Personalized marketing is generating superior returns. Here are 3 reasons why life science marketers don’t want to miss out.

Personalized marketing isn’t very common in the life science industry yet. As a result, there are significant — and untapped — opportunities for early adopters. All you have to do is connect your prospects to the right resources and information at the right time.

Time and again, research shows that personalization drives stronger results. Today it’s easier than ever before, and less expensive too. You can also spread your investment over time by adding personalized marketing experiences to your campaigns incrementally.

The one thing you don’t want to do is wait, because there’s a narrowing window of opportunity. Life science brands that get started early will have clear advantages over others who are slower to join in.

Even if your resources are tight (and I know they are) here are 3 reasons to try personalized marketing now:

Statistic #1: 

71% of best-in-class B2B content marketers are tailoring content to specific decision maker profiles.

(The Content Marketing Institute)

Today’s consumers are accustomed to marketing that’s responsive to their preferences and interests — and they like it. Amazon product recommendations or Yahoo’s geographically-relevant content show how effective this can be. The same strategies also appeal to science customers.

As a result, campaigns that take a “one-size-fits-all” approach are becoming less and less effective. Prospects increasingly expect to get the exact information and resources they need to make decisions. So you’re far more likely to stay connected and drive conversions if your marketing lines up with their needs.

This doesn’t mean you have to write unique emails for each individual customer. Customizing smaller initiatives for specific segments of your market is an easy way to get started. One simple example is to optimize the send times of email campaigns to match time zones and opening behavior of past campaigns. Small shifts like these can make a big impact, and also help you learn as your personalized approach grows.

Statistic #2: 

People are 40% more likely to buy from you if they think your content is tailored to their specific needs.

(Harvard Business Review)

Decision makers will have more faith in your organization if they believe their challenges and expectations are fully understood. You can encourage this faith by using the data you already have to determine where prospects are in their buyer journey. Better still, it will suggest what questions they’re likely to have.

For instance, knowing how prospects have engaged with your company in the past can help you avoid sending them redundant or irrelevant content. You can also deliver need-specific content that’s relevant and helpful right now if you have concrete data about where their interests lie today.

Strategic use of marketing analytics is essential to personalized marketing for Life Sciences. Consider segmenting your email list based on the past purchasing behavior of customers. Could an upsell campaign bundle commonly-ordered supplies together? Another option, at the other end of the buying cycle, might be to invite select customers to be a part of your innovation process by championing and testing a new product that you know is a game changer.

Statistic #3
70% of companies fail to personalize their websites or emails.

(Dynamic Yield and Experian)

This statistic should encourage any life science marketer, because it means you can get a competitive edge — even on many large competitors — if you start forging ahead today. It only takes one small marketing initiative at a time. Your personal touch can make a difference — even if it’s something as simple as tweaking your message for different segments. And learning more about your customer as you go will be just as rewarding over time as if you went all in from the start.

Ready to start personalizing marketing for your Life Science brand? Check out my post Using Data to Improve Life Science Marketing.