Basically, the goal is to sell your product (in a world where nobody reads much, but everybody blocks pop-up ads and fast forwards through commercials on TiVo) by creating a personalized experience that can grab their attention without annoying them or scaring them away. It requires a delicate balance.

The delicate balance

The key is to know when to back off, a la Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood), “A man has got to know his limitations.” And you need to understand your audiences’ limitations before approaching them, because once you drive them away, winning them back is ridiculously difficult – and often impossible.

It’s like meeting someone via an online dating website and proposing marriage without even buying them dinner first, because you have so many common interests.

Sure, you may have a lot to offer but how much is too much, and how soon is too soon?

Some considerations:

  • Sending new, highly targeted coupons every day (too much).
  • Giving them the option for weekly or monthly targeted coupons (just right).
  • Emailing them immediately after they purchase a super pack of diapers with an offer for more (too soon).
  • Sending a free sample of a related item the week after they buy (just right).

You want to be timely in your targeting, but not aggressive. Personalization has its place, but you need to be respectful of personal boundaries if you want to win trust (and you definitely want to do that!). 

Polite, helpful, nonintrusive (and, somewhat subliminal) suggestions have become today’s touch points, and mastering how to do so is critical. And it all revolves around forward-planning.

Forward Planning

Always be up front when collecting private data, both what you’re obtaining, and why you’re obtaining it. It’s best to offer them a choice at the beginning (and don’t be disappointed if they initially opt out of the offer), just having them respond in any way is a win.

Why? When future choices are presented to them, even if they decline each one, you’ll be building a profile of dislikes and that will eventually bring you to something they DO like. Eventually.

Do not send rapid-fire options in an attempt to narrow this list down quickly. Patience is an expert marketer’s hard won skill. Practice it.

Make sure you think through what data you plan to collect before you start. Do you really need to know their home address? Zip codes work just as well for most purposes and they feel much less intrusive.

You should know exactly why you’re collecting each piece of information before collecting it, to be sure you’re not asking for information you don’t need.

Design your data gathering in steps

Asking participants to fill out a long form asking for their address, phone number, email and a bunch of preferences around your product besides is a fatal mistake many businesses make.

Get their email address first

Or better yet? Their phone number (if you’re ready to move forward with SMS marketing, which you should be!) – if that makes sense for your demographic.

And when you email or text them with an offer, require another bit of info, like their zip code, to unlock said offer.

Understand your demographic

Some audiences really respond to SMS marketing (for example), but others aren’t ‘there’ yet.

Others may respond well to brand advocacy type requests, where you offer coupons and ask for a brief review in exchange, with tiered levels for more involved participation.

This way they feel like they’re part of your brand and not just an information set.

Move two steps forward by taking one step back

Listening in the most important piece of advice here – and not allowing your business to get bogged down in process when something needs to change.

Building in time each quarter to review how things are going is a must, as is the ability to take a step back and fix something that isn’t working, and quickly.

Time is not your friend in the real-time space.

Combine all of the above and you’ll be well on your way to creating a targeted, real-time system that is selective, succinct (and, again – somewhat subliminal), allowing your product or service to do the talking without coming across like you’re stalking!