No really, why do it?

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Why is that emails (or videos) that use a persons first name get higher conversion rates?

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Well, dear reader, these questions (and more!) will be answered in today's article, let’s start with the basics:

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What does personalization actually mean?

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Personalising a message simply refers to creating a message that feels like it was created specifically for the person who receives it.

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Not for a person like that person, or a person who is interested in the same things as that person, but for that actual individual.

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Because, fundamentally, when people interact, they like to interact with people that know them, and in most interactions this is actually the case.  Friends, family, co-workers, they all know you.

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But when there arises a situation where a company is trying to communicate with a customer, that personal touch often gets lost. This is where technology and automation comes into play—it's an attempt by the company to replicate that feeling of familiarity and personal connection.

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In essence, personalization in the context of internet business, is all about making messaging between two people that don’t know each other, feel like they actually do.

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And it’s also important to note, that there’s nothing wrong with that!  Personalization often get’s a bad rep because it can come off as deceptive or insincere, but at the end of the day, it’s really all about a company trying to go the extra mile to create a message that resonated with every individual to give them the best experience possible.

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And as business owners, isn't that really what it’s about at the end of the day?

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When you send a personalized message, you stand out from the messages stock message that people are inundated with every day.  Standard off the shelf messages scream “I don’t care about you, I only care about your money” and that’s the last message we want to send.

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Personalization sends the message that the sender actually cares about the PERSON, and not just what they can do for you as a business (AKA buy your product).  This is the type of relationships we want to build.

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Because good businesses get customers to make a sales, but GREAT businesses make a sale to get a customer.

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Building a lasting Ecom enterprise is about having relationships that transcend one interaction.  Sure, getting more orders is nice, but you know whats a million times nicer?  RE-orders.

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Relationships = Retention.

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So, now that we have established what personalization actually is, that fact that it's not unethical or deceptive, and of course why we should do it, now let’s tackle the big piece.  How do we actually personalize.

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Let’s start with the big one.

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Everybody’s favorite word.

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Your Name.

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Your first name that is, you know, the thing that you associate more deeply with yourself than any other conceivable utterance?

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Adding first names to all email and SMS communications is a great first step.

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But don't stop there. Consider using personalization tokens to tailor your messaging based on past purchases, browse history, or even the recipient's location. This level of personalization can make your emails feel even more relevant and engaging.

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It's about showing that you understand their needs, preferences, and behaviours. The more personalized your interactions, the more your customers will trust and engage with your brand.

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The next level beyond text and messaging personalization is personalized images. One great way to get started with this is personalized thumbnails on videos you want customers to watch, or adding their name into an image in an email

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I have not been able to find any AI tools that do personalised image generation at scale yet, but I'm sure one will pop up in the next few months, if you find one, feel free to email me and I'll add it to the article - henry@convi.io :-)

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Another exciting area of personalization to explore is the use of AI generative video to create personalized videos. AKA, exactly what we do at Convi.io (the site you're on right now)

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Come on, you saw this one coming didn’t you?

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Generative AI allows businesses to generate unique videos for each customer, adding a truly personal touch to their communications.

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Imagine a customer receiving a video where their name is mentioned, where products they've shown interest in before are displayed, and where their specific needs are addressed. This level of personalization can significantly increase engagement and conversion rates.

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AI generative video can also be used to create personalized tutorials, product demonstrations, or upsellvideos after a purchase. The possibilities are endless and it's up to businesses to explore them and find the best ways to leverage this technology to enhance their customer experience.

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In eCommerce specifically, we see that seasonal promotion videos, cart abandonment videos, and videos asking for reviews/referrals perform particularly well.

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We have also found that thank you videos perform significantly better than your welcome videos (this is a joke, we didn't actually send customers your welcome video after purchase, but enough people emailed me to say that it's rude to send a your welcome video that I had to come back and add this in parenthesis).

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However, like with all personalization efforts, it's important to always respect your customers' privacy and ensure that the use of their personal information is transparent and consensual. Always aim for personalization that adds value and enhances the customer experience, rather than coming off as intrusive or overbearing.

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In conclusion, personalization, whether it's through personalized emails, tailored product recommendations, or AI generated videos, is a powerful tool that can help businesses build stronger relationships with their customers, increase customer loyalty, and ultimately, drive more sales.  

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Want to see an AI video with you name?  

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Click the “Show me a video ” CTA anywhere on the Convi landing page and we will generate an AI personalized video you your name and send it right to your inbox in minutes.

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