What is real-time personalization?

Real-time personalization is a key element of modern marketing, helping brands stand out in an increasingly competitive digital space.

Real-time personalization is the process of dynamically tailoring content, recommendations, and experiences for individual users based on their behavior, preferences, and other contextual data at the moment they interact with a platform.

It’s a way to deliver hyper-relevant experiences that respond instantly to a user’s actions or characteristics. It also incorporates personal information to deliver an effective series of messaging through email, push notifications, messaging, and more. 

How it works

Real-time personalization requires a marketing automation platform that houses customer data in a centralized location. Each interaction triggers a customized sequence using that data in real time — which makes it crucial to have clean, up-to-date information at all times. 

You can incorporate real-time personalization across all channels, including email, texts, push notifications, apps, landing pages, and even direct mail. The goal is to produce a web of follow-ups based on actions your customer takes within your website, app, or email. For instance, if you run a brick-and-mortar store and your customer is within a few-mile radius, your app could trigger a push notification with a discount code. 

Why brands invest in real-time personalization

According to McKinsey, 71% of consumers expect personalized brand interactions and 76% get frustrated if they don’t receive customized messaging. 

Another important reason brands invest in real-time personalization is because most major search engines are phasing out third-party cookies. That means brands need to build out first-party data to get a solid understanding of the customer journey.  

Examples of real-time personalization

• E-commerce: Displaying “People also bought” or “Recommended for you” based on a shopper’s current browsing.
• Streaming services: Curating playlists or suggesting shows based on what a customer just watched.
• Retail: Sending a push notification with an exclusive offer when a customer is near a store location.
• Email marketing: Adjusting subject lines or content blocks dynamically depending on when an email is opened or the user’s last interaction with the brand.

Using a tool like MessageGears gives you easy, direct access to your own data to create real-time interactions that increase customer conversions.