23rd May, 2019

Four Insights Marketing Leaders Need to Optimize Creative in the Era of Data

We know words matter in marketing, but can we say with mathematical certainty that we’re using the right words and phrases? CMOs and marketing leaders have been asking for these insights, especially as brands become more data-driven. The answer up to this point has been no: we don’t know if we are using the right words as the building blocks for our advertising to best engage an audience or individual. Digital marketing creative has been a product of groupthink, guesswork and maybe a data point or two (“This went viral last quarter. Let’s roll it out again!”). In its wake, it has left CMOs in a creative confidence crisis. 71% of CMOs have lost confidence in their creative’s ability to drive business results, according to a 2018 Nielsen report.

But data science and AI is now allowing marketers to hone in on the right, most authentic way to speak to their audiences. When a team runs every piece of digital marketing communication through the world’s largest marketing language knowledgebase, powered by natural language processing, the technology will consistently find the precise words, phrases and sentences that will best engage an audience or individual across channels and the customer journey. It has enabled CMOs to break out of the creative confidence crisis and drive exponential revenue and brand growth within the company, while also delivering the best customer experience.

A Persado report, available for download now, looked at the top elements of a message across industries to give marketers data-driven insights into adding mathematical certainty to the development of digital marketing creative to optimize brand engagement and revenue performance. These are some of the insights marketing leaders can take from it.

The Elements of a Message

Before delving into the importance of each part of a message, it’s important to define them. The below image explains each.

Insights for Marketing Leaders

Emotional: Positive emotions tend to garner the most customer engagement across channels. These include Gratitude (“Because you are a loyal customer…”), Achievement (“You’ve earned a tropical vacation!”) and Safety (“It’s official: Our sale is seriously happening!”). They reinforce knowledge, appreciation and affection for customers in a personalized way.

Descriptive: Descriptive language contributed most to the success of SMS campaigns (35% of contribution) and email subject line campaign (24%) performance. Less is usually more when choosing words to describe the price callout. Brands who use vague language rather than specific numbers (“get it for less” vs. “get it for $400”) because the element of mystery encourages customers to seek out more information.

Functional: The call to action (CTA) had the greatest effect on the performance of email bodies (40%), display (32%) and web pages and banners (48%). Unlike descriptive language, it’s often best to be more direct with CTAs. Prompting the customer to “get the deal” or “claim this offer” typically works better than “shop now” or “read more.”

Formatting: Formatting influences 44% of performance on Facebook ads. Why? Stylistic elements like emojis, symbols and imagery can grab a customer’s attention on the crowded platform.

Bottom Line: Words matter and the difference between the precise language and anything less can have huge implications on ROI. Using AI can ensure that marketers are using the right words with mathematical certainty every time.

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