Email personalisation has come a long way from the days of simply adding your subscriber's first name at the start of a message. 

Which is why, in this week’s episode, we’re diving into some truly creative and unusual ways to use personalisation to ramp up your conversions. 

Forget the basic, automated-sounding tactics. Today, we’ll explore how to make your emails feel genuinely tailored to your audience, so they stand out in a crowded inbox.

Want to get more sales from your email marketing?

Before we get started with today’s episode, we’ve put a little something together for you.

It's really cool and it's FREE (yes, it's cool and free – we're nice like that). We all know that subject lines are important to get right and are a leading measure of your open and click rates – but writing them can be a challenge.

That's why Kennedy has spent months training an AI to write powerful subject lines that is beating top copywriters' subject lines 80% of the time in A/B tests – and you can get access to it here.

Why Personalisation is Key

Personalisation has become a major factor in increasing conversions.

When you personalise your emails, it makes them feel more relevant to the reader and when someone feels like your message is speaking directly to them, they’re more likely to engage and convert.

It’s not just about using their name, it’s about making them feel understood. And that’s what we’re focusing on today: how to get creative with the data you collect and how to use it in unexpected ways.

Go Beyond the First Name

The first step to levelling up your personalisation is to stop relying on the overused “Hi, [First Name]” intro. People are immune to this by now. 

Instead, try placing their name mid-sentence for a more natural flow. For example:

• “What if I could help solve [First Name]’s biggest business challenge?”
• “I thought to myself, what would [First Name] do in this situation?”

This creates a more engaging and personal tone, and leaves your subscribers feeling like they’re a deeper part of the conversation.

Use Their Last Name for a Unique Twist

You can also collect your subscriber’s last name to add even more impact. 

Imagine sending an email to a subscriber named John Smith with a subject line like: 

• “Can you imagine what Mrs. Smith would say if you landed that big sale?” 

This simple addition taps into a more personal narrative, making the reader envision how their decisions affect their family or others around them.

Another idea is to use their last name in a broader context: 

• “Does success run in the [Last Name] family?” 

This adds a sense of legacy and pride, which can resonate strongly with your audience.

Personalise Based on Products and Interests

If you sell products, asking for details about what your subscribers are most interested in can pay off. 

For example, if you know the name of their product or the platform they use, you can send an email like:

• “Here’s how to double the sales of [Product Name]”
• “Are you wasting your [Platform Name] subscription?”

This strategy not only grabs attention but also shows you’re paying attention to what matters to them.

Localise Your Emails

Another option is to personalise based on personal data, like your subscriber’s location.

Even if you’re not directly collecting location information from your subscribers, many email systems automatically track the user’s location based on their IP address. Use this to your advantage by creating localised messages like: 

• “Warning: [City] residents, don’t miss out on this offer before it’s too late!” 

This makes your email feel even more relevant, timely, and urgent.

Track Lead Sources for More Specific Emails

One often overlooked personalisation tactic is using the lead source in which your subscribers first engaged with you.

Whether it’s Instagram, Facebook or a guest training, referencing how they found you can create an instant connection:

• “Since we met through [Source], I thought you’d love this special offer.”

It’s a subtle reminder of your existing relationship, which strengthens trust and engagement.

Merge Dates and Days for Timeliness

Another clever way to make your emails feel current is by merging on the day of the week or the current month. Start your email with something like:

• “Happy Wednesday!” 

This creates the impression that the email was written specifically for that day, which adds a sense of urgency and freshness.

Closing Thoughts

All-in-all, email personalisation is about more than just dropping in a first name. 

It’s about making your emails feel personal, relevant, and timely. Whether it’s incorporating last names, product interests, or even the day of the week, these creative hacks will help you stand out in your subscribers’ inboxes and boost your conversion rates.

Subject line of the week

This week’s standout subject line is simply: “3 times.” 

It’s short, intriguing, and vague enough to spark curiosity. The beauty of a subject line like this is that it leaves the reader wondering ‘three times what?’ 

CONTEXT: This was a reference to the “Beetlejuice” movie, where saying the name three times summons the character and this subject line ties into the content of the email in a fun way, grabbing attention without giving too much away.

Resources

FREE list to improve your email marketing

If you want to write better emails, come up with better content, and move your readers to click and buy, here's how. We put together this list of our Top 10 most highly recommended books that will improve all areas of your email marketing (including some underground treasures that we happened upon, which have been game-changing for us). Grab your FREE list here. 

Join our FREE Facebook group

If you want to chat about how you can maximise the value of your email list and make more money from every subscriber, we can help! We know your business is different, so come and hang out in our FREE Facebook group, the Email Marketing Show Community for Course Creators and Coaches. We share a lot of training and resources, and you can talk about what you're up to.

Try ResponseSuite for $1

This week's episode is sponsored by ResponseSuite.com, the survey quiz and application form tool that we created specifically for small businesses like you to integrate with your marketing systems to segment your subscribers and make more sales. Try it out for 14 days for just $1.

Join The Email Hero Blueprint

Want more? Let's say you're a course creator, membership site owner, coach, author, or expert and want to learn about the ethical psychology-based email marketing that turns 60-80% more of your newsletter subscribers into customers (within 60 days).

If that's you, then The Email Hero Blueprint is for you.

This is hands down the most predictable, plug-and-play way to double your earnings per email subscriber. It allows you to generate a consistent sales flow without launching another product, service, or offer. Best news yet? You won't have to rely on copywriting, slimy persuasion, NLP, or ‘better' subject lines.

Subscribe and review The Email Marketing Show podcast

Thanks so much for tuning into the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode (all about creating an automated customer journey and using email marketing automation in your business) and love the show, we'd really appreciate you subscribing and leaving us a review of the show on your favourite podcast player. 

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