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!