Want to send emails that don’t sound like a robot wrote them? You’re not alone. If you’re running outbound email campaigns—sales, recruiting, partnerships—you know that the “Hi {FirstName}” trick stopped working years ago. But who has time to hand-craft 500 messages? This guide is for anyone who needs to send lots of emails, but refuses to spam people with obvious templates.
We’re going deep on how to use Emelia dynamic fields to personalize your email sequences without going insane or spending your weekend fiddling with spreadsheets. You’ll get a step-by-step walkthrough, some honest advice on what actually works, and a few warning signs for what to avoid.
Let’s get into it.
Why Dynamic Fields Actually Matter
Let’s be blunt: Most “personalized” emails are just templates with a name and company pasted in. People can spot these a mile away. If your open rates or replies are tanking, this is probably why.
Dynamic fields (sometimes called merge tags or variables) let you insert custom info into each email—like someone’s first name, company size, a recent blog post they wrote, or anything else you know about them. In Emelia, you can go beyond the basics and use as many custom fields as you want.
The trick is making it feel real. Used right, dynamic fields save you hours and help emails sound less generic. Used wrong, they’re just a faster way to annoy people.
Step 1: Get Your Contact Data in Shape
Before you touch Emelia, your data needs to be solid. This is where most people mess up.
What you need:
- A spreadsheet (CSV, Google Sheets, Excel) with one row per contact.
- Columns for all the info you want to use. At a minimum: First Name, Last Name, Email. Add more: Company, Industry, Last Blog Title, etc.
Pro Tips: - Don’t go overboard. You don’t need 20 columns for a first campaign. Start with 2–4 things you can mention naturally. - Watch for blanks. If some contacts are missing data (like no company name), your emails will look weird. Use fallback text (more on that later).
What NOT to do: - Don’t buy a sketchy list and hope dynamic fields will make it work. Bad data = bad emails, no matter how clever your template is.
Step 2: Set Up Dynamic Fields in Emelia
Once your spreadsheet’s ready, upload it into Emelia. The platform will walk you through mapping your columns to dynamic fields.
How it works:
- Every column in your sheet becomes a field you can use in your emails.
- Common ones (FirstName, Company) are auto-mapped. Custom ones (like FavoriteSnack) need you to match them up.
Naming matters:
- Keep field names simple and consistent. No spaces or special characters.
- Use clear names: first_name, company, last_blog_title.
Honest take: - It’s tempting to get fancy and create a field for every tiny detail. Resist. The more fields you have, the more chances for something to break or look off.
Step 3: Write Templates That Don’t Sound Like Templates
Here’s where most people get lazy or try too hard. You want your dynamic fields to blend in, not stick out.
A basic (bad) example:
Hi {FirstName},
I see you work at {Company}. I wanted to reach out to someone at {Company} about our solution.
People can smell this a mile away.
How to do it better:
- Use dynamic fields where they make the message feel personal—like referencing a blog post, a shared connection, or something specific to their role.
- Keep the tone natural. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
Example:
Hey {first_name},
Read your piece on {last_blog_title}—really liked your take on {blog_topic}. Curious: how are you tackling {challenge} at {company}?
Now it feels like you actually know who you’re emailing.
Pro Tips: - Always write a “default” version of your email that works even if a field is blank. - Avoid overdoing it. If every sentence has a dynamic field, it’ll feel forced.
Step 4: Handle Missing Data with Fallbacks
No dataset is perfect. Sometimes you won’t have last_blog_title or industry. If you don’t handle this, your emails will look broken or obviously templated.
In Emelia, set fallback values:
- Example: {first_name|there} becomes “Hey there” if first name is missing.
- Make fallback text sound natural—not robotic.
What works: - For first names: “there”, “friend”, or just skip the salutation. - For company: “your team”, “your company”.
What doesn’t: - “Hey {first_name},” with no fallback. That’s an instant delete. - Overly generic defaults like “valued customer.” Nobody buys it.
Step 5: Preview and Test—Seriously, Don’t Skip This
This is where you catch mistakes before you embarrass yourself.
- Use Emelia’s preview tool to send test emails to yourself. Check for awkward phrasing or missing data.
- Spot-check at least 10 random emails. Look for weirdness: double spaces, missing fields, or fallback text that doesn’t fit.
Honest take:
You will catch dumb mistakes here every single time. Don’t skip it, even if you’re in a hurry.
Step 6: Send in Batches and Watch Results
Don’t blast your whole list at once. Send a small batch (50–100) and see how it lands.
- Are people replying? Or unsubscribing?
- Any weird personalization mistakes slipping through?
- Adjust your template or data as needed, then send another batch.
What to ignore: - “Industry best practices” that say you need 10+ dynamic fields. Most of your results will come from nailing 1–2 good, authentic personal touches.
Step 7: Keep Improving (But Don’t Overthink It)
Personalization is not a “set it and forget it” thing. Pay attention to what works, tweak your fields and templates, and keep it simple.
- After a few runs, you’ll spot which fields actually move the needle.
- Drop any that aren’t helping, or are causing more trouble than they’re worth.
- Don’t chase endless personalization for its own sake—most people just want to feel like you’re not spamming them.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
Works: - Mentioning something recent or specific (a blog, product launch, event). - Using fallback text that feels human. - Keeping your templates short and to the point.
Doesn’t work: - Overly clever or forced personalization (“I saw you like coffee!” when you actually have no idea). - Relying on dynamic fields to save a boring pitch. - Ignoring data quality. Garbage in, garbage out.
Ignore: - Hype about AI-generated personalization at scale. Most of it’s still not as good as a clear, simple message. - Fancy formatting or images. Plain text almost always works better for cold emails.
Wrapping Up
Personalizing email sequences with Emelia dynamic fields isn’t rocket science, but it does require a bit of work up front—mostly in getting your data right and not overcomplicating your templates. Start simple, test everything, and don’t fall for shiny “hyper-personalization” promises. The basics, done well, will get you further than any amount of buzzwords.
Remember: You’re emailing real people. Make your message sound like it. Iterate as you go, and keep it human.