You're Doing Personalization Wrong ft. David Mannheim
Feb 14, 2024
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David 'Zedd' Mannheim discusses the importance of 'stages' (user's intent) in personalization over optimizing for pages on your website. He also shares his spicy take on 'social proof' in advertising.
Understanding user intent is crucial for effective personalization strategies.
Optimizing for stages, not just pages, leads to more relevant and tailored experiences for users.
Deep dives
Understanding the Importance of Optimizing for User Intent
When it comes to optimization, it is essential to consider user intent rather than just focusing on specific pages. Many companies tend to optimize based on templates and pages, assuming that users will follow a linear path. However, user intent can vary greatly, and it is crucial to cater to their specific needs at different stages. By understanding user intent, companies can create more appropriate and personalized experiences. This can be achieved through advanced segmentation, experimentation, and cohorting to identify signals of intent and motivation. The goal is to provide a tailored experience that aligns with the user's mindset and buying phase.
Detecting User Intent and Motivation
Determining user intent and motivation is key to personalization and optimization. This can be done through both implicit and explicit signals. Implicit signals can be inferred from user actions such as time spent on a page, specific interactions, or search behavior. Explicit signals can be gathered through surveys, quizzes, or other methods of directly asking users about their preferences and intentions. These signals help categorize users into different intent cohorts and enable the delivery of more relevant and personalized experiences. Understanding the hierarchy and prioritization of copy, design, and user interactions based on intent is crucial for creating effective personalization strategies.
Moving Beyond Page Optimization
Focusing solely on page optimization can limit the potential for personalization and user-centered experiences. Instead of treating pages as standalone entities, it is important to consider the entire user journey and the different stages users go through. This means understanding that users have varying levels of intent and motivation at each stage. By optimizing for these stages rather than static pages, companies can provide more relevant content, recommendations, and interactions. This could involve tailoring the messaging, copy, and design based on the user's intent, affinity, and specific needs. Quality and appropriateness should take precedence over quantity when it comes to optimization efforts.
The Value of Personalization and Cohorting
Personalization involves creating more personal and relevant experiences for users. This can be achieved through advanced segmentation, experimentation, and advanced cohorting. The goal is to understand user intent and deliver appropriate experiences based on their specific needs and motivations. Different users may have varying levels of intent, motivations, and affinity, and it is important to segment and personalize accordingly. Understanding which signals indicate intent increases or decreases, and leveraging tools like product quizzes and user behavior analysis, can help in creating effective personalization strategies. The focus should be on understanding users and catering to their unique needs and preferences.
In this episode, Shiva has David 'Zedd' Mannheim to discuss personalization, and how 'stages' (user's intent) is more important than optimizing for pages on your website. Plus, David has a spicy take on "social proof" ...
00:00 Introduction
02:08 Concept of 'Stages not Pages'
10:38 Social proof is... not good?
21:38 Optimizing for Users vs Pages
22:51 LinkedIn Post of the Week (Eden Bidani)
Check out Eden's post here!
http://tinyurl.com/FromAtoB-Eden
And check out David Mannheim's cool shit: Made with Intent (his company), "The person in Personalisation" (his book), and go follow him on LinkedIn!
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