New Chart: What it takes to personalize email

by Jeff Rice, Research Analyst

Data collected for email personalization goes beyond subscriber name


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The majority of email data collection takes place during registration. A delicate balance is struck between granting a marketer’s wish list and not asking for so much information that it creates friction for the customer. For most companies, asking for a customer’s personal name, company name and lead source is more important than titles, physical addresses and phone numbers. However, each company must select their own criteria based on their industry and sales pipeline.

The industry channel determines the priority and usage of a subscriber’s personalized data. B2B sales are typically complex, so marketers require company name, professional title, company address and phone number. Meanwhile, B2C marketers are more interested in age, gender or other demographic information to tailor their communications. Both B2B and B2C companies find personal name and the source of the lead information key to successful email campaigns.

As predicted, strategic marketers are more likely to collect and use subscriber personalized data. The one exception is the request for personal or company physical addresses. Trial phase companies’ sales and marketing processes heavily rely on offline tactics such as direct mail or face-to-face sales.

For additional research data and insights about email marketing, download and read the free Executive Summary from the MarketingSherpa 2011 Email Marketing Benchmark Report.


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