Personalized email marketing isn’t just a trend—it’s now the foundation of creating meaningful connections with customers and driving higher engagement.
Research shows that around 74% of companies personalize emails by including a recipient’s first name in the message or subject line, but that’s just scratching the surface. True personalization involves much more than using someone’s name.
If you’re still sending the same email to your entire audience, it’s time to evolve. Here’s how AI can help you tailor every message to feel relevant and personal for each recipient.
Why Mass Email Campaigns No Longer Work
For years, blast emails were the go-to tactic: inexpensive, fast, and capable of reaching thousands of people in one click. But today’s audiences expect more.
Consumers want messages that feel relevant and timely, not generic promotions. About 73% of customers expect better personalization as technology advances.
While it’s possible to add some customization manually, the process is time-consuming and often unsustainable. As a result, marketers frequently default to sending generic content that fails to engage.
This approach creates several problems:
- Irrelevance: Messages that don’t match individual interests often get ignored or deleted.
- Low Engagement: Open rates and clicks suffer when emails feel impersonal.
- Higher Unsubscribe Rates: Irrelevant messages drive recipients to opt out.
- Missed Opportunities: Without personalization, it’s harder to build loyalty and convert leads.
The numbers are clear: personalized emails can drive 6 times more transactions, 29% higher open rates, and 41% higher click-through rates. When people feel known and valued, they’re more likely to engage.
How Generative AI Transforms Email Marketing
Generative AI is revolutionizing how marketers create and deliver personalized content. It can analyze vast amounts of customer data to uncover patterns and preferences quickly, enabling you to:
- Send the right message at the right time
- Tailor recommendations to each individual
- Scale personalization without manual effort
However, protecting customer data is critical. For example, the Einstein Trust Layer within Salesforce Marketing Cloud safeguards sensitive information while giving AI the context it needs to generate relevant content. Whichever platform you choose, make sure it offers strong privacy and security controls to keep your customer data safe.
Five Ways to Build More Personalized Email Campaigns
- Use Your Customer Data to Create Segments
Gather and analyze information from your website, purchase history, and other channels. Then, segment your audience based on behavior and preferences. - Develop Dynamic Content for Each Segment
Create multiple versions of your email body, subject lines, and product recommendations. Generative AI tools can help automate this process, so each recipient gets content that feels relevant. - Set Up Behavioral Triggers
Automate emails triggered by actions such as cart abandonment, recent purchases, or birthdays. These timely messages often see higher engagement. - Continuously Test and Optimize
Use A/B testing and AI-driven analytics to identify which subject lines, content, and send times perform best. Regularly refine your strategy based on insights. - Extend Personalization Beyond Email
Personalization shouldn’t stop with email. Apply the same strategies across other touchpoints to deliver a consistent, tailored experience.
How Agentforce for Marketing Supports Personalized Campaigns
Agentforce for Marketing combines AI-powered automation with intuitive tools that help you design and launch campaigns efficiently.
- Audience Segmentation
Einstein AI automatically groups your customers by behavior and preferences. For example, if you sell camping gear, it can identify a segment that frequently shops for outdoor equipment. - Dynamic Content Creation
You can easily produce different versions of emails, such as highlighting hiking boots for one segment and tents for another. - Personalized Recommendations
AI analyzes each customer’s interactions to suggest products and content they’re likely to value. - Optimal Send Times
The platform can determine when your audience is most active, ensuring your messages arrive at the perfect moment. - Campaign Tracking and Insights
After launching, you’ll get predictive insights to help you understand what’s working and where to adjust. For example, if customers interested in camping engage more with boot promotions, you can refine your targeting accordingly.
By automating these tasks, Agentforce frees you to focus on crafting relevant, engaging messages that strengthen your customer relationships.
Final Thoughts
Moving beyond generic email blasts is no longer optional. AI-powered personalization can immediately boost engagement, drive higher ROI, and build stronger loyalty.
When you combine thoughtful segmentation, dynamic content, and AI insights, you’re not just sending emails—you’re creating experiences that matter.