by Fronetics | Jul 19, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing
Personalizing marketing emails increases open rates, click-throughs, and revenue, but it takes so much more than addressing recipients by name.
B2B buyers are increasingly expecting vendors to provide personalized experiences throughout the buyer’s journey. Marketers know this to be true — especially when it comes to email marketing. For example, emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened.
Marketers can use information they have about subscribers to tailor email content for individuals, based on who they are or where they are in the buyer’s journey. Personalization techniques, such as list segmentation, help to drive opens rates and increase revenue by as much as 760% because it helps marketers give subscribers more relevant, individualized content.
So, aside from addressing someone by name, how can you personalize your marketing emails and, in turn, make them more effective?
7 personalization techniques for marketing emails
1. Use list segmentation
As I’ve written about before, email list segmentation is one of the most powerful tricks in an email marketer’s book. Not all customers are the same, nor should their emails be. By segmenting your email lists, you can create individualized content for smaller sub-groups, based on customer needs, interests, demographics, and more. Gathering information about your customers allows you to match content to their specific interests.
2. Use dynamic content
Also referred to as “smart content”, dynamic content is a term for the fields of an email body that change based on the interests or past behavior of the recipient. Sounds time consuming, right? In reality, one email can have several images or content fields that change based on your customers’ preferences, and you can have them autofill, so you don’t have to set each manually.
3. Watch send times
There is no perfect science to discover when your best send times are, but data suggests Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. is an optimal time to send out B2B marketing emails. Trial and error is the best way to find out when customers are most likely to open and click through your emails.
But remember — particularly if you serve customers across the globe — it’s never Tuesday at 10 a.m. (or whenever) everywhere in the world at once. Segmenting your list by time zone to deliver emails at a time customers in each zone are most likely to open them is another step toward personalization that will increase engagement.
4. Optimize your emails for mobile devices
Many marketers create and design marketing emails thinking they’ll be read on laptops or desktop computers. But, the truth is 56% of users read emails on their mobile devices. If you’ve ever read an email designed for desktop on your phone, you know what a poor user experience it is. And the worse the user experience, the less likely recipients will read or engage with your emails.
This means you need to personalize your marketing emails based on the kind of device on which they are being read. It’s actually less complicated than it sounds. A responsive email design — available through many email clients — changes the look of the email based on device. Also, any landing pages should be mobile-friendly, and so should your website.
Here are some more tips for keeping your marketing emails mobile-friendly.
5. Match landing pages with emails
Even if you create custom content for various segments of your email list, driving them all to the same landing page may undo all that hard work. Landing page copy, design, and calls-to-action should all match the emails driving users there to ensure a unified experience. A unified experience increases the chances a lead will convert. That means, you’ll need to create unique landing pages that reflect the personalization in your emails.
6. Create automated behavioral trigger emails
Haven’t logged onto Facebook for 5 days? They’ll email you to let you know, and it’s surprisingly effective. Trigger emails have a 152% higher open rate than traditional emails. Trigger emails give your business a level of personalization with the ease of automated responses that can be sent for multiple purposes, including re-engagement, up-selling, etc.
7. Personalize your end of the business
Personalization doesn’t have to stop with your customer’s information. Humanizing your company will work to strengthen your relationship with recipients and can soften the edges of big business.
How do you do this? Firstly, make sure your emails always come from a person, not a generic business address. HubSpot goes a step further by sending marketing emails from particular members of the marketing team, including their name, contact information and even a picture. Anything you can do to let the recipient know that there’s an actual person on the other end of the email will work to personalize their experience and increase engagement rates.
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by Fronetics | Jan 20, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
Content and social media are integral to business growth
Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog written by Kecia Gray, Vice President, Corporate Marketing & Communications, Transplace. Transplace is a premier provider of transportation management services, intermodal, truck brokerage, and SaaS TMS solutions. Transplace successfully leverages social media and content to expand the company’s brand awareness and thought leadership. The company’s LinkedIn page, Facebook page, and blog were named as “favorites” in a survey conducted by Fronetics.
At Transplace, social media has become an integral part of our marketing and communications strategy and key to expanding our brand awareness and thought leadership in the logistics and transportation space. Our marketing and communication team has had the opportunity to utilize multiple social channels, including:
While we consistently post content to all of these channels, what has been and continues to be important to our social strategy is creating our own original content and utilizing it within a more aggressive approach on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Sharing content on these channels has allowed our newest blog to achieve fast success in under a year’s time.
Content Is King…
Within any industry, there is always significant opportunity to create original thought leadership content that is informative and insightful. When developing a social media strategy, our foremost goal was to establish a thought leadership blog resource for the market, in addition to providing engaging and personalized content across social channels that was easily sharable. Our main objectives focus on connecting with customers, and creating content that resonates with the members of our industry and provides value to their businesses. By distributing this content across our social channels to foster sharing, conversation and engagement, we’ve continued to gain influence with our targeted audiences.
