We all receive a lot of email. Consumers are demanding relevance, and brands that don’t deliver will suffer the consequences.

What does it take to send an engaging, relevant email? How can we avoid fatigue in the inbox? By using real-time data, you can be sure you’re delivering a positive experience. We have a few tips to get you started.

Take advantage of behavioral data

All marketers have behavioral data available to them on their websites. Looking at online interactions, prioritizing them, and using them to drive personalization initiatives is one way to make sure your message is well received.

For example, if you know a subscriber searched for a specific item, and that item is about to sell out or drop in price, send them an email. That message will get attention because they’ve already shown an intent to purchase that particular item. Target your customers based on what they’ve already done, and you’re sure to get better results.

Harness the power of open-time personalization

Many marketers don’t realize that a quarter of emails are opened 24 hours after the message has been deployed, and sometimes even later. It’s important to make sure that the content shown in the email is up-to-date and reflects current sales, prices, inventory, and more. If you’re off by even 24 hours, then your messaging may not be in sync with the offers on your website, and that’s going to create a disappointing experience for customers. Pulling real-time data from other systems to enable the best experiences within an email can make a huge difference, and that’s where open-time personalization steps in.

For example, one tactic that’s proven to drive results for multichannel brands is geo-targeting ‘evergreen content’ within promotional emails. Liveclicker’s LiveMap capability enables brands totarget messages to individuals based on where they open the email, so that the store location closest to them  is shown. Additionally, brands can offer specific promotions or even give store directions based on the recipient’s location.

Another experience that’s shown significant success is LiveCalendar. If you have an upcoming sale or event that you don’t want your customers to forget, you can make sure that when the recipient clicks on that link it will open the calendar app according to which email client they’re using. It will be pre-populated with the start- and end-time of your event, along with a completely personalized description. Your event will be added directly to your recipient’s calendar. It’s a great way of extending beyond the inbox to make sure you get that second bump of traffic.

Find a balance

As with most things in life, the key to sending emails that remain relevant is finding a balance. Too many or too few messages can mean getting lost in the inbox. Use behavioral data to inform your email strategy and leverage fresh, dynamic content to manage your frequency without increasing opt-outs.

Finally, if you’re going to offer a discount, should you give it to someone who has shown some level of intent and might just need an additional nudge to make the purchase? Or do you present it to someone who just opens an email once every few months? Focus your discount strategy around your subscribers’ behavior because that’s where you’re going to get the greatest revenue increase. By considering the user experience in everything you do, you’ll find a way to push boundaries, be innovative, and improve brand loyalty.

Learn more about how Liveclicker can help you achieve results with RealTime Email. This content was originally featured in our webinar with BounceX, “Relevant Email is all in the Timing.”