Ash Ledran
Strategist
19 Nov 2024
Much like poetry, CRM is an art form that thrives on rhythm, structure, and form. When done well, it’s far more than a clinical tool or an unwanted nuisance in our already-cluttered lives — it’s a medium for crafting meaningful connections. Let’s explore the similarities between these two art forms, and what we can learn about improving our campaigns through a poetic lens.
Finding the Right Meter: The Role of Segmentation
In poetry, the meter dictates a piece’s flow. Whether it’s the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare or the free verse of Whitman, a good poem creates a cadence that draws in the reader. In CRM, segmentation plays the same role. It’s the pulse of your campaigns and defines how they resonate with your audience.
With the right meter, a poem dances off the page, each word perfectly dropping into place. In the same way, when you segment thoughtfully - by demographics, interests, or behaviour - your campaign will strike a chord with your audience. This will cause your message to feel personal and relevant, making your audience far more likely to engage and stay loyal.
Personalisation: Crafting Messages Your Audience *Feels*
Poets agonise over every word, ensuring each provokes the right reaction — be it laughter, tears, or thought. In CRM, personalisation serves the same purpose — it’s about crafting messages that speak directly to your audience. But let’s not over-egg the pudding. Focusing on clean, simple touches like a first-name greeting, a product recommendation based on past purchases, or displaying personal activity can make all the difference.
Utilising data plays such a key role in this. I know from experience that untangling it all is half the battle, but it’s a battle well worth winning. Because, just as Samuel Taylor-Coleridge chose his words to evoke feeling and thought, we as marketers can delight and surprise our audience with truly personalised content.
Flow: Guiding the Customer Journey
A good poem flows effortlessly from one stanza to the next, weaving a cohesive narrative. Similarly, your customer’s journey should feel seamless, guiding them from one stage to another. You can’t jump from A to D without understanding what B and C are — you baffle the reader and, ultimately, lose the customer.
To ensure my CRM strategies always flow, I designed a system called “The Three E’s”, and I always fall back on it, regardless of the industry or challenge:
Effortless: How can we make the journey feel natural?
Easy: How can we make it straightforward?
Enjoyable: How can we surprise and delight along the way?
Think of it like reading a poem: if the transitions between verses are clunky, the reader gets lost. The same goes for CRM. Whether it’s an onboarding email, a product recommendation, or a re-engagement campaign, each touchpoint should feel like part of a bigger narrative.
Just as readers abandon poems that don’t resonate, customers quickly disengage when the journey feels forced or uninspired. At a time when unsubscribing is as easy as changing TV channels, remember: your campaigns aren’t for your team, your boss, or even for you. They’re for the customer. When you prioritise their experience, the results will follow.
Look Back to Move Forward: Learning From the Past
Wordsworth, ‘nature’s poet’, found inspiration in revisiting the same places, noticing the subtle ways their landscape changed over time. I feel like we marketers can often be hesitant to take our eyes off the future and look back, but there's a lesson here. Reflecting on past campaigns can yield new insights, highlighting what worked and what didn’t.
Conversely, seeking something new for the sake of it can often be detrimental. I’ve been part of teams where growth managers have obsessed over ‘newness’, while ignoring what's working now. If you’ve hit on something that works, ride the wave and try iterations. Revisit your wins.
Partner with ActionRocket for Meaningful Customer Connections
At ActionRocket, we understand that crafting meaningful relationships with your audience is both an art and a science. Like poetry, great CRM strategies are built on rhythm, flow, and personalisation. That’s why we focus on creating customer journeys that engage and leave an impact, whilst feeling effortless.
Reach out to us today, and let’s create a CRM strategy that connects, inspires, and delights your audience.
Ash’s Poetry recommendations
If this has whet your appetite for some poetry, here’s a short list of recommendations of some of my favourites / what I’ve been reading lately. Enjoy, please let me know if you pick any up and what you think!