In email marketing, sending the same message to everyone often feels boring and irrelevant. People like emails that speak directly to them. That’s why email content personalization is so powerful.
What is Email Content Personalization?
Email content personalization means using someone’s personal data (like their name, location, or past actions) inside your email.
Instead of sending:
- “Hello, here’s your discount.”
You send:
- “Hi Sarah, here’s your 20% discount on the shoes you love.”
It feels personal — and people are more likely to open, read, and click.
Why Personalized Emails Are Important
- More opens – People open emails that mention their name.
- More clicks – Relevant content leads to more action.
- Stronger relationships – Shows you care about your audience.
- More sales – The right message to the right person increases conversions.
Steps to Personalize Emails with Google Sheets or Excel
Step 1: Prepare Your Contact List
- Open Google Sheets (or Excel).
- Create a table with columns. Example:
| firstname | city | product | |
|---|---|---|---|
| yusuf@gmail.com | Yusuf | Lagos | Shoes |
| david@yahoo.com | David | Abuja | Laptop |
| lisa@outlook.com | Lisa | Port Harcourt | Dress |
Each column header will become a personalization tag.
Step 2: Write Your Email with Tags
When writing your email in a tool like Mailmeteor, Mailchimp, or any mail merge tool, you insert placeholders like this:
- Subject: Hi {{firstname}}, your {{product}} is waiting for you
- Body: Hello {{firstname}}, We noticed you’re from {{city}}, and we thought you’d love this special deal on {{product}}. Click here to claim your discount today!
Step 3: How It Appears to Subscribers
The tool replaces {{firstname}}, {{city}}, and {{product}} with each person’s real data from your sheet.
Example 1 (for Yusuf):
- Subject: Hi Yusuf, your Shoes is waiting for you
- Body: Hello Yusuf, We noticed you’re from Lagos, and we thought you’d love this special deal on Shoes. Click here to claim your discount today!
Example 2 (for David):
- Subject: Hi David, your Laptop is waiting for you
- Body: Hello David, We noticed you’re from Abuja, and we thought you’d love this special deal on Laptop. Click here to claim your discount today!
See? The email feels personal, even though it’s sent automatically to many people.
Extra Tips for Personalized Emails
- Always double-check your sheet so names and data are correct.
- Don’t overdo it — adding too many personal details can feel creepy.
- Test by sending an email to yourself first to confirm personalization works.
- Keep it simple: Name + City + Product is often enough.
Conclusion
Email content personalization turns plain emails into powerful conversations. By setting up a simple Google Sheet or Excel file, adding personalization tags like {{firstname}} or {{city}}, and connecting it with an email tool, you can send emails that feel one-on-one — even if you’re emailing hundreds of people.
It’s easy to do, improves engagement, and most importantly, helps you build trust and drive more sales.