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In today's hyper-connected world, personalized communication is no longer a luxury - it is a necessity. Companies that want to effectively engage their audiences must tailor their messages to individual preferences, behaviors, and contexts. Two powerful channels for achieving this are email and WhatsApp, each of which offers unique personalization tools: email tags and WhatsApp templates. This article explores how to implement message personalization in both channels, comparing their mechanics, use cases, and best practices to help organizations create impactful, user-centric campaigns.
Understanding Personalization in Messaging
Personalization is the dynamic insertion of user-specific data into messages to make them relevant and engaging. This can include names, preferences, purchase history, or other custom data points. Both email and WhatsApp support personalization, but their approaches, tools, and limitations differ due to their different platforms and user expectations.
- Email Personalization: Emails use dynamic tags or placeholders to insert user-specific data, such as name, location, or personalized offers, into the content. These tags pull data from a subscriber database or CRM system, enabling highly customized emails at scale.
- WhatsApp Personalization: WhatsApp uses pre-approved message templates with placeholders for dynamic content. These templates, which are governed by WhatsApp's Business API Guidelines, ensure compliance while allowing businesses to deliver personalized transactional or marketing messages.
Let's dive into the specifics of each channel, their personalization mechanisms, and how to implement them effectively.
Email Personalization with Dynamic Tags
Email personalization relies on dynamic tags (also called merge tags or variables) to insert user-specific data into email content. These tags act as placeholders that are replaced with actual data when the email is sent. For example, a tag like %FIRSTNAME% might be replaced with "John" in the final email.
How email tags work
- Data Storage: Email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, HubSpot, or DashaMail store subscriber data in fields like %EMAIL%, %FIRSTNAME%, or custom fields like %DISCOUNTCODE%. These fields are populated via forms, CRM integrations, or manual uploads.
- Tag Syntax: Tags are typically enclosed by special delimiters, such as %NAME% or {{NAME}}. Some platforms support conditional logic, such as %FIRSTNAME?Dear FIRSTNAME:Dear Customer%, which displays "Dear John" if the name is available or "Dear Customer" if not.
- Dynamic Content Insertion: When an email is sent, the platform replaces tags with appropriate data from the subscriber database. For example, an email that says "Hi, %FIRSTNAME%!" becomes "Hi, Sarah!" for a subscriber named Sarah.
Advanced Email Personalization Techniques
Email tags support advanced personalization beyond simple name insertion:
- Conditional Logic: Use tags to display different content based on user data. For example, %GENDER?Dear Mr. FIRSTNAME:Dear Ms. FIRSTNAME% customizes the salutation based on gender.
- Fallback Values: If a data field is missing (e.g. no first name), a fallback value can be specified, such as %FIRSTNAME{Friend}%, which displays "Friend" if the name is unavailable.
- Dynamic Content Blocks: Some platforms allow entire sections of an email to change based on user attributes, such as showing different product recommendations for different customer segments.
- Custom Fields: Organizations can create custom fields (e.g., %LASTPURCHASE% or %LOYALTYPOINTS%) to include highly specific data, such as a user's most recent purchase or loyalty program status.
Email personalization best practices
- Ensure data accuracy: Inaccurate data (such as incorrect names) can damage trust. Clean and update your subscriber database regularly.
- Use conditional logic sparingly: Overcomplicating emails with excessive logic can lead to errors or unexpected output.
- Test extensively: Preview emails with sample data to ensure tags resolve correctly and fallback values work as intended.
- Segment your audience: Combine personalization with segmentation to target specific user groups with relevant content, such as personalized offers for high-value customers.
- Respect privacy: Only use data that users have explicitly shared or consented to, and comply with regulations such as GDPR or CCPA.
Email personalization example
Imagine an e-commerce company sending out a promotional email:
Subject: %FIRSTNAME%, Your exclusive offer awaits!
Dear %FIRSTNAME{FRIEND}%,
Thank you for shopping with us! Based on your recent %LASTPURCHASE%, we've curated a special offer for you. Use code %DISCOUNTCODE% to get 20% off your next order.
%GENDER?for him:for her%: Check out our latest collection of %GENDER?men's:women's% apparel.
Best,
[Your Brand]
For a subscriber named Emma who recently bought a dress and is female, the email would look like this
Subject: Emma, Your Exclusive Offer Awaits!
Dear Emma,
Thank you for shopping with us! Based on your recent dress purchase, we've curated a special offer for you. Use code EMMA20 to receive 20% off your next order.
For her: Check out our latest collection of women's apparel.