…And Metrics Are Key
Because of the rapid pace of developing content, it’s important to track and report on levels of engagement to optimize and repurpose information. We created a social plan that included a comprehensive calendar to capture the topics and content items we’d be working on throughout the year. For maximum integration, we purposely aligned new pieces to marketing campaigns and corporate objectives such as events, transportation services and current industry issues. In addition, we established benchmarks and metrics that were important for us to track, such as followers and level of engagement. Analyzing the data allowed us to regularly monitor and evaluate our program, maximize what worked and adjust areas that did not meet expectations.
Incorporating Talent for Quality Thought Leadership
We have also taken advantage of the significant opportunity for Transplace employees at all levels to contribute quality thought-leadership posts across a number of channels. We’ve learned that the best place to utilize this content is on the company’s logisticallyspeakingblog.com. Some of the posts we’re most proud of turned out to be the most popular of 2014, including:
- A motivating guest blog post highlighting our dedication to our customers – from George Abernathy, our president and CCO.
- An insightful commentary on the growth of Transplace in light of a recent acquisition – from Frank McGuigan, president of transportation management at Transplace.
- An informative infographic recap of our signature event, the annual Transplace Shipper Symposium, highlighting some amazing speakers.
To ensure we always stay up-to-date and focused, our team holds quarterly meetings in which we share key highlights, metrics and snapshots of the program quarter by quarter. The time is used to plan for what’s coming up in the future, brainstorm new ideas and make changes as needed. We always make the utmost effort to continually update our program and assess our short and long term goals – an important aspect to any social program!
How is your organization utilizing social media and thought leadership content?
by Fronetics | Jan 20, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
Content and social media are integral to business growth
Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog written by Kecia Gray, Vice President, Corporate Marketing & Communications, Transplace. Transplace is a premier provider of transportation management services, intermodal, truck brokerage, and SaaS TMS solutions. Transplace successfully leverages social media and content to expand the company’s brand awareness and thought leadership. The company’s LinkedIn page, Facebook page, and blog were named as “favorites” in a survey conducted by Fronetics.
At Transplace, social media has become an integral part of our marketing and communications strategy and key to expanding our brand awareness and thought leadership in the logistics and transportation space. Our marketing and communication team has had the opportunity to utilize multiple social channels, including:
While we consistently post content to all of these channels, what has been and continues to be important to our social strategy is creating our own original content and utilizing it within a more aggressive approach on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Sharing content on these channels has allowed our newest blog to achieve fast success in under a year’s time.
Content Is King…
Within any industry, there is always significant opportunity to create original thought leadership content that is informative and insightful. When developing a social media strategy, our foremost goal was to establish a thought leadership blog resource for the market, in addition to providing engaging and personalized content across social channels that was easily sharable. Our main objectives focus on connecting with customers, and creating content that resonates with the members of our industry and provides value to their businesses. By distributing this content across our social channels to foster sharing, conversation and engagement, we’ve continued to gain influence with our targeted audiences.
…And Metrics Are Key
Because of the rapid pace of developing content, it’s important to track and report on levels of engagement to optimize and repurpose information. We created a social plan that included a comprehensive calendar to capture the topics and content items we’d be working on throughout the year. For maximum integration, we purposely aligned new pieces to marketing campaigns and corporate objectives such as events, transportation services and current industry issues. In addition, we established benchmarks and metrics that were important for us to track, such as followers and level of engagement. Analyzing the data allowed us to regularly monitor and evaluate our program, maximize what worked and adjust areas that did not meet expectations.
Incorporating Talent for Quality Thought Leadership
We have also taken advantage of the significant opportunity for Transplace employees at all levels to contribute quality thought-leadership posts across a number of channels. We’ve learned that the best place to utilize this content is on the company’s logisticallyspeakingblog.com. Some of the posts we’re most proud of turned out to be the most popular of 2014, including:
- A motivating guest blog post highlighting our dedication to our customers – from George Abernathy, our president and CCO.
- An insightful commentary on the growth of Transplace in light of a recent acquisition – from Frank McGuigan, president of transportation management at Transplace.
- An informative infographic recap of our signature event, the annual Transplace Shipper Symposium, highlighting some amazing speakers.
To ensure we always stay up-to-date and focused, our team holds quarterly meetings in which we share key highlights, metrics and snapshots of the program quarter by quarter. The time is used to plan for what’s coming up in the future, brainstorm new ideas and make changes as needed. We always make the utmost effort to continually update our program and assess our short and long term goals – an important aspect to any social program!
