AI personalization at scale, is this what's next?
I hope so. But let's make sure that personalization is actually personal.
For most B2B marketers, personalization means dropping a contact's name, title, or company into an email. Some get fancier: referencing something the contact mentioned on social media, or a headline about their company in the press.
Personal vs. personalized: understanding the difference
Those are examples of personalization. But personalization is not the same as being personal. My company's needs are different from my needs. When I land on your site, I'm trying to solve a specific problem. Talk to me about that, not about how we share a love for coffee.
Generative AI companies today promise "personalization at scale." As far as I can tell, most of them just make it easier to send outreach emails that reference a title, a funding round, or a personal interest. That is personalization. It is not personal.
Learning from B2C: a blueprint for B2B
Our B2C counterparts understand the distinction.
When I browse Amazon, they surface products I actually find interesting, based on things I've already viewed or bought. Those recommendations don't feel spammy. They're relevant and personal.
When I search on Google, I don't see ads based on my age, gender, or zip code. I see ads based on what I searched for. They're contextually relevant to me, and again, they don't feel spammy.
When I mention needing a new tennis racket to a friend, I suddenly see Facebook ads for racket promotions. Unsettling? Yes. But not spammy, because the content matches a real intent.
The future: anticipating needs in real time
B2B marketers need to evolve toward this kind of personalization. You already know what content I'm viewing on your website. You can see the questions I type in your chat window or post on your support site. Why can't you anticipate what I need based on what I'm actually doing?
This is the next generation of personalization. AI can enable it at scale. But the technology only gets you halfway, it's up to marketers to make messages genuinely personal.