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"Ritika Puri\u00A0is a content marketer,\u00A0freelance business writer, and\u00A0media entrepreneur.\u00A0This post originally appeared on the Evergage blog.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAs a seasoned marketer, you\u2019re well-aware of the need to \u2018reach the right audiences at the right time with the right message.\u2019 You\u2019ve heard this expression over and over \u2014 so we won\u2019t belabor the point.\r\n\r\nYou already know why you need to do it. The problem is that you\u2019re part of a small team and that there are only 24 hours in a day. Presumably (read: hopefully), you spend some of that time sleeping and having fun.\r\n\r\nYou need an arsenal of high-impact tactics \u2014 stuff that\u2019s creative, easy to implement, and pilot-tested by others in your field. That\u2019s where this blog post comes in \u2014 to give you some quick, ready-to-execute ideas.\r\n1.\u00A0Add high-impact, human touch with great design\r\nYou probably wouldn\u2019t think of graphic design as \u2018personalization\u2019 \u2014 but it is. Your brand\u2019s look and feel communicates volumes more than words: your personality, values, and story. There are\u00A0volumes upon volumes of stats\u00A0explaining why you should include visuals with your marketing. The rationale, however, comes down to one simple concept:\r\n\r\nOur brains like visuals.\r\n\r\nAccording to one stat\u00A0from 3M Corporation and Zabisco, 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual \u2014 and visuals are transmitted to the brain 60,000X faster than text.\r\n\r\nThe problem with design, however, is that it\u2019s expensive and time consuming. You really can\u2019t take shortcuts, and time-strapped marketers often need to react quickly. As much as we love great design, it isn\u2019t always practical.\r\n\r\nBut times have changed, and one startup is leading the shoestring-yet-amazing design revolution. The company is called\u00A0Canva, and their team has developed a platform to help non-designers create beautiful designs in minutes rather than hours.\r\n\r\nJust pick a layout that you'd like to customize:\r\n\r\nEdit it with your personal touch\u00A0and one minute later, you're done.\r\n\r\n\r\n2.\u00A0Ask customers what they want\r\nOftentimes, marketers find themselves wondering what to create \u2014 what whitepapers to produce and what types of ad units to run. They\u2019ll immediately cast their net wide and start testing to \u2018see what sticks,\u2019 but here\u2019s the problem:\r\n\r\nThey're wasting time.\r\n\r\nYes, we want to get started as soon as possible. We know how important it is to execute, but it\u2019s very easy to start running and quickly run out of steam (and money). To make an impact, you need to get to know your audience. Wondering how to position your product and messaging to your audience? Trying to figure out what to say in your ad campaign?\r\n\r\nAsk your audience by reaching out to them the old fashioned way \u2014 1:1, on the phone.\r\n\r\nHere is an email template that you can easily replicate for any product or service, based on an example from an in-person class taught in San Francisco:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n3. Listen to customer service\u00A0calls\r\nOnce upon a time, companies perceived customer service as a money sink. Today? Not so much. This business function is mission-critical for generating repeat revenue and more importantly, learning about your customers\u2019 pain points.\r\n\r\nGiven that you\u2019re building your company for your customers, your business should take the time learn what customer support is learning. All organizational levels \u2014 and teams \u2014 can benefit from time listening (read: lurking) on the phone.\r\n\r\nEvent management platform\u00A0Eventbrite\u00A0is an example company that champions this concept. The company\u2019s customer success team has built a \u2018show and tell\u2019 process called \u2018Voice of the Customer\u2019 \u00A0that illuminates \u2018pain points in action.\u2019\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nAny and all team members have the option to sit in on customer support calls. They can even take the calls themselves.\r\n\r\nAll it takes is a 10 minute conversation.\r\n\r\nYou\u00A0can read about Eventbrite\u2019s process and methodology\u00A0here.\r\n4. Use tools, not spreadsheets\r\nThis step isn\u2019t exactly dead easy. There\u2019s leg work involved with testing and implementing systems \u2014 a lot of legwork. You\u2019ll want tools that help you learn about your audience on a 1:1 level and remember those learnings to adapt your marketing message.\r\n\r\nThere are tools, however, to make the process of finding tools easier. What you need to start is a precise and focused view of your company\u2019s pain points. What is the length of a typical sales cycle? What path do your prospects take in becoming customers?\r\n\r\nThe process of finding the right solutions starts with knowing what you need. Some of our favorites are\u00A0Clarity Answers\u00A0and\u00A0Quora.\r\n\r\nAs marketers, we\u2019re often immersed in a flood of opportunities and tools. Sometimes, the highest impact decisions are right in front of us as simple, timeless truths. Personalization is often sophisticated, but it need not be complicated."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/07/05/4-easy-tricks-personalize-marketing/>