11 Powerful Examples of Dynamic Email Content [+ Guide]

Not all email personalization is created equal. 

There are varying degrees, from the basic “Hello, %%first_name%%” that many email service providers (ESPs) offer using merge tags, to more advanced methods that go beyond these standard methods—like email elements that are dynamically personalized at the time of open (think: live polls, countdown timers, and Interest Signals).

This raises the question: if a majority of marketers are using basic-level personalization—like a subscriber’s first name, subject line, or preview text—how personalized is it really?

If you’re looking for ways to personalize beyond the standard email practices, read on for 11 ways to create personalized inbox experiences, with examples from brands like Ted Baker, Kate Spade, and more.

Why it works

Leveraging automation that serves up personalized content based on the time of opening ensures that emails remain relevant beyond their initial send, for several reasons:

1. Timing relevance. Not everyone opens emails immediately upon receiving it. By adjusting content based on when the email is opened (vs. sent), recipients receive up-to-date information that is more likely to be actionable.
2. Avoids outdated content. When recipients revisit the email at a later time, they see current content rather than information that may have become irrelevant or outdated since the email was originally sent.

Let’s dive into some real-life examples and use cases.

1) Show your brand’s most-viewed or purchased products

Marketing works best with an integrated approach. By combining your customer relationship management (CRM) software with web traffic and email marketing, you can create more relevant, personalized shopping experiences for subscribers.

In the email below, Ted Baker features their most viewed and purchased products from the past seven days, dynamically updating them based on when the subscriber opens the email for the latest inventory and pricing details. Plus, data from their CRM is used to recommend products tailored to the subscriber’s preferred categories, enhancing the relevance of the suggestions provided.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

2) Personalization based on time and date

Email personalization is about meeting subscribers where (and when) they’re at. Setting up time in date rules allows you to optimize the timing of your sends based on the recipient.

Boux Avenue uses time and date rules to send emails matching the current zodiac sign at the time of opening. The campaign is fully automated, enabling dynamic and engaging content with flexibility for quick adjustments.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

Here’s a creative twist on “Hello, %%first_name%%”: Kate Spade incorporates each subscriber’s first name into the hero image of an email using personalized images.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

3) Lean into weather

Talking about the weather isn’t just for small talk. It can be a powerful way to provide a more relevant experience with your email subscribers.

Winter Park—a ski resort in Colorado—knows just how important weather is to their subscribers. They have developed a fully automated email with the help of Litmus Personalize that includes the current snow report and live updates on ski lift times. It provides valuable information for subscribers, encouraging them to visit the resort or building excitement as they head to the slopes.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

ASOS leverages weather conditions—rain or shine—to deliver shopping relevance to subscribers. Depending on the subscriber’s current weather, they receive an email with weather-targeted images, such as a raincoat for a rainy day. It’s a perfect blend of surprise, delight, and practicality.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

4) Make location suggestions

Invite subscribers to visit your store and make it easy for them to find you, just like Kate Spade does below. Depending on the subscriber’s location when they open the email, it triggers either a map displaying the closest stores or a default message with links to store location lists to help them plan their next shopping trip.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

5) Generate excitement with countdown timers

Featuring a real-time countdown timer within your emails can be an easy yet highly effective way to elicit enthusiasm or urgency from your subscribers.

Ikon Pass features a countdown timer in their email header, driving a sense of urgency with subscribers that time is running out on low pass prices. They also highlight additional savings and perks of being a pass holder.

iClothing does this for Black Friday promotion, featuring lightning deals that mirror the offers on their site, changing as the day unfolds.

6) Show—don’t tell—with social proof

Email marketing offers an incredible opportunity to build community and demonstrate authority in your space by adding elements of social proof.

Mamas and Papas takes a multi-faceted approach to personalized emails in a campaign for expecting parents. 

They tailor content to match the current pregnancy stage of the subscriber, then incorporate images from their Instagram feed into the email, highlighting how to stay connected with contests and product updates. This strategy encourages cross-pollination by prompting subscribers to follow them online, expanding their audience for continued engagement across platforms.

Source: The Email Personalization Handbook

7) Gather first-party data with live polls

With third-party cookies on their way out, your email program will need to lean more heavily on zero- and first-party data. Good news, email marketers: this is where your medium shines!

In particular, live polls are a rich source of first-party data. Hunter’s campaign promoting an update to their classic rain boots features a live poll asking subscribers to pick their favorite boot. This not only boosts engagement (each vote counts as a click) but also captures valuable data on subscriber preferences.

Bulk used the excitement around the upcoming London Marathon to engage their fitness enthusiast audience. They launched a campaign to gauge participation, using a live poll that captures valuable first-party insights into their subscribers’ interests for better personalization for future campaigns.

Take it personally

At Litmus, we want our subscribers to take things personally. Hear us out: if “Hello, %%first_name%%” is the norm, then you’ve got to think outside the box to make a lasting impression with your subscribers.

That’s why we advocate going beyond the MERGETAG with elements that dynamically update at the time of open. Here’s how we can help you do just that.