How to Use Personalization to Connect with Your Audience

Personalization plays a key role in achieving marketing goals like engagement, retention, and revenue. In simple terms, personalization means using what you know about your audience, like their behavior, preferences, or past actions, to tailor your content and offers. With expectations rising among both donors and consumers, people are drawn to experiences that align with their interests, values, and behavior. We’ve all felt the difference between a generic message and one that actually feels like it was made with you in mind. Personalization makes that possible, creating a stronger connection that leads to deeper trust and more meaningful results.

Let’s break down why personalization works and how you can add it to your marketing.

Why Personalization Drives Engagement (and Loyalty)

We all know what personalization is, but why does it matter? Personalization works because it makes your audience feel recognized. According to Campaign Monitor, emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened. When your message reflects a person’s interests, behavior, or past interactions, it feels relevant and that helps drive action. People are more likely to open an email, click a link, or respond to an offer that feels like it was made for you. But personalization isn’t just about better metrics. It’s about building connections. A message that feels tailored shows people that you’re paying attention, that they’re more than just a number. Over time, this kind of approach builds trust and loyalty.

For example, a nonprofit might send an update showing exactly how a donor’s past gift was used, with photos or a quote from someone impacted. That extra layer of detail turns a transaction into a relationship.

Personalization is ultimately about using what you know to show people they’re seen, valued, and understood.

Real Examples: How Nonprofits and Retail Brands Use Personalization That Works

Personalization can look different across industries, but the most important part is making your audience feel seen and understood. Whether you’re in nonprofits or retail, customizing your approach to fit the needs and behaviors of your audience not only captures attention but also builds lasting connections that drive real results. Here’s how nonprofits can apply personalization to better engage their audiences:

Nonprofit Tactics

• Tailor donation requests: Use donor history, preferred causes, and giving frequency to personalize donation requests. When messages feel relevant and respectful, people are more likely to respond. According to Nonprofit Sources, adding a person’s name along with full color and more sophisticated database information can increase the response rate by up to 500%.

• Send thoughtful thank yous and impact updates: Let donors know how their gift made a difference. A simple, personalized thank you followed by a meaningful update can go a long way. Donors who feel appreciated are much more likely to give again; thanking donors within 24 hours can increase retention by up to 60%.

While nonprofits focus on building lasting relationships through personalized messages and meaningful updates, retailers use personalization to drive quick decisions and build loyalty through things like product suggestions and timely offers. Let’s take a look at how retailers are using personalization:

Retail Tactics

• Recommend products based on behavior: Suggest items tied to past purchases or recently viewed products. Personalized product recommendations have been known to increase conversion rates by 320%.
• Use behavior-based triggers: Send timely messages like abandoned cart emails, post-purchase follow-ups, or win-back campaigns. Abandoned cart emails have an average conversion rate of up to 33%.
• Reward loyal customers: 41% of consumers stay loyal to a brand that offers a loyalty program, including offers like birthday discounts, early access to sales, or exclusive content.
• Adjust content to match context: Tailor offers based on location, season, or where someone is in the buyer journey. Nearly 90% of marketers say using location-based marketing resulted in higher sales.

By tailoring experiences like these, organizations can strengthen relationships, boost engagement, and create more meaningful interactions. The result is not just improved short-term outcomes but growth and success.

Want to see how a nonprofit successfully re-engaged 8,000 lapsed donors using personalized direct mail? Take a look at our case study to learn how tailored messaging brought donors back and boosted support.

Top Channels and Tools to Make Personalization Scalable

Personalization works best when applied across multiple channels. This means delivering consistent experiences to customers regardless of the channel they’re using at that time. It creates a seamless customer journey, which leads to more engagement and loyalty over time. Here are a few ways you can use personalization across multiple channels:

• Email: Use dynamic content and segmentation to tailor messaging by audience type, behavior, or preferences.
• Direct mail: Incorporate personalized names, offers, and even imagery to make print pieces feel personal.
• SMS & mobile: Send reminders, alerts, or exclusive codes based on recent actions.
• Web & landing pages: Show visitors custom content, offers, or calls-to-action based on where they came from or what they’ve viewed.
• Data & Privacy Considerations: Leverage CRMs or marketing automation platforms to manage preferences, track behavior, and execute campaigns effectively. At the same time, make sure to respect privacy by honoring opt-in choices and being transparent about how data is used.

Personalized messaging, images, and offers across these channels creates a seamless and engaging experience that builds trust and drives results.

Start Smart: A Simple Way to Launch Personalization in Your Marketing

If you’re new to personalization, begin with a manageable approach. Start by identifying one or two key audience segments, and craft messages that speak directly to their needs or interests. Experiment with different personalized content to see what resonates, and refine your strategy based on the results. Marketing automation tools can help streamline the process by ensuring the right message reaches the right person at the right time.

As you continue, monitor performance and adjust as needed. Personalization becomes more effective over time as you gather insights. Starting small allows you to build a thoughtful, scalable strategy that drives results over time.

Conclusion Don’t Wait – Start Personalizing with Purpose

Now is the time to start thinking about adding personalization to your mix. It’s no longer an option; it’s a necessity for businesses and nonprofits looking to build lasting relationships and drive results. Start with one channel, one audience, and one message—and see where personalization takes you.

Not sure where to begin with personalization? Let’s talk it through. Connect with our team and take the first step toward smarter marketing.