It might not be obvious, but our job as marketers is to be creative. We must constantly think of new ways to generate leads, convert those leads, and keep leads engaged so that ours is the first company they think of when they’re ready for a solution.

Marketing, especially email marketing, must constantly reinvent itself to be more attractive. Being inventive and authentic while being consistent in your brand message can drive more leads, conversions, and sales.

And while we use data to determine the how and why of our content and email marketing campaigns and to make them personal and personalized, sometimes we fall into the same old loop and familiar tactics.

This is where dynamic content comes in.

What is dynamic content?

Dynamic content is a personalization tool; the content of an email changes depending on who is viewing the email. But what exactly is the tool? How it works? And how can you use it in your email marketing efforts to gain greater leverage and boost your marketing plan?

To create dynamic content, the first thing you need is data, because dynamic content changes based on the personal information your recipients shared with you when they signed up for your mailing list.

Not every ESP can give you the ability to create content that changes depending on the recipient, mainly because the feature has everything to do with custom fields. Therefore, you will need an email marketing solution that allows you to determine whether the recipient’s behavior matches specific criteria that make it part of the segment you are targeting with your campaign.

Suppose you are a B2B e-commerce platform issuing offers on your services. It would be wise to present relevant offers and content only to those who need it, perhaps sell content to lower-tier customers and present dedicated offers to those who have paid more.

Configure your content options like this:

(Source: Moosend)

After that, your email marketing tool will display relevant content for each recipient, based on the segment they are in.

Why use dynamic content?

Dynamic content could be your first step to a profitable conversion marketing funnel, where even your less interested contacts will see something that appeals to them. Because dynamic content drives engagement by changing based on data, it could potentially predict a customer’s desires and turn a one-time buyer into a dedicated customer.

With dynamic content, your email campaigns show recipients exactly what they want to see and buy without them having to look at email text filled with information, products and offers that do not apply to them. This increases your sales conversion rate and creates conditions where your recipients are eager to receive and open your email marketing campaigns and click on your CTAs.

All of this, in turn, builds the image of a brand that cares enough about them to show them exactly what they want, when they want it.

How to create dynamic content

Although the process is automated after setting up the conditions (if/then criteria), dynamic content can potentially go wrong and cost you much-needed ROI and even cross-sell options. Here are two ways to avoid this.

1. Study your personas and fill in the gaps

You can’t create personalized content without first knowing the people you want to sell to. This is where customer or user personas come in to save the day.

To create user personas, study your data and take a close look at your audience. Who are you likely to sell to? Who would never buy more than once? Who would be never to be a good candidate as a client?

Your social media audience, the people on the mailing list you’ve created, even the email marketing metrics you’re tracking can give you much-needed insights into how to create your customer personas, who is the most valuable and what kind of content your characters would love or love to hate.

Your customer personas can also help you “fill in the blanks” by providing data to help you understand user behavior with otherwise empty profiles. Just look at the segment they belong to, then use AI and machine learning to tell the patterns apart.

Carefully plan and track email metrics

Different users need different content that will look and feel tailored and personal. The beauty of dynamic content is that it changes based on the reader’s needs, not to showcase your brand’s variety.

To achieve this, you will need to keep the technical details in mind. Pay attention to the image sizes and blocks you use on your email builder, and don’t forget to test how your email looks on different devices. You don’t need to study the data to know that broken elements are unattractive and can cost you a conversion.

Always A/B test and make sure your dynamic content changes based on the email metrics you’re tracking. If your goal is a fantastic CTR, don’t settle for a changing headline, look at product images. If you need more email opens, then maybe a custom field targeting the subject line will do the trick.

Takeaway meals

Dynamic content is the most advanced form of hyper-personalization to date.

Everyone uses email marketing to sell. That’s why marketers are looking for new and exciting ways to turn their email marketing campaigns into a true conversion powerhouse, as well as for brand exposure and increased authority and value.

Dynamic content can provide all of that.

More Resources on Dynamic Content in Email Marketing

Three great reasons to add dynamic content to your next email

Six Ways to Increase Your Revenue with Email Personalization

Seven messaging innovations to bring context to your campaigns