If you’re sending cold emails and not getting replies, there’s a good chance your messages feel generic. Most email tools offer merge tags (“Hey {{first_name}}!”), but if you’re just dropping in a name, it’s not enough. This guide is for anyone using Mailstand who wants to use merge tags to actually sound like a human and get more responses, not just more opens.
Below, you’ll find a straight-shooter’s guide to setting up personalized merge tags in Mailstand—from the basics to the stuff that actually moves the needle. No fluff, no vague “delight your audience” nonsense.
Why Merge Tags Matter (and Where People Mess Up)
Let’s get this out of the way: merge tags aren’t magic. Dropping someone’s name into a cold email doesn’t make it feel personal. But done right, merge tags let you customize your message at scale—so each person feels like you wrote just to them.
What actually works: - Mentioning specific details—company name, recent achievement, mutual connection. - Sounding natural, not robotic (“Hi John, I saw Acme Corp just launched…” beats “Dear {{first_name}}, I am reaching out to you…”). - Keeping your merge tag data clean (nothing kills trust like “Hi {first_name},”).
What to avoid: - Overusing merge tags (it gets awkward fast). - Relying on default data (don’t send “Hi there,” if you can’t get a name). - Inserting fields you can’t reliably fill (“Congrats on your recent promotion at {{company}}!” to someone who never got promoted—yikes).
Step 1: Prep Your Data—Don’t Skip This
Before you even touch Mailstand, get your contact data right. The best merge tags are only as good as the spreadsheet you upload.
Checklist:
- Use a CSV with clear headers: first_name, company, job_title, etc.
- Double-check for missing or weird data—blank cells, all-caps names, “Inc.” tacked onto company names.
- If you want to mention something unique (“Saw your post about X…”), add a custom field like custom_intro.
Pro tip:
If you can’t get a data point for everyone, don’t use it as a merge tag. Seriously. “Hi ,” is worse than “Hi there.”
Step 2: Upload Your List into Mailstand
Mailstand’s import process is pretty straightforward, but here’s where things can go sideways if you’re not paying attention.
- Go to your campaign in Mailstand and look for the “Import contacts” or “Upload CSV” button.
- Map your columns carefully. If your CSV says
first_name, map it to Mailstand’s “First Name” field. Same forcompany,website, whatever you want to use. - Preview your data. Most tools (including Mailstand) will show a few sample rows. Make sure names, companies, and any custom fields look right.
Things to watch out for: - Accidental spaces (“ John” instead of “John”). - All-caps names (“SUSAN”)—Mailstand doesn’t fix these for you. - Columns in your CSV that don’t map to a field—these won’t show up as merge tags.
Step 3: Build Your Email with Merge Tags
Now for the fun part: writing your message so it sounds personal, without tipping your hand that it’s automated.
How to insert merge tags in Mailstand:
- When writing your email, type {{ and you’ll see options like {{first_name}}, {{company}}, etc.
- If you created custom fields (like custom_intro), you’ll see those too.
Example:
Hi {{first_name}},
Saw your recent work at {{company}}—impressive stuff. Quick question: are you the right person to talk to about {{topic}}?
Tips for not sounding like a robot: - Don’t just use merge tags at the top (“Hi {{first_name}},”). Drop them mid-sentence for a more natural feel. - Use your custom fields for a unique line about each contact (“{{custom_intro}}”)—this is what really drives replies. - If you’re not 100% sure the data is there, use fallback text.
Step 4: Set Up Fallbacks (So You Don’t Embarrass Yourself)
Here’s a dirty secret: some people will slip through with missing data. Most email tools (Mailstand included) let you set fallback values, so your message doesn’t look broken.
How to do it in Mailstand:
- Use the pipe symbol | to set a default: {{first_name|there}} becomes “Hi there,” if no name is present.
- For custom fields: {{custom_intro|I recently came across your profile}}.
Don’t overthink it:
Fallbacks are there to save you from looking careless, not to be clever. “Hi there,” is fine; “Hi valued customer,” isn’t fooling anyone.
Step 5: Test, Test, Test (and Don’t Trust the Preview Alone)
Never trust a campaign without testing it first. Even if Mailstand’s preview looks fine, weird stuff can happen at send time.
How to test: - Send a test email to yourself (and maybe a colleague). - Check: - Did the merge tags fill in correctly? - Any formatting issues? - Does the fallback work if you blank out a field?
Things that break campaigns:
- Typos in your merge tags ({{frist_name}} = blank line).
- Inconsistent field names between your CSV and your email template.
- Overly complicated logic—keep it simple.
Step 6: Go Beyond First Name—What Actually Gets Replies
The truth is, “Hi {{first_name}},” by itself won’t get you far. What works is using merge tags to show you actually paid attention.
Ideas that work: - Custom openers: “Saw your Tweet about {{recent_topic}}—totally agree.” (But only if you actually saw it.) - Relevant questions: “Do you handle partnerships for {{company}}?” - Shared context: “I noticed you’re based in {{city}}—I’ll be there next month.”
But don’t fake it:
Nothing kills trust faster than a generic opener that pretends to be specific (“Saw your recent blog post…” when they haven’t published one in years).
Step 7: Ignore the Hype—What Not to Bother With
A lot of tools push advanced personalization (“dynamic images!” “AI-written intros!”). Here’s what’s worth your time and what’s not.
Skip these unless you have time to burn: - AI-generated intros—usually generic and easy to spot. - Overly clever subject line personalization (“{{first_name}}, quick question for {{company}}!” screams “mail merge”). - Emojis in merge tags—no, just…no.
What is worth your time: - One genuinely personalized line per email (even if it takes a bit longer). - Clean data and reliable fallbacks. - Short, conversational emails. No one wants to read a novel from a stranger.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
Personalized merge tags in Mailstand can help your emails feel more human and get more replies—but only if you keep things simple and pay attention to your data. Don’t overcomplicate it. Start with a clean list, use merge tags where they make sense, and always test before you hit send.
If you’re not getting the responses you want, tweak your approach. Try a new custom field, or just write a better opener. The best emails sound like you actually cared enough to write them—no amount of merge tags can fake that.