How do I personalize emails based on data in my database?

There are two ways to provide content based on values in your database:

Showing specific content blocks in your newsletter

When showing specific content blocks in your newsletter, you define which conditions a contact must meet to see the block. Consider, for example, interests. Suppose you know of a contact that they have a preference for women's clothing. Then only content related to women's clothing will be shown. In all other cases, other or no content will be displayed. 

So your content is linked to a condition. Here's how to do this in the editor when creating a newsletter:

  1. Select the block in your newsletter that you want to conditional.
  2. On the right-hand side of the options for your block, click on Conditional content.
    Styling_Conditional_content.png
  3. Then click on the dropdown to create a new condition:
    Create_new_condition.png
  4. A screen will open to create a filter. In a filter, you specify the conditions. Firstly, give a name to the filter.
    Create new filter.png
  5. Then you set the conditions. This can be done based on multiple values. Select the database field you want to use as a condition, and then determine which condition it must meet.
    Conditie_instellingen.png
  6. It is possible that the filter contains multiple conditions. You click on and if someone has to meet multiple conditions. The or condition is used when someone has to meet one of the values.  
  7. Click Ok to apply the condition to the block.
  8. The following icon next to your block will show you that conditional content has been applied. The icon is clickable to adjust and view the condition.
    Block_condition.png

Deleting conditions

Do you want to delete a condition you've created? You do this outside of the editor. Go to the Send menu item and click on Filters on the left.
Deleting_condition.png

Send a newsletter based on data in your database

With this option, you send the entire newsletter to a specific group. You can also exclude contacts for whom the newsletter is not relevant based on segmentation. Suppose you want to exclude contacts who do not have a car and therefore do not need to receive a newsletter about car insurance, then you use a group. Import the contacts that don't have a car and link these contacts to a group under the Contacts menu. 

Here's how:

  1. Go to the Contacts menu.
  2. On the left, click Groups, then click the Insert button.
  3. Enter a name for your group and leave the other settings as the default.
    Creating_Group.png
  4. After that, you import the contacts you want to have in a group. You can do this by clicking on Upload contacts on the left. 
    Upload_contacts.png
  5. Select the CSV file of contacts you wish to upload.
  6. In the next step, select the group you want the contacts to end up in:
    Import contacts_Group.png
  7. Match the fields of your file with the fields in your account. And at the bottom, click Ok.
  8. The contacts are now added to a group. When sending a newsletter, you choose who you send the newsletter to and which group should be excluded under Recipient groups.
    Recipient groups.png