You can create personalized greetings using merge tags in your email template body. Here are several approaches:
Simple first-name greeting:
- Type at the top of your email: Hi [FirstName],
- Result: "Hi Sarah,"
Formal greeting with salutation:
- Type: Dear [Salutation] [LastName],
- Result: "Dear Ms. Johnson,"
Warm greeting with nickname fallback:
- Type: Hello [FirstName],
- Or if nicknames are well-maintained: Hello [Nickname],
- Result: "Hello Sarah," or "Hello Sally,"
Best practices for greetings:
- The [FirstName] tag is the most reliable because nearly every constituent record has a first name
- If you use [Salutation], be aware that not all records have a salutation on file. If missing, the greeting will read "Dear Johnson," which may look awkward. Consider pairing it with a fallback.
- The [Nickname] tag only works when a nickname has been entered on the constituent record. If no nickname exists, it will be blank.
- For donor-specific emails, you could include something like: [FirstName], your generous giving of [TotalDonated] has made a real impact!