How is your organization utilizing social media and thought leadership content?
by Jennifer Hart Yim | Jan 8, 2025 | Marketing, Packaging
We’re showing you exactly how packaging companies we’re working with are using account-based marketing (ABM) to increase market share, shorten sales cycles, and win more strategic accounts. Consider this a packaging professional’s blueprint for target account success.
What is Account-Based Marketing for the Packaging Industry?
Account-based marketing is a strategic approach that focuses marketing and sales resources on specific high-value accounts rather than broad market segments. This means targeting key accounts with personalized campaigns that address their unique packaging challenges, sustainability goals, and innovation needs.
Here’s an example of what that could look like for a packaging marketer:
If consumers in Brazil begin demanding smaller milk carton sizes to reduce food waste, packaging companies might use traditional marketing to broadly promote “flexible filling solutions” to all dairy manufacturers. Instead, an aseptic packaging provider could use account-based marketing to stand out and create a highly targeted campaign for Nestlé. This campaign could specifically address Nestlé’s need to fill multiple carton sizes (500ml, 750ml, and 1000ml) for their Molico and Ninho UHT milk brands on a single production line.
Unlike traditional marketing, ABM delivers:
- 2x higher engagement rates with technical decision-makers
- 42% reduction in packaging qualification cycles
- 27% increase in contract values
- 35% improvement in customer retention
How to Build a Winning ABM Strategy
1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Success in ABM starts with identifying the perfect packaging customer. Here are some ways you can start to categorize their characteristics:
Industry Focus:
- Food and beverage manufacturers
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Consumer packaged goods (CPG)
- Industrial products
- Chemical companies
- E-commerce retailers
- Automotive suppliers
Operational Characteristics:
- Production volumes and capacity
- Geographic footprint
- Technical requirements
- Regulatory frameworks
- Sustainability commitments
Business Indicators:
- Annual packaging spend
- Growth trajectory
- Innovation appetite
- Quality standards
- Compliance needs
2. Select and Prioritize Target Accounts
Develop a tiered approach to account selection:
Tier 1: Strategic Accounts
- Major CPG companies
- Global pharmaceutical manufacturers
- Leading food and beverage brands
Tier 2: Growth Accounts
- Regional packaging buyers
- Emerging brands
- Contract manufacturers
Tier 3: Scale Accounts
- Local manufacturers
- Specialty product makers
- Start-up brands
3. Map the Packaging Decision-Making Unit
Here’s where you’ll determine who you’ll be targeting. Identify and engage with those key stakeholders. They could be part of any of the following functions:
Technical Team
- Packaging Engineers
- R&D Directors
- Quality Assurance Managers
Commercial Team
- Procurement Directors
- Supply Chain Managers
- Sustainability Officers
Executive Level
- Operations Directors
- Innovation Leaders
- C-Suite Decision Makers
Content for Account-Based Marketing for the Packaging Industry
Technical Content
Develop materials that showcase your packaging expertise:
- Barrier performance studies comparing EVOH vs. metallized films for snack packaging
- Technical specifications for child-resistant pharmaceutical blister packs
- FDA compliance guides for direct-food-contact packaging materials
- Innovation roadmaps for smart packaging with NFC technology
- Sustainability impact reports on PCR content in HDPE bottles
Commercial Content
Create content that drives packaging business decisions:
- Cost calculators comparing glass vs. PET bottles for beverage lines
- Production efficiency studies for servo-driven cartoning machines
- Risk analyses of aluminum foil supply chain disruptions
- Market trends in mono-material flexible packaging adoption
- Benchmarks of European vs. US sustainable packaging regulations
Implementing Your Packaging ABM Program
Essential Tools and Technologies
Invest in the right technology stack:
- ABM platforms for account targeting
- CRM systems for relationship management
- Marketing automation for personalization
- Analytics tools for performance tracking
- Technical collaboration platforms
Multi-Channel Engagement Strategy
Coordinate your outreach across channels:
- Technical consultations
- Innovation workshops
- Sustainability forums
- Digital demonstrations
- Industry events
- Direct mail campaigns
Measuring the Success of Account-Based Marketing for the Packaging Industry
Key Performance Indicators
Track these critical metrics:
- Account engagement scores
- Technical trial conversion rates
- Sales cycle duration
- Contract win rates
- Customer lifetime value
- Innovation adoption rates
ROI Calculation Framework
Measure your ABM investment returns:
- Cost per account engagement
- Revenue per target account
- Marketing qualified account (MQA) conversion
- Technical qualification success rates
- Long-term contract values
Common ABM Challenges (+ Solutions) Packaging Professionals Face
Challenge 1: Long Technical Qualification Cycles
Example solutions:
- Provide rapid prototyping of thermoformed packages using 3D-printed molds
- Offer accelerated shelf-life testing for new barrier materials
- Supply preliminary migration testing data for food-contact materials
- Create digital twins of packaging lines for virtual testing
Challenge 2: Multiple Stakeholder Alignment
Example solutions:
- Develop sustainability scorecards that satisfy both procurement and ESG teams
- Create ROI models that connect packaging automation with labor savings
- Build material transition roadmaps that align with corporate sustainability goals
- Provide comparative LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) data for different packaging options
Challenge 3: Complex Approval Processes
Example solutions:
- Map decision workflows
- Create milestone-based content
- Offer phased implementation plans
Top Tips for ABM Success
- Start with a pilot program focusing on 5-10 key accounts
- Invest in technical expertise and support
- Align sales and technical teams early
- Focus on sustainability and innovation
- Measure and adjust continuously
How to Get Started
- Assess your current account relationships
- Identify your top 10 target accounts
- Map stakeholders and decision processes
- Develop your technical content strategy
- Implement tracking and measurement systems
Questions We’ve Gotten from Packaging Professionals About ABM
Q: Can you give me an example of how ABM is different from traditional packaging marketing?
