Email templates with merge fields in Copper are a powerful tool to standardize your messaging without losing the personal touch.
When applying an email template to a bulk or automated email, many customers want to further personalize the email with an opening/intro specific to the recipient.
This article will walk you through how to add a deeper level of personalization to your bulk and automated emails.
First, be sure you’ve reviewed the articles on:
Follow these steps to set up the personalization
Create a custom text area field to capture the email personalization, as shown below:
Be sure to name the field so that it is easily recognizable to your team as a field specifically intended for email personalization
Add the field as a merge field in your email template
Be sure to add fallback text in case any recipients do not have a value for the new field. This ensures the email displays properly (without spaces or gaps in the content).
Create a Saved Filter to segment your customers for outreach
Add the new field as a column in the view
Populate the new field with the opening you would like the email to have for that recipient
Be sure that the text you’ve added will make sense when inserted into the email template. With bulk emails, you can preview each email to ensure the content reads nicely for the recipient.
Select up to 200 contacts and choose bulk email from the toolbar
Preview the emails to make sure the content reads nicely for the recipient
Remember that the fallback text you apply to the field will apply to every recipient. You’ll want to use something slightly more generic for the fallback text.
Send the emails
💡 Tips & Tricks
Be sure your fallback text is generic enough to work for any contact who does not have a value for the new field
Be sure the new field's content will read well when added to the rest of the email template. You can do this by sending test emails.
Send a test email to see what the email will look like
If you’re using bulk email, you can create a contact for yourself (or another email address) to send a test email
If you’re using email automations, the send test email feature will not display a value for your new field. This is because the test email will populate merge fields for the recipient. Test emails are sent to a user, and users do not have values for most contact merge fields. However, this test email will allow you to ensure that the fallback text displays properly for any contacts that do not have a value for your new field.
Need ideas on how to personalize the emails?
Look at your last communication with the contact. Did they give an update on their personal or professional life? Were they recently OOO or on vacation?
Reference a mutual contact, referrer, or partner.
Remind them of a previous interaction or completed project that gives them the impression you’ve sent this email to them and only them.