Best,
[Your Brand]
This level of personalization enhances relevance and engagement, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
WhatsApp personalization with templates
As a real-time messaging platform, WhatsApp uses pre-approved message templates to ensure compliance with its Business API guidelines. These templates allow businesses to send structured, personalized messages for transactional or marketing purposes, such as order confirmations, appointment reminders, or promotional offers.
How WhatsApp templates work
- Creating Templates: Templates must be created and submitted for approval through the WhatsApp Business Manager or a third-party platform such as Textback or Easy Social. Templates include fixed text and placeholders (e.g., {{1}}, {{2}}) for dynamic content.
- Dynamic placeholders: Placeholders are replaced with user-specific data when the message is sent. For example, {{1}} could be replaced with a customer's name or order number.
- Approval process: WhatsApp reviews templates to ensure they comply with its policies, rejecting messages with promotional content disguised as transactional or containing prohibited content.
- 24-Hour Window: After a customer responds to a template message, companies can send free-form messages within a 24-hour window. Outside of this window, only approved templates can be used to initiate communication.
Advanced WhatsApp personalization techniques
WhatsApp templates support a variety of personalization techniques:
- Liquid Tags: Platforms like CleverTap allow the use of Liquid Tags for conditional logic, enabling dynamic content based on user attributes. For example, a template could display different delivery times based on membership status: {% if user.membership == 'Prime' %}2 days{% else %}7-8 days{% endif %}.
- Additional Data: Platforms such as MoEngage allow personalization using auxiliary data attributes, accessed through a personalization editor triggered by typing @. This allows for the inclusion of external data such as product recommendations or order details.
- Interactive elements: Templates can include buttons (such as "Visit Website" or "Call Now") or quick responses to increase user engagement. These elements can also be personalized with dynamic URLs or phone numbers.
- Media Personalization: Templates can include dynamic media (such as images or documents) in the header or body, synchronized from platforms like HubSpot.
WhatsApp Personalization Best Practices
- Adhere to WhatsApp policies: Ensure that templates comply with WhatsApp's business and commerce policies to avoid rejection. Avoid promotional content in transactional templates.
- Keep templates concise: Templates have strict character limits (e.g. 1024 characters for the body, 60 for the header). Use placeholders efficiently.
- Leverage interactive elements: Use buttons or quick responses to encourage user action, such as confirming an appointment or visiting a personalized URL.
- Test before you submit: Preview templates to ensure placeholders and conditional logic work as expected. Once approved, templates cannot be edited without resubmission.
- Obtain opt-in consent: WhatsApp requires verifiable opt-in consent before sending messages. Use forms, checkboxes, or click-to-chat links to collect consent.
Example WhatsApp template
Consider a delivery notification template:
Hi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} is on its way! Estimated delivery: {% if user.membership == 'Prime' %}2 days{% else %}7-8 days{% endif %}. Track here: {{3}}.
[Track Order Button]
For a Prime member named Alex with order #12345, the message would look like this
Hi Alex, your order #12345 is on its way! Expected delivery: 2 days. Track it here: https://example.com/track/12345.
[Button: Track Order]
This template is concise, personalized, and actionable, in line with WhatsApp's guidelines.
Compare Email Tags and WhatsApp Templates
Choosing the right channel
- Use Email Tags for long-form content, complex personalization, and campaigns where design flexibility is critical, such as newsletters or in-depth product recommendations.
- Use WhatsApp templates for time-sensitive, concise, and action-oriented messages such as order confirmations, appointment reminders, or promotional alerts with high open rates (WhatsApp messages have a 98% open rate compared to email's 20-30%).
Implementation steps for both channels
- Define your data: Identify the user data (e.g., name, purchase history, preferences) you'll use for personalization. Make sure it's stored in your CRM or messaging platform.
- Choose a Platform: Choose an email platform (e.g., Mailchimp, Power Apps) or WhatsApp Business API provider (e.g., Textback, HubSpot) that supports robust personalization.
- Create templates: Design email templates with dynamic tags or WhatsApp templates with placeholders, incorporating conditional logic or interactive elements as needed.
- Test and Validate: Test emails with sample data and preview WhatsApp templates before sending to ensure accuracy.
- Monitor performance: Track open rates, click-throughs and conversions to optimize personalization strategies.
Bottom Line
Personalization is a key driver of customer engagement, and both email tags and WhatsApp templates offer powerful ways to deliver tailored messages. Email tags excel at flexibility and long-form content, while WhatsApp templates excel at real-time, action-driven communication. By understanding their strengths, limitations, and best practices, businesses can create personalized experiences that resonate with their audience and drive loyalty and conversions. Start experimenting with these tools today to improve your messaging strategy!
