Introduction: The Overlooked Power of Personalisation
In an age of hyper-targeted ads and sophisticated algorithms, it’s ironic how often the basics are forgotten. One such forgotten gem? Personalised direct communications. While businesses chase ever more complex technologies, the power of a well-timed, relevant message sent via SMS, push notification or email remains staggeringly effective.
In this case study, we unpack how a financial services provider ditched its one-size-fits-all marketing and embraced tailored communications – unlocking a clear path to higher conversions and more meaningful customer relationships.
The Challenge: Flat Conversions and Fading Attention
The client: A digital-first finance company selling services through its mobile app.
The pain point: Low conversion from leads to fully onboarded customers, despite high outreach volume.
The root cause: A reliance on generic bulk communications, and internal resistance to change. The team was habituated to old methods and hesitant to try new approaches.
The Objective: Increase Conversions Through Personalisation
The mission was clear – improve conversion rates by transforming mass communications into targeted, personalised experiences that resonate with users at each point of their onboarding journey.
Phase 1: Hypothesis-Driven Manual Testing
- Segmented the audience based on where they dropped off during registration.
- Delivered personalised push reminders over a 7-day period.
- For unreachable users (push fails), fallback SMS was triggered.
Timeline: Reminder messages on Days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7.
Result: 4.27% of contacted users completed onboarding – a strong enough result to justify deeper investment.
Phase 2: Automation with Precision
Encouraged by the manual test, we scaled up via automation. Using customer behaviour data, we mapped the onboarding journey and installed personalised trigger messages at every potential dropout point.
- Dynamic content based on the user’s exact stopping point.
- Clear, actionable CTAs tailored to the user’s context.
- A/B testing to refine timing, wording, and CTA style.
Results from push campaigns:
- 62% of messages sent successfully
- 19% failed (often due to app uninstallations)
- 8% conversion rate across the automated flow – a meaningful uplift
Phase 3: Synchronised Manual Communication
Not all personalisation must be automated. We established a Monthly Activity Calendar for manual communications across push, SMS, and email – complete with:
- Segmentation insights
- Daily performance tracking
- Real-time sales data correlation
This enabled:
- Immediate adjustment of strategies based on performance
- Transparent team-wide understanding of messaging goals
- Iterative content refinement through continuous A/B testing
The Business Impact: Conversion Rates on the Rise
| Month | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|
| Nov ’22 | 23% |
| Dec ’22 | 21% |
| Jan ’23 | 22% |
| Feb ’23 | 30% |
| Mar ’23 | 31% |
| Apr ’23 | 32% |
A 14 percentage point uplift in conversion, driven solely by personalisation in direct comms – with no additional ad spend or channels added.
Final Thoughts: Back to Basics, Forward to Growth
In the race to digitise everything, don’t overlook the foundational elements of customer engagement. With the right segmentation, automation, and message personalisation, even basic channels like push or SMS can outperform complex tech stacks.
So before investing in the next shiny AI platform, ask yourself: Have we truly mastered the fundamentals of talking to our customers?