A: While traditional marketing might broadly promote your shrink sleeve capabilities to all beverage companies, ABM would create a targeted campaign specifically for Coca-Cola’s Southeast Asia expansion, addressing their specific need, sustainability, and localization requirements. This focused approach delivers personalized engagement at every level of their decision-making process.
Q: What budget should packaging companies allocate to ABM?
A: The most successful ABM programs are funded at about 15-25% of the total marketing budget. For example, a flexible packaging manufacturer might allocate $200,000 annually to target 10 key CPG accounts, with roughly $20,000 per account for technical content development, prototype creation, and specialized testing programs.
Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: You’ll start to see the needle move within 3-6 months. For example, you might notice increased participation in packaging innovation workshops or material qualification trials. Significant revenue impact typically occurs within 9-12 months, as seen in new packaging format adoptions or multi-year supply agreements.
Q: Which metrics matter most?
A: Focus on account engagement scores, technical qualification rates, sales cycle duration, and contract values.
Q: How can smaller packaging companies implement ABM?
A: Start with a focused program targeting 3-5 key accounts and leverage digital automation tools for efficiency and AI tools to scale.
Want to change how your packaging company targets high-value prospects and land major accounts? We’re happy to help you get started. Get in touch.
Read more:
by Fronetics | Jul 26, 2018 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Social messaging apps have taken over the way consumers are interacting with brands. Their increasing popularity means your business needs to embrace this new trend.
No one can deny the reach of social networks. After all, Facebook has over 2 billion active users. But as marketers, we’re noticing that consumers are moving away from social networks and welcoming the popularity of messaging apps with open arms.
Social media is constantly changing, and every new app gives users a new way to engage with family, friends, and brands. With the shift toward messaging apps, your target audience is making the leap, so your business needs to as well.
Messaging apps have a strong appeal: personalized engagement. Brands are able to make a one-on-one connection with every potential customer that comes in contact with their app pages. This is an opportunity you cannot miss!
Companies reaping the messaging app benefits
Yoox Net-a-Porter, a UK-based ecommerce firm with U.S. operations, made the switch to messaging apps after the brand discovered that many of its customers preferred WhatsApp for product details and suggestions and purchases. WhatsApp easily integrated with its order management system and is currently being tested as the company’s shipping notification system.
“Realizing that consumers increasingly prefer to receive information via personal messaging services rather than email, we have been working with WhatsApp to improve the way we use the WhatsApp service with great results so far,” writes Yoox Net-a-Porter on its blog.
And Yoox Net-a-Porter isn’t the only brand making the switch. WhatsApp, a social messaging platform owned by Facebook, reported 1.5 billion active users and over 60 billion messages sent per day at the end of 2017. These numbers, continuing to grow at a staggering rate, make it hard to ignore that brands need to be investing their marketing time and dollars in messaging apps.
[bctt tweet=”WhatsApp, a social messaging platform owned by Facebook, reported 1.5 billion active users and over 60 billion messages sent per day at the end of 2017. ” username=”Fronetics”]
In our latest video, Kettie Laky, our social media director, discusses why social messaging apps are becoming so popular and the top four apps your brand should become familiar with.
Video: Top 4 social messaging apps your brand needs to be using
Takeaway
As with any new marketing effort, trial and error are a big part of the equation. In order to get the most from your time (and budget!), make sure you’re utilizing the best messaging app for your brand. Before committing to an app, ask these important questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- How will the app add value to my target audiences?
- How do I want to deliver my content?
- Do I want to use more than one app?
- How frequently will I be marketing on the app?
These questions can help you find the social messaging apps that will work best for your marketing campaign and start connecting with customers in a more personalized way. These apps making sharing valuable content easier than ever.
What social messaging apps has your business tried?
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