Best Practices: How to Use Dynamic Content

Dynamic Content allows you to deliver personalized, targeted email communications to specific audience segments without creating multiple emails. This guide walks you through the prerequisites, step-by-step instructions, and tips to help you get the most out of Dynamic Content.

To learn more about the benefits and value of dynamic content, check out this helpful article: Introduction to Dynamic Content.

Prerequisites for Using Dynamic Content

In order to use the Dynamic Content feature and create targeted email communications, you will need to meet the following criteria:

If you're interested in creating emails with dynamic content, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or contact support@contactmonkey.com.

Creating A Dynamic Content Email

Dynamic Content can be applied at the row level within an email, enabling you to create highly targeted and personalized emails with ease and precision.

Follow these steps to create and send an email using Dynamic Content:

Step 1: Create a New Email 

1. Log in to your ContactMonkey account.
2. Navigate to Emails in the top navigation bar.
3. Click on Create New Email in the top-right corner of the page.
4. In the slide over that appears, choose one of the following options:
   1. Select a pre-designed template.
   2. Upload a JSON file.
   3. Choose Start from Scratch to create a new design.
5. Enter an email name and any desired Tags to organize your email.
6. Toggle on the Dynamic Content option.
7. Click Create in the bottom-right corner to begin designing your email.

Step 2: Design Your Email and Finalize Content

In the email you just created design your email as usual, including:

• Header and footer sections that are visible to all recipients. 
• Global content (e.g., company-wide updates).
• Content rows you plan to make dynamic.

Step 3: Apply Display Conditions 

1. Click on the row you want to display conditionally in order to open up the Row Properties sidebar. This should highlight the row and you should see the "Row" label in the top right, as pictured here:

2. In the Row Properties sidebar, scroll down and locate the Dynamic Content block.

3. Click "Select Lists" within the Dynamic Content block.

4. Choose the contact list(s) from List Management that you want to see the row.

5. • You can select up to 10 lists per row. 

     For example: Assign the “US Employees” list to content specific to the US audience.

6. Repeat this step for other content rows, assigning each to the appropriate contact lists.

Step 4: Review and Preview Your Email

1. Use the Preview feature in the top right navigation bar to see how the email will look for different contact lists.
2. Verify that each audience segment sees the correct content by toggling off and on each custom list.
3. Adjust display conditions or email design if needed.

Once your email looks perfect, Save and Exit, and open your sending platform. 

Step 5: Send a Test Email

Dynamic Content Send Tests function slightly differently to provide peace of mind to you and anyone reviewing your email content.

Recipients of your Send Test email will see all email content, with indicators showing which rows are visible to specific lists.  Send Test emails will look something like this:

1. Use the Send Test Email feature to test how Dynamic Content will display for your recipients. 

2. Review and verify that:

   • Global content is visible to all recipients.

   • Dynamic rows are correctly assigned to their respective lists.

Sending A Dynamic Content Email

Once you are happy & confident with your dynamic content email, it's time to send. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open your supported sending platform.
2. Select your email template. You'll notice that if the email is a Dynamic Content email, it will have a label indicating so within the list of templates. 

3. Once selected, all Contact Lists used within Dynamic Content in the email will be pre-selected to ensure recipients receive the correct version of the email. For example:

   • If a content row is assigned to the “US Employees” list, that list will automatically be included in the send.

   • This ensures the lists used as display conditions are included in the email distribution.

4. Add any additional desired contact lists to receive the email.
5. Send the email to your recipients.

ContactMonkey will automatically ensure:

• Global content is visible to all recipients.

• Dynamic rows are displayed only to the appropriate contact lists.

• Recipients within multiple lists only receive ONE email with all relevant content.

How Recipients Will Receive the Dynamic Content Email

The following image illustrates how recipients will see versions of the email based on the lists they belong to:

• All Employees: See global content.

• US Employees: See US-specific content in addition to global content.

• EU Employees and APAC Employees: See content relevant to their regions.

• Multiple Lists: If a recipient belongs to multiple lists, they will see all relevant content assigned to their lists.

Tips for Best Results

To maximize the effectiveness of Dynamic Content, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep Display Conditions Simple:

  • Overly complex rules can cause confusion and errors. Stick to clear, simple conditions based on your contact lists.

• Plan Your Contact Lists Ahead of Time:

  • Ensure your lists are up to date and segmented before starting your email design.

• Test Before Sending:

  • Use the Preview feature to confirm that each audience segment sees the intended content.

• Keep Global Content Unified:

  • Maintain consistent messaging in your header, footer, and any content visible to all recipients

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I save templates with Dynamic Content?

Yes, you can! To save a dynamic content email as a template, follow these steps:

1. Create your dynamic content email using the steps outlined above.
2. Once your email is complete, go to the "Save and Exit" dropdown.
3. Select "Convert to Template" to save your email as a reusable template.

Can I share a Dynamic Content email with another team within ContactMonkey?

Yes, you can share a Dynamic Content email. However, please note:

• When sharing, all display conditions will be removed, but the email content will remain intact.
• This ensures compliance with any list permissions and privacy considerations.
• The teammate you share the email with will need to apply their own display conditions based on the Lists they have access to.

Why can't I see "Dynamic Content" in the Row Properties sidebar?

There are a few potential reasons for this issue:

1. The email was not created as a dynamic content email. Make sure you start with a Dynamic Content-enabled email.
2. Your account does not have Dynamic Content enabled. Check with your Admin or Owner to ensure the feature is activated in Settings > Email Management.

If you need assistance looking into this, feel free to contact support@contactmonkey.com.

What happens if a recipient belongs to multiple lists?

Recipients who belong to multiple lists will only receive one email. This email will include all the content rows assigned to the lists they belong to, ensuring they don’t receive duplicates.

What happens if I add a list that wasn’t assigned to a Dynamic Content row?

Any list added during the sending process that wasn’t used as a display condition will only see the global content in the email. Dynamic rows won’t display for these recipients.

Learn More

With Dynamic Content, you can efficiently target your audience, ensure relevance, and boost engagement—all while streamlining your email creation process. For more advanced tips, check out our related articles!

Introduction to Dynamic Content

How To Use List Management