Adding a first name is a start, but real personalisation means sending content that fits each person’s situation.
Personalisation ideas
- Product recommendations based on past purchases or browsing.
- Location: nearest branch, city events, local delivery times.
- Timing: reminders when a product typically runs out or a service is due.
- Stage: different emails for leads, new customers and loyal customers.
- Interests: topics they clicked on before.
- Dates: birthdays, anniversaries, membership renewals.
Subject lines
Personalised subject lines can help when relevant: “Your AC service is due, Rahul”. Test with our subject line checker.
Do not be creepy
- Avoid mentioning sensitive information (health conditions, financial details).
- Do not reveal tracking too obviously.
- Respect data protection rules.
Check your data
Bad data causes embarrassing errors like “Hi FIRSTNAME”. Set fallback values in your email tool.
Understand your audience
Map customer types with our customer persona generator.
Read email segmentation.
Want the full picture? This article is part of Email marketing: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
