There are many things that companies can do to earn a customer’s loyalty. However, e-mail marketing isn’t typically high on the list. Consumers get barraged continuously with marketing messages via e-mail. As you go through your in-box, how many do you delete without even reading them in order to get to those you are interested in reading? A very good article on the Small Business Success blog shared some tips on how to write e-mails that will more effectively engage the recipient.

Consider these statistics shared in the blog article:

1. Personalized emails improve click through rates by 14% and conversion rates by 10%.
2. Leads who are nurtured with targeted content produce a 20% increase in sales opportunities.
3. 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.

In my recent data series blogs, I covered how dealers who use their data to effectively target consumers with relevant messages will increase responses. When relevant messages are relayed to the right customers, they tend to feel the company is more in tune with their needs and wants. They no longer feel like just another address on your e-mail list. As you establish a relationship with the customer, they will begin to value your communications and pay attention to them, rather than discard them into their trash, spam or, worse, opt-out of your marketing.

Targeting segmented customers is definitely something dealers should be doing. However, the content of any email message is equally important. Generic e-mails that are obviously sent en masse will detract from the consumer’s perception that you are actually looking out for their best interest.

In order to increase the chance that a customer perceives your e-mail message as helpful rather than intrusive, try and make your e-mails as personalized as possible. If you have cleaned up your data, it is relatively easy to insert a customer’s first name and the make and model of the vehicle.

At the same time, ensure that any attempts to send personalized messages to your customers are not destroyed by poor attention to details. Double check that there are no improper formatting or incorrect merge fields because of erroneous data in the wrong fields in your CRM.  

In the end, it’s not just about using past behavior to predict the future. It’s also about how you can best convey your message to your target group. If your customers only receive helpful reminders and relevant messages from you, you will build relationships that help create loyalty and increase retention.