Personalization through segmentation: How to excel in the age of high customer expectations
We’ve already discussed how the power of personalization can be used to meet demanding customer expectations. But making this a reality will depend on you achieving enterprise-level segmentation. This will allow you to drive meaningful customer engagements at scale, without having to understand every individual at a granular level.
In this final blog, I explore how segmentation can be used to elevate your personalization strategy. I’ve created several use case examples to highlight how Sitecore CDP and Personalize can be used to achieve this. While the names and challenges are fictitious, the segmentation methods and outcomes I’ve explored are completely achievable.?
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Persona-based segmentation
Context matters for content. Through segmentation, businesses can deliver the right level of personalization based on predefined personas, such as targeting content to different buyer types. This could mean delivering personalized travel experiences to travelers and people on the move.
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Take Reiley for example, a global marathon runner and an avid traveler from Malden, MA. What many people don’t know about her is that she’s also a health-food enthusiast with a passion for trying new foods when traveling.
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Reiley’s planning a visit to India and since it’s her first, she wants to visit New Delhi in the north and Ooty in the south. She regularly uses GlobeTrot to plan her trips, so she logs into her user portal and creates a trip plan with the following details: ‘2 weeks’ and ‘destinations New Delhi and Ooty’.
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Thanks to GlobeTrot’s integration with SmartHub CDP, it has access to several insights across Reiley’s past search history and preferences. These insights reveal a preference for walking, non-smoking rooms, budget-friendly options, and healthy meals, and that her itineraries are normally relaxed and unrushed.
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With this information, GlobeTrot and SmartHub CDP create a customized itinerary based on Reiley’s preferences. This was deployed alongside tailored support, including a local 24/7 hotline number, check-in texts, and alerts to help guide the next steps in her India experience. Now, GlobeTrot has successfully reinforced a level of personalization that Rieley has come to expect with the brand.
?Customer segmentation to elevate the VIP experience
Depending on your business, you may want to personalize content for different customer segments, such as VIP customers or prospects.
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This is the case for e-commerce brand, eMall. It operates a website with a wide-ranging product catalog and manages an invitation-only VIP experience for its most valued customers. Let’s explore the highlights of its VIP experience.
With VIP Customer Authentication, eMall’s VIP customers can securely log into their accounts on the e-commerce platform. Once logged in, Customer Recognition will identify a user’s VIP status from several factors such as loyalty points, purchase history, or membership tier.
?By harnessing the customer’s purchase history and browsing behavior, eMall can ensure every recommendation is hyper-relevant for its customers. Every VIP customer's homepage is customized to reflect their personalization preferences, while additional recommendations are delivered via email. This could include product launches and early access to sales events, or selected products that perfectly match the customer's preferences.
?VIP customers are also routinely presented with exclusive discounts and offers that are applied automatically at checkout or via a code, depending on the promotion.
?When they require support, VIP customers have access to a dedicated customer support channel, ensuring fast response times and a personalized service that’s reflective of their status.
?Industry-specific segmentation for broad-stroke personalization
Our final scenario focuses on the e-commerce platform, DirectGoods. The brand wants to establish strong levels of personalization from the offset, which is why it segments its users at the registration stage.
?When registering, users provide basic information, including their industry affiliation or area of interest such as ‘healthcare professional’, ‘automotive enthusiast’, or ‘fashionista’. This allows DirectGoods’ system to create a user profile and immediately associate it with the user’s specified fields.
?For example, a user’s homepage and content recommendations can then be tailored to match their industry affiliation. This kind of industry-specific content customization ensures users receive hyper-relevant articles, product recommendations, and news when it matters most.
?DirectGoods further enhances personalization through its product recommendations and exclusive industry offers. The brand uses industry-specific data sources in combination with a user’s browsing and purchase history to generate personalized recommendations for the homepage and product pages. This is complemented by exclusive, prominently displayed discounts, promotions, and bundles that can be applied automatically at checkout or through a promo code.
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To keep its users informed, DirectGoods provides industry-specific newsletters and updates to communicate details about new products, trends, and developments within the user's industry. Through its advanced search filter feature, users can pinpoint the information they need about their industry. For example, a car enthusiast could have filters for ‘make’, ‘model’, ‘year’, and ‘performance specifications’ when searching for new parts. Put it all together, and the platform’s users get the tailored, personalized experience they want at every moment.
Ready to elevate personalization with segmentation?
Speaking to your customers meaningfully starts with you understanding who they are and what they want. Are you feeling inspired by these use cases and the possibilities that segmentation can offer your personalization strategy? To learn more about Sitecore SmartHub CDP and Personalize, visit Avanade: https://www.avanade.com/en/technologies/sitecore.