Email Personalization Tips and Strategies
Personalization goes far beyond "Hi {first_name}." Learn advanced strategies to create emails that feel individually crafted for each subscriber.
Beyond First Name Personalization
Adding a first name to emails was revolutionary in the early days of email marketing. Today, it is table stakes. Modern subscribers expect more, and sophisticated personalization can increase open rates by 26% and click rates by 14% compared to non-personalized campaigns.
Behavioral Personalization
Browse Behavior
Send emails based on what subscribers viewed on your website. If someone looked at running shoes but did not buy, send an email featuring running shoes. This relevance dramatically improves conversion rates.
Purchase History
Use past purchases to personalize recommendations. Someone who bought coffee should see coffee accessories or refills. Cross-sell and upsell opportunities become obvious when you understand purchase patterns.
Email Engagement
Adapt messaging based on how subscribers interact with your emails. Highly engaged subscribers might receive more frequent, detailed content. Less engaged subscribers might need shorter, more attention-grabbing formats.
Demographic Personalization
Location-Based Content
Personalize based on subscriber location: local store information, regional offers, weather-appropriate recommendations, or timezone-optimized send times.
Company and Role
For B2B emails, personalize based on company size, industry, or job role. A marketing manager has different needs than a CEO, even at the same company.
Dynamic Content Blocks
Instead of creating multiple email versions, use dynamic content blocks that change based on subscriber attributes. One template serves multiple segments with content that swaps automatically.
- Show different products based on gender or preferences
- Display relevant testimonials based on industry
- Adjust imagery based on subscriber interests
- Show location-specific offers or information
Personalized Send Times
Send time optimization delivers emails when each subscriber is most likely to engage. Some platforms analyze individual open patterns and optimize send times automatically. Even simple timezone adjustment improves results over sending at one time for everyone.
Personalization Pitfalls
Avoid Being Creepy
There is a line between helpful personalization and invasive surveillance. Using location data to show nearby stores is helpful. Mentioning exactly which pages someone viewed can feel creepy. Consider how personalization will be perceived.
Handle Missing Data
Always have fallbacks for missing data. "Hi {first_name|there}" ensures you never send "Hi {first_name}" when data is missing. Test thoroughly to catch personalization failures.
Do not Over-Personalize
Excessive personalization can feel artificial or desperate. Not every email needs heavy personalization. Sometimes a well-crafted message to all subscribers works better than over-engineered individual targeting.
AI-Powered Personalization
Sequenzy uses AI to create personalized emails at scale. The platform can generate different versions for different segments, incorporate behavioral triggers, and optimize content for individual subscribers automatically.