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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
If your email marketing isn\u2019t generating a consistent revenue stream for your ecommerce business, you\u2019re probably doing it wrong. And lack of personalization is very often the No. 1 reason for that.<\/p>\n
Getting email personalization right \u2014 and, more importantly, implementing it at scale \u2014 is what can really move the needle for ecommerce brands that are struggling to drive decent ROI from their email marketing efforts.<\/p>\n
Email personalization is now expected by consumers, who are tired of crowded inboxes flooded with generic, one-size-fits-all promotional messages. A survey of 4,800 global consumers<\/a> revealed that 64% believe personalization makes an email extremely or somewhat memorable. In Brazil, for example, that number is as high as 72%.<\/p>\n U.S. consumers, in particular, are also clear about what they want in terms of email personalization: 70% prefer interest-based content, and 52% expect personalized product recommendations.<\/p>\n And what\u2019s more, 55% of global consumers are actually willing to share their personal information with brands in exchange for more personalized emails. Yet, many brands aren\u2019t leveraging that.<\/p>\n Compared to other digital marketing channels, email remains the ROI leader, with top-performing brands generating up to $36 for every $1 spent, which is a staggering 3,600% ROI<\/a>. But personalization takes itmuch further. Research shows that personalized emails generate 82% higher open rates and 52% more sales<\/a> than generic, one-size-fits-all messages.<\/p>\n Personalized emails feel more relevant and meaningful, naturally driving higher opens, click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. I\u2019ve seen ecommerce brands double their email-driven revenue by moving from generic campaigns to behavior-based, personalized flows using my company\u2019s marketing automation platform.<\/p>\n Personalized subject lines alone can increase open rates by 50%<\/a> by helping your emails cut through the noise in inboxes.<\/p>\n However, simply throwing the first name in the subject line isn\u2019t enough anymore. Yet that\u2019s exactly what many ecommerce brands still get totally wrong about email marketing personalization, assuming it stops at the open.<\/p>\n I get dozens of emails daily. If a subject line mentions my name but the email itself showcases products I\u2019ve never shown interest in, that kind of \u201cpersonalization\u201d feels superficial and ineffective.<\/p>\n If personalization doesn\u2019t reflect a user\u2019s past purchase history, product preferences and real-time engagement signals \u2014 not just lifecycle stage \u2014 it won\u2019t generate any significant ROI, despite higher open rates.<\/p>\n Proper frequency and timing are another aspect of email personalization that\u2019s often underestimated \u2014 or not even viewed as a personalization tactic at all. The same email cadence that delights one customer might drive another to unsubscribe.<\/p>\n Timing matters just as much. If a customer typically engages with your emails at 10 p.m., hitting them with a promotional (even relevant) offer at breakfast is just background noise. By the time they\u2019re actually ready to shop, your message is already buried under 20 other promotional emails.<\/p>\n If your data shows a customer engages more on certain days or at specific times, that\u2019s when your emails need to land in their inboxes to feel timely and relevant. If your email marketing platform offers send-time optimization, make sure it\u2019s part of your email personalization strategy.<\/p>\n A truly personalized email isn\u2019t just timely and relevant \u2014 it makes the user want to engage. And the best way to achieve this level of personalization is through granular customer segmentation based on eRFM insights.<\/p>\n eRFM extends the classic RFM (Recency<\/b>, Frequency<\/b>, Monetary<\/b>) segmentation model by adding an Engagement<\/b> layer to the mix. In ecommerce, eRFM is a powerhouse for email personalization because it moves beyond what people bought to how they are currently behaving.<\/p>\n By tracking real-time behavioral data like email opens, clicks, website visits and cart adds, alongside historical spend, you can easily move from \u201cstatic\u201d segments to \u201cdynamic\u201d ones, which enables you to personalize your email campaigns much more effectively.<\/p>\n For example, while traditional RFM might flag your high-value customer as \u201cAt Risk\u201d because they haven\u2019t purchased anything in 90 days, eRFM sees that they\u2019ve been clicking every newsletter and browsing specific products on your site. Instead of sending them generic discounts or \u201cbestsellers,\u201d you can trigger emails featuring the specific products they viewed with a \u201clow stock\u201d alert or relevant product recommendations.<\/p>\n Or, if a customer has high engagement but low monetary value, they are likely window shopping. You can personalize their emails with educational content or social proof to build trust. Similarly, if a customer used to spend a lot but has stopped engaging with your emails, you can re-engage them with a high-value incentive before they churn.<\/p>\n Ecommerce brands that get email personalization right \u2014 and go beyond using a first name in the subject line \u2014 generate significantly more revenue than those that still treat email as a broadcast channel.<\/p>\n But not every email marketing platform is built to support advanced personalization. If your current solution doesn\u2019t allow for behavior-based, real-time targeting, it might be holding your email marketing strategy back more than you think.<\/p>\n And that comes at a cost. Without the ability to tailor content, timing and frequency to how customers actually behave, you\u2019re leaving engagement, conversions and revenue on the table. If your platform can\u2019t support the level of personalization your customers expect today, it might be time to take a closer look at whether it\u2019s still the right fit.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n If your email marketing isn\u2019t generating a consistent revenue stream for your ecommerce business, you\u2019re probably doing it wrong. And lack of personalization is very often the No. 1 reason for that.<\/p>\n Getting email personalization right \u2014 and, more importantly, implementing it at scale \u2014 is what can really move the needle for ecommerce brands that are struggling to drive decent ROI from their email marketing efforts.<\/p>\n Email personalization is now expected by consumers, who are tired of crowded inboxes flooded with generic, one-size-fits-all promotional messages. A survey of 4,800 global consumers<\/a> revealed that 64% believe personalization makes an email extremely or somewhat memorable. In Brazil, for example, that number is as high as 72%.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nPersonalized emails drive higher ROI<\/h2>\n
What brands still get wrong about email personalization<\/h2>\n
How eRFM segmentation enables better email personalization<\/h2>\n
Your email marketing platform might be holding you back<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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Personalization is the new expectation<\/h2>\n