With your audience being constantly bombarded with marketing messages every day, it can be challenging to catch their attention with generic emails. You have a much better chance of getting noticed with personalized, tailored content.
But manually personalizing every email seems like an impossible task, especially with a large mailing list. That’s time wasted, which would be better spent on other essential tasks like content creation or planning your overall marketing strategy.
This is where PosterMyWall comes to the rescue! With PosterMyWall Email Maker’s new email merge tags feature, you can enter personal information in your emails, such as the receiver name, and send it to your entire list in seconds! Merge tags transform generic emails into compelling, one-on-one communications that engage your audience from the very first glance.
In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the definition, types, and use cases of merge tags, and how you can use them to send personalized emails, boost engagement, and drive the desired action.
What are email merge tags
Email merge tags are, essentially, placeholders for information; they are special codes that represent specific pieces of information about your recipients. When you send out an email, the system replaces these tags with the actual data from your mailing list.
Merge tags allow you to create a single email template that feels personal and engaging to each recipient. For instance, instead of sending a generic “Hello,” you can add the [First name] merge tag after ‘Hello’ to say “Hello, John,” if the recipient’s first name is John.
Types of merge tags
There are a variety of merge tags you can use to personalize your emails. Here are some types you can use in PosterMyWall’s email maker.
Personal information tags
- Name tags: [First name] and [Last name]. These add the recipient’s first and last names.
- Contact tags: [Email], [Phone number]. These automatically insert the recipient’s email address or phone number.
- Location: [Address]. This will help you tailor content based on where your recipient is located.
- Birthday tag: [Birthday]. This will help you send birthday wishes or special offers to your recipients.
Custom field tags
These tags are based on custom data you’ve collected from your subscribers, allowing for more targeted messaging. An example could be [Favorite product].
Why use email merge tags
Improved engagement
Emails that speak directly to a recipient, such as those that greet them with their name or wish them a happy birthday, feel much more special and personal than generic emails with marketing messages.
These personalized emails also tend to have higher open and click-through rates, driving the desired action.
Efficiency
With the ability to collect data via signup forms and automatically populate emails with dynamic content, you save valuable time and reduce the risk of errors.
Targeted marketing
You can create smaller mailing lists [from another mailing list] on PosterMyWall by manually adding contacts whose answers to various custom fields, e.g., favorite product, on a signup form were similar. Then you can craft emails that resonate with these specific groups by including the merge tags for the custom fields in your email copy. For example, you can write “24-hour flash sale on [Favourite product] is live! Get your hands on it before it runs out”.
How to use merge tags
- Collect relevant data
PosterMyWall makes it simple to gather the necessary data. Utilize signup forms to collect user details—such as first name, location, and other custom fields. This information is then stored in your mailing list, ready to be dynamically inserted into your emails.
You can publish the signup form you create on PosterMyWall as a link to the form, popup, or embedded form.
Link the signup form to QR codes on your marketing content, share it with your social media audience, build your mailing list, and collect the data for your merge tags.
- Insert merge tags in email template
Once you have subscriber data, you can integrate merge tags into your email content. Insert them in places where personalized information should appear. This could be in the greeting, body, subject line, or even in the signature.
To add merge tags in your email template, click on the small tag icon that appears when you select a text box or click the “+” sign under Merge tags on the right-side toolbar.
If your signup form has fields that the audience isn’t required to fill, such as birthday, some users might leave them blank. In these cases, it’s best to set a default value for that merge tag. This default text will appear in the email whenever the corresponding information isn’t provided—for example, if the [First Name] field is empty, the email should display “Hello there!” instead.
While crafting your email, insert merge tags in the content where personalized information should appear. This could be in the greeting, body, subject line, or even in the signature.
- Publish emails
Once your email is set up with the appropriate merge tags, hit publish. The system automatically fills in each merge tag with the corresponding data from your mailing list. For example, the tag [First name] is replaced with “John” if that is the first name associated with that particular email address.
This way each recipient gets a personalized version of your email, increasing the relevance and impact of your message.
For more information on how to use merge tags while designing an email on PosterMyWall, check out this article.
Use cases for email merge tags
Welcome emails
Greet new subscribers by name and include details about their location or interests to create a warm, personalized welcome.
Promotional campaigns
Send out offers that feel tailored to each recipient. For example, “Hey [First name], check out our latest deals in [Location]!”
Birthday special offers
Wish a happy birthday to subscribers on their birthday and give them a special, one-day-only discount or deal. For example, “Happy Birthday, [First name]! Since you like [Favourite product], you can enjoy a 10% off on it today!”.
Event Invitations
Personalize event invites by addressing the recipient with their name and details that match the recipient’s profile, making them feel like the invite is designed just for them.
Newsletters
Use merge tags to make regular newsletters more engaging by personalizing greetings or content sections based on user preferences.
Personalizing your email campaigns
In summary, email merge tags are a game-changer for delivering messages that truly resonate with your audience. With merge tags, each email you send speaks directly to your recipient’s needs and interests. This not only enhances user engagement and builds trust, but it also simplifies your campaign management by automating the personalization process.
Ready to elevate your email campaigns? Start exploring PosterMyWall’s merge tags in the email maker to create emails that truly speak to your audience.
