on the latest trends in the design world.
By doing this, you’re not just creating content that’s tailored to their needs, you’re actually creating a personalized experience for each individual reader.
2. Use Their Name and Other Personal Details
Personalization isn’t just about collecting information; it’s about using that information to build an relationship with your readers. And one of the easiest ways to do this is to use their name and other personal details in your content.
For example, when you send out an email list, use their first and last name to personalize the email and make it feel like a conversation. Similarly, when you create a video series, use their name to make it feel more personal and engaging. Additionally, when you create a social media account or a community, you can use their names to make it feel like a conversation.
Another key way to personalize your content is to use their interests and hobbies to create content that they’re actually interested in. For example, if they enjoy hiking, you could use that to create content around hiking and camping. Or, if they enjoy cooking, you could use that to create content around recipes and cooking tips.
By using their interests and hobbies to create content, you’re helping them to feel like they’re more connected to your brand.
3. Use Their Location to Create Relevant Content
Another way to personalize your content is to use their location to create content that’s relevant to their needs. For example, if they’re in a city with a lot of great restaurants, you could use that to create content around the best restaurants in the area. Or, if they’re in an area with a lot of natural beauty, you could use that to create content around outdoor activities and experiences.
By using their location to create content, you’re helping them to stay more engaged with your brand, and you’re giving them something that’s tailored to their needs.
4. Use Their Interests to Create Content Around Your Products
If they’re interested in a particular product, then you can use that to create content that’s tailored to their needs. For example, if they’re interested in home security, you could use that to create content that’s tailored to their needs and helps them to stay more secure. Or, if they’re interested in a particular type of food, you could use that to create content that’s tailored to their needs.
By using their interests to create content, you’re not only creating content that’s relevant to their needs, you’re actually helping them to stay more engaged with your brand.
5. Use Their Needs to Create Content Around Your Products
Finally, the easiest way to personalize your content is to use their needs to create content around your products. If they’re interested in a particular product, then you can
