Latest / Marketing Automation with Fexingo: HubSpot, Marketo, and Automated Customer Journeys / Marketing Automation Overlooks Customer Reading Habits
Transcript
- Lucas: So, Luna, here's a question — when was the last time a brand sent you a recommendation based on something you actually read? Luna: Hmm, that's rare. I get plenty of 'you might also like' emails from Amazon, but they're based on purchases, not reading. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a huge missed opportunity for marketing automation. We track clicks, opens, purchases — but we almost never track what people read. I'm talking about actual reading behavior: what books they check out from the library, what they highlight in an e-book, how far they get in a chapter. Luna: Isn't that partly a privacy issue? Like, do we really want brands knowing we binge-read romance novels at 2 AM? Lucas: Fair point. But people already share this data willingly — with Kindle, with Audible, with Libby. The question is whether marketers are using it. And mostly, they're not. A friend of mine works at HarperCollins — the publisher — and they told me about a pilot they ran last year. Luna: Oh, interesting. What did they do? Lucas: They integrated reading data from their e-book platform into their CRM. So when a reader finished a book, the system would trigger a personalized email with a discount on the sequel — but only if the reader actually completed the book. Not just bought it. Completion rate. Luna: That's smart. So they're measuring engagement, not just acquisition. Lucas: Right. And the results were solid — they saw a 22 percent lift in audiobook subscriptions from that segment compared to a control group that got a generic 'new releases' email. The reason? The recommendation felt earned. It said, 'We see you finished The Maid — here's the next one.' Luna: I love that. But how many companies actually have that data? Most publishers don't own the reading platform — Amazon does. Lucas: That's the bottleneck. Amazon keeps Kindle reading data pretty close to the vest. But there are workarounds. For example, some libraries partner with services like OverDrive, and they can share anonymized borrowing trends. Or you can build your own reading app — a lot of niche publishers do that now. Luna: So the real opportunity might be for brands that aren't publishers. Like, a travel company could recommend a trip based on a customer reading a book set in Morocco. Lucas: Exactly. Or a wine club could trigger an offer when someone finishes a book about Bordeaux. The signal is rich — it reveals intent, interest, even mood. And it's more voluntary than tracking location or search history. Luna: But there's a delicate line. If I read a book about grief, I don't want a brand to send me a condolence card. That's creepy. Lucas: Totally. The key is to use reading data for positive, relevant recommendations — not to infer emotional states. And to be transparent. 'We noticed you enjoy mystery novels — here's a curated list.' Not 'We see you're reading about divorce.' Luna: Yeah, that would be a disaster. So how should marketers start? What's the first step? Lucas: First, audit what reading data you already have. If you sell e-books, audiobooks, or even physical books, you probably have purchase data — but do you have engagement data? If not, consider adding a simple reading tracker: a progress bar, a highlight feature, something that invites the user to share. Luna: And then you can build triggers around that. Like, a drip campaign that sends a new chapter summary each week. Lucas: Right. But the real magic is in the cross-sell. Imagine a financial services company that notices a customer reads a lot of personal finance books. They could offer a free budgeting tool — not a sales pitch, a genuine resource. Luna: That would feel helpful, not intrusive. And it builds trust. Lucas: Exactly. And trust is the currency of modern marketing. So many brands are chasing behavioral data — clicks, scrolls, dwell time — but reading is a deeper signal. Someone reading a 300-page book is giving you hours of attention. That's gold. Luna: Are there any companies doing this well already? Lucas: A few. Scribd — now called Everand — uses reading history to recommend new titles. But they're a content platform, so it's expected. The interesting ones are the non-publishers. There's a mattress company, I think it's Saatva, that sends a free sleep guide based on what customers read about sleep. Luna: That's clever. They're using reading as a proxy for interest. Lucas: Yeah. And it's not hard to implement. Most marketing automation platforms — HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce — can handle custom events. You just need to define the trigger: 'User completed book X' or 'User highlighted passage Y.' Then feed that into your journey builder. Luna: So the technology is there. It's really about mindset. Lucas: And privacy. I think the brands that succeed will be the ones that ask permission. 'Would you like to share your reading interests so we can send better recommendations?' Most people will say yes if they see value. Luna: Frankly, I'd prefer that over being retargeted with the same pair of shoes I looked at once. Lucas: Ha, right. So the takeaway: reading data is an underused signal in marketing automation. It's more intentional than most other behavioral data, and it can drive higher engagement and loyalty. Luna: And it makes the customer feel seen — in a good way. Lucas: Exactly. If these conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own marketing, or if you just want to support the idea that a show like this can stay free of interruptive ads, you can do that at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, but it helps us keep digging into angles like this. Luna: Yeah, and we really value that. It keeps the show independent and focused on what matters — not on sponsors. Lucas: So, back to reading data — I think we'll see more brands experimenting with this in the next year. The question is whether they'll do it respectfully. Luna: Let's hope so. Because if done right, it could make marketing feel less like noise and more like a conversation. Lucas: And that's the goal, isn't it? Thanks for listening.