Though it seems as if new channels are cropping up every day, email still remains one of the most popular. Almost 2/3rds of Millennial shoppers say that emails influence their purchasing decisions and 81% of shoppers will spend more with a brand if they receive their emails. But here’s the kicker: only if the emails are personalized. Across all channels there are growing expectations surrounding 1:1 personalization, but especially in email. So how can already overloaded marketers take on delivering authentic, 1:1 personalization in their emails? The answer is with AI.
How to Leverage AI for Amazing Emails
DYNAMIC SUBJECT LINES WITH A/B TESTING
One size fits all is most definitely a thing of the past, so why would the same subject convince all your receivers to open your emails? Email inboxes are only getting more crowded, so standing out and providing value right from the start is crucial (especially considering 47% of email recipients open emails based on subject lines alone). And with AI in your tool kit, your personalization can go far beyond throwing in a customers first name to reel them in. With the right customer data and AI in hand, you can spice up subject lines in new and innovative ways. It’s possible to bring in location specific data, or even target their specific interest group. The key is to provide subject lines that are valuable to the customer, and to do so autonomously.
PERSONALIZED OFFERS OR DISCOUNTS
Let’s step back in time, and say you’re the proud owner of a small shop. You have a small group of loyal customers and then you have your passersby who will shop once, but never again. Ever the shrewd businessperson, you know it would behoove you to offer loyal customers a better promotion than the promotion extended to one-time, or infrequent buyers. It was a smart business move 100 years ago, and it’s still smart now. With a rock-solid foundation of behavioral, transactional, and demographic data, AI can determine the projected lifetime value of customers and segment them accordingly. This means better promotions can be sent to high-value customers less likely to buy over low-value buyers, or buyers that are easily pushed to purchase. Not only does this save money, but it also fosters a sense of loyalty with those customers that bring in revenue for your brand.
1:1 PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
Personalized recommendations with AI is arguably the most powerful use case for AI in email. From welcome series, newsletters, and even transactional emails, the possibilities for how AI can be leveraged to improve your communications are numerous and exciting. These recommendations can be used for many different goals a marketer might have in mind for a specific customer such as increasing LTV, aiding retention, and pushing a customer towards their first purchase. Luckily for the 21st-century marketer, these don’t have to be hand-picked. AI and machine learning can comb individual customers browsing and purchase records to select recommendations most optimal for conversion. What’s even better, AI-first platforms like Blueshift’s Customer Data Activation Platform also leverage AI against your dynamic product catalogs to offer an endless scroll of recommendations that are always up-to-date.
