This article...

• Explains how personalization fields create customized messages by inserting contact-specific information into messages at send time.
• Lists the types of fields that can be used for personalization.
• Describes the importance of default values for personalization fields and how they populate the content if the contact-specific information is missing.
• Details how to insert, format, and delete personalization fields within templates and messages.
• Recommends testing personalizations before sending in order to ensure the data render as expected in the message.

The Personalization feature allows you to insert "placeholder" personalization fields in templates and messages. At send time, the personalization fields are automatically replaced with values from your contacts' records, resulting in personalized messages.

• The fields in contacts' records are populated as the result of the synchronization with your community account.
• If a contact's record does not have a value in the field that is associated to the personalization field, the default value (if one is specified) will be inserted. Refer to Default values, below.
• Personalization can be applied to mailing stories, subject lines, and the friendly from field.

Personalized messages tend to perform better than those that appear to have been sent as a "blast" because each recipient receives a message that has been "customized" to individually address him or her. This customization leads to more opens and, therefore, better engagement.

NOTE: Personalization fields are automatically replaced at send-time, so be mindful of how you use them. In particular, make sure that your data source contains current and correct information.

Personalization fields notes

Personalization fields:

• Have a required format, as described below in Personalization format & example, along with an example.
• Are selected from a list (refer to Personalization list, below).
• Can be inserted in templates and messages as described in Insert personalization fields, below.

Default values

You can specify default values for the personalization fields that will be used for Thrive Communications.

The default values will be used to populate personalization fields if the associated value is missing from a contact record, as shown in the Example in the next section.

Default values are added and managed in the Admin interface.

1. Navigate to Settings > Setup > Bridge Configuration (Only UPI).
2. In the Personalization section, click the "list of attributes" link.

3. Click to expand the Online Community section.
4. Click Edit in the left-most column for a personalization field.
5. On the Attribute page, specify the preferred default value in the Personalization Default field.

6. Click Submit and verify that the value displays in the Default Value column.

IMPORTANT: If a default value has not been specified, the personalization field will not be populated at send time and the message will present blank space where the personalization field was inserted.

Personalization format & example

The required format for personalization fields is:

%%WSI||FieldName%%

Personalization fields are properly formatted when inserted from the selection list into templates and messages.

Example

The following example has several personalization fields that have been populated with information that was retrieved from a contact record in the community.

NOTE: Bold has been applied to the personalization fields in this example for demonstration purposes; personalization fields do not have any default formatting. You can format them as described in Format a personalization field, below.

Hello, %%WSI||FirstName%%. We hope that you're looking forward to a joyous holiday season in %%WSI||Address.City%%.

We at Motorcycling Mothers want to let you know that we're offering a 10% discount on our complete line of products. PLUS - if you're a member, you'll get free shipping!

We hope you'll take advantage of these great savings, %%WSI||FirstName%%.

- your friends at Motorcycling Mothers

Lisa's record does not have a value for the City profile field, so the default value (in this case, your town) will be inserted at send time. The message that is sent to her displays as:

Hello, Lisa. We hope that you're looking forward to a joyous holiday season in your town.

We at Motorcycling Mothers want to let you know that we're offering a 10% discount on our complete line of products. PLUS - if you're a member, you'll get free shipping!

We hope you'll take advantage of these great savings, Lisa.

- your friends at Motorcycling Mothers

With a little planning and initiative, you can customize any message (or template) in order to make it more personal for all of your contacts!

Personalization list

Personalization fields can be inserted into templates and messages from a dropdown list that is available in several places.

To access the personalization-fields dropdown list:

1. Access the Admin interface and click the Communications tab above the search field.
2. Navigate to Messages > List to add or edit personalization fields in a new or existing Message Designer message (or a Template Designer template by way of a message).

The personalization-fields dropdown is labeled Personalization Type.

Insert personalization fields

When creating and editing template and messages, you can easily insert personalization fields by way of a toolbar icon. Be sure to allow for spacing and punctuation, as shown in the example that follows.

To insert a personalization field:

1. In your template or message, place the cursor at the point at which you want to insert the personalization field.
2. Click the Personalization icon in the toolbar.

3. Choose a personalization type from the dropdown, and then choose a personalization field.

The personalization field displays in your template or message.

Tips

• Periodically save your work as your create and edit templates and messages.
• Before exiting the template or message, review (proofread) the content.
• If you use personalization fields, double-check the spacing around them.

Example

In the following image, note the spacing allowances before and after the commas and other punctuation.

TIP: Be sure to properly position the cursor when inserting personalization fields.

In the next image, we see that the personalization fields have been inserted and are correctly placed.

Delete a personalization field

If you change your mind about using a personalization field that you've inserted or realize you've chosen the wrong field, it's easy to delete it.

To delete a personalization field:

1. Click the personalization field that you want to delete.
2. Press Delete (or Backspace) on your keyboard.

The personalization field placeholder is removed from the template or message.

Format a personalization field

You can format a personalization field with several of the toolbar formatting options.

TIP: Keep in mind that, while most of the toolbar formatting options are character-based, the justification (left, center, right), bullets, and numbering options are paragraph-based.

To format a personalization field:

1. Double-click the personalization field that you want to format.
2. Click any of the formatting options (bold, italic, bullet, font size) on the toolbar.

The personalization field displays with the formatting applied.

TIP: To undo formatting, double-click the personalization field again and click the toolbar icon of the formatting option; the formatting is removed.

Test your personalizations

It's a good idea to test your personalizations prior to sending your message.

NOTE: Due to the nature of templates, their tests do not include personalization fields.

To test personalization fields in Message Designer messages, see Test your Personalizations (Thrive Communications).