Creating content has become a must-have asset in a modern marketing strategy. Without quality content, no online presence will “do the job” and attract the audience. Business owners who operate online invest a good amount of money in creating a website that will catch the eye of potential customers. However, the competition on the market makes it hard to stand out, which is where content optimization steps in. In order to understand what this term means and why it’s significant to do, keep reading. Here are some facts about content personalization every business person should know.
What is content personalization?
There are different types of content we can find online. Whether it’s textual or visual content, they all could be optimized. But, what does it mean? Who do we optimize it for? Content personalization is the process of creating content that is tailored for different types of customers. For example, optimization can depend on age, gender, behavior, and other factors. People of different ages and habits in browsing the internet will all “fall for” different content. In other words, if you know who your audience is, you can start personalizing your online content.
Here are the most important factors you should consider before content personalization:
- Age and gender
- Location of your viewers
- Types of devices they’re browsing on (desktop and laptop computers, mobile phones and tablets)
- Viewer’s internet behavior (browsing history, purchasing history, etc…)
Content personalization has more than one purpose. On one hand, the point is to provide the best customer experience to your viewers. If the process works, those viewers could become your loyal customers. However, also helps you grow your business since it allows you to get more views and conversion rates on your website. Further, this process can also help you rate better on search engines and gain an advantage over the competitors.
To understand how this process work, we must first understand the difference between content and web personalization. It might sound similar, but these two are completely different things. Dynamic content personalization is a process that changes the actual content (textual and visual) on your website, making it more appealing for certain target groups. Avoiding generic texts, phrases, and product descriptions would be a good example of content personalization.
On the other hand, optimizing your web pages is different, and serves another purpose. This process allows you to change your website’s presentation in real-time, based on different variables. Depending on the age, gender, and preferences of your audience, you can modify your website presence in a few different ways. Both of these processes go hand-in-hand, especially while creating a long-term marketing strategy.
How can you personalize your content?
There are many ways to conduct this process. Here are some examples of how you can do it.
Segment-specific personalization
This type of personalization is based on the fact that your viewers will have different types of online behaviors. Once you find out what they’re looking for, what they want to see or buy, or how they interact with your web pages, you can start a segment-specific personalization. The most important thing you’ll need to do is to understand what your viewers are looking for, so you can create personalized content that will catch their eye. If this process works, your new content will bring more conversion rates and attract plenty of new customers. All you need is an experienced marketer to calculate the best level of personalization for your business.
Persona-based content optimization
Just like there are different genders and age groups, there are different interests, too. Depending on the specific needs of your viewers, you can apply content personalization for certain types of people. This process uses the characteristics of each persona, looking at your online presence. For example, some people will look for fact-based content, while for others, you’ll have to provide anecdotal phrases, provide more activity and interaction.
Brands that target a specific group of people heavily rely on persona-based content optimization Google, for example, stores huge amounts of data about every person browsing its search engine. By knowing the habits, interests, and timelines of our search, Google knows which types of content to suggest to every individual.
Behavior-based personalization
For businesses dealing with online sales, this type of optimization might be the most important one. Digital marketers use behavior-based personalization to create appealing content for people from all around the world. In case you are selling a product through your online store, you will have to rely on your customer journey maps. What these maps do is basically show you how audiences from different geographical regions react to your content. They help you know which viewers to target and whether they might be interested in buying your product.
Reasons to personalize your online content
If you are new to this term and still don’t know whether you need content optimization, here are the most important reasons to do it.
It’s the latest trend in digital marketing
Following trends in digital marketing is what is going to give you an advantage over competitors. If you rely on content personalization, you will provide the most appealing content to your viewers. To put it simply, making your brand stand out has everything to do with what your audience is looking for. Most of your viewers will react well to getting personalized recommendations and offers.
As the digital age is evolving, having just any content on your website is just not enough. Personalized content allows you to provide something new, appealing, and eye-catching. In other words, your customers are looking for something new, and this process is what allows your brand to stand out.
It helps you grow your business
Personalizing content is not only for satisfying your customers’ needs. Moreover, having content that will attract more viewers will automatically help you get better ratings. When browsing the internet, most people are looking to buy products from websites they find appealing and trustworthy. In order to become such a brand, you will have to include content personalization in your marketing strategy. Keep your content fresh, innovative, and interactive, and you’ll have way better chances of getting your audience interested in your products.
Content optimization helps you get to know your audience
While making a strategy for your content optimization, you can also learn a lot about your customers. Their needs, habits, and interests will be the first step in content personalization. If you get to know what your customers are looking for, your marketing strategy will be a success. To sum it up, content personalization can be the winning approach for your business’ growth, so you can beat your competitors and stand out in the digital world.