Personalizing Communications

Time after time, studies have shown that personalized messaging outperforms generic emails. Now, that doesn’t mean hitting someone over the head with the fact that you know their name – don’t personalize the subject line of every message you send – but it does mean sprinkling personalizations when the time is right can be the difference between an email that just sits there and one that gets opened.

It’s with that in mind – and that personalizing your communications may help you avoid spam filters – that SparkInfluence provides a few places where you can let the end user know that they’re more to you than just an email address.

Where Can I Personalize a Message in SparkInfluence?

Here are a few ways that you can personalize a message:

• Subject Line: For those messages that need that extra attention personalizing the subject line is the first step. Imagine the difference between – Susan, have you taken action on the latest tax increases VS. simply – Take Action Today.
  
• Preheader: Don’t forget the preheader area. With most stakeholders opening their email on mobile, this quick hit sets the stage for what’s to come in the message. The preheader is an easy way to add that personal touch.
  
• TO field: Another place where you can let the advocate know they’re more than just an email address. A simple addition of their first and/or last names here is easy and effective.
  
• Body of the Message: Last but not least, the body of the message is a perfect place to add personalization. Unlike the Subject line, look to add personalization in the body message as often as possible. In all tests, we’ve received VERY little negative feedback to the body of the message being personalized.

With so many options, the key is using, not abusing, merge fields to personalize your emails. Too much custom content will be a turn-off for your stakeholders. At the same time, there is little harm in testing what works best for your community. As you’ll hear us say time and again, SparkInfluence provides the puzzle pieces, what the puzzle looks like is up to you.

For more on how to add merge fields to your communications, check out our knowledge base article here: https://kb.sparkinfluence.net/article/using-merge-tags/.

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