We’ve all experienced the annoyance of irrelevant bulk SMSs and voice broadcasts. At the heart of these strategies lies the age-old debate: bulk sending vs. personalization at scale.
Bulk Sending: Ever received a message that felt like a stray bullet, hoping to hit any target? That’s bulk sending. Whether it’s a ringless voicemail, bulk SMS, bulk voice message, or voicemail broadcasting, these strategies involve sending the same exact message to a broad audience. The idea is simple – cast a wide net and hope that a few fish bite. But here’s the catch.
- Carriers and email providers are getting smarter. They detect and flag such impersonal messages, labeling them as spam.
- Prospects today demand personalized experiences. A generic voice blast can be easily spotted and dismissed because it lacks effort and specificity.
- Statistics reveal that reply rates for bulk sending are abysmal. This not only wastes resources but also harms the brand’s reputation.
For instance, imagine a reputable company launching a new product. If they resort to voice broadcasting, sending out the same message to all their customers, they risk alienating a large segment. Why? Because not every customer has the same need or interest.
Mass Personalization at Scale: Now, envision a different scenario. You’ve just attended a webinar or signed up for a product consultation. Within a few hours, you receive a personalized SMS or voicemail, addressing you by name and referencing the exact event you attended. This isn’t bulk sending. This is mass personalization.
Mass personalization leverages CRM triggers or relevant events to dispatch messages, like a mail merge SMS. The benefits are manifold:
- Such messages fly under the radar of spam detectors. Why? Because carriers and email providers recognize them as genuine personal communication.
- Prospects are more inclined to engage with content tailored to them. A study by Evergage found that 88% of U.S. marketers reported seeing measurable improvements due to personalization — with more than half reporting a lift greater than 10%.
- By linking messages to specific events, such as returning from a trade show or participating in a contest, the timing becomes impeccable. This results in significantly higher reply rates.
A classic example here is of a company that leveraged voice broadcasting post-trade shows. Instead of sending the same “Thank you for visiting our booth” message, they used CRM data to craft individualized messages. The results? A 40% increase in post-event engagement!
To achieve mass personalization at scale, businesses must utilize modern tech. Sophisticated software allows companies to draft personalized, data-driven messages which recipients can morph into live conversations instantly. For sales reps, this means they’re always primed to engage, fostering meaningful interactions and furthering business opportunities.
In Conclusion
It’s evident that the digital communication landscape is evolving. While strategies like bulk SMS or voice blasts may have been the norm a decade ago, today’s discerning consumers demand more. Personalization isn’t just a fancy term; it’s a necessity.
Businesses looking to make genuine connections must recognize the power of personalization at scale. Whether it’s crafting a tailor-made SMS post-webinar or sending a personalized ringless voicemail after a trade show, the emphasis must always be on relevance and timing.
The future is clear: mass personalization is not just the future, it’s the present. And for businesses looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace, the message is simple – personalize or perish.