Everyone’s talking about personalization… but most brands are doing it wrong.

In this episode, Jimmy and Chase rip apart the biggest myths in email/SMS personalization—and show you what actually drives retention and revenue in 2025.

From misguided tech investments to overcomplicated workflows, this episode gets brutally honest about what works and what doesn’t. Whether you're stuck sending “Hey {FirstName}!” emails or overwhelmed by personalization tools you barely use, this conversation gives you a tactical framework to simplify and scale personalization with clarity.

EP 34: Six Personalization Myths Debunked: What Really Moves the Needle in Retention

Here's what we're diving into:

- Why more personalization isn't always better (and what to do instead)

- The 5-tier framework that defines real personalization in ecommerce

- A smarter approach to product recommendations (hint: AI isn’t magic)

- How to personalize using just your ESP (no giant tech stack required)

- The 5-7 data points that drive 80% of retention impact

- Why personalization must change depending on lifecycle stage

- How to measure the actual lift of your personalization tactics

Thank you our friends at Omnisend, Raleon and eCom Email Certified for sponsoring the podcast!

Omnisend is an all in one eCommerce email and SMS marketing automation platform that enables marketers to engage customers and drive sales through personalized experiences. https://eemtrk.com/omnisend-sendit

Raleon is your AI-powered retention team—built to help Shopify brands increase LTV and save hours every week. From segmentation to campaign planning, Raleon automates the grind so you can focus on strategy that scales. https://eemtrk.com/sendit-raleon

eCom Email Certified is a hands-on, results-driven program with a step-by-step guide to mastering retention marketing and driving serious results. Access over 25 hours of learnings and become a certified email & SMS marketer. https://eemtrk.com/eec-sendit

Join our community of 320+ Retention marketers! https://eemtrk.com/eecc-sendit

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00:00 Welcome to The Show

02:55 Defining Real Personalization

05:36 Myth 1: More Personalization is Always Better

12:37 Myth 2: First Name Personalization Significantly Impacts Results

17:15 Myth 3: AI-Powered Product Recommendations

26:25 Myth 4: Huge Tech Stack for Effective Personalization

27:07 Integration Challenges and Human Resources

27:36 The Power of Simple Personalizations

28:36 Maximizing ESP Capabilities

29:52 Quality Over Quantity in Data

31:02 The Importance of ROI and Integration Costs

32:49 Personalization Maturity Model

35:12 Debunking the Fifth Myth: Data Overload

37:19 Effective Personalization Strategies

42:47 Aligning Personalization with Customer Lifecycle

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Enjoying the pod? Subscribe to The eCom Email Marketer Newsletter for your weekly dose of retention strategy, actionable insights, & exclusive industry news! http://ecomemailmarketer.com/

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Follow Jimmy & Chase on social!

Follow Jimmy Kim at:

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Follow Chase Dimond at:

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Contact us at hellosenditpodcast@gmail.com for sponsorships, appearance requests, interviews, or general information!