First look: Personalize content using pre-defined tokens (Preview)

Creating personalization (adding dynamic fields to emails) in real time marketing requires some understanding of the Dataverse data model. You will need to know a little about tables (entities) and relationships to target the right personalization field.

To help marketers easily add common personalization fields to an email, we have added a new feature: Pre-defined list of tokens to Dynamics 365 Marketing real time. You can activate the feature in Settings

With the new Pre-defined list of tokens feature activated, the personalization exercise is greatly simplified. Clicking the Personalization button will now provide marketers with a list of pre-defined tokens to choose from when composing emails.

So instead of having to navigate relationships like contact->account->account name to insert an Account name token (dynamic field), a marketer can simply select the Account name token from the list of predefined tokens.

Create and share additional tokens

Marketers familiar with the data model can create and share additional tokens so that the rest of the team can focus on authoring content rather than learning database concepts.

For example, if the marketing department often write emails to contacts about their managing partner, it will be useful for the marketers if the list of tokens includes a Managing partner token

Let’s walk through an example in which I will send an email to a contact (like Molly Clark below) containing her full name, account name, and the name of her managing partner (“First Up Consultants”). The latter isn’t found in the list of pre-defined tokens, but I can create and add it to the list for my fellow marketers to leverage it going forward.

I compose an email with three lines in it, to which I will add three tokens (dynamic fields)

The two first tokens (Full name, and Account name) are present on the list already and can be inserted as is

The third token I will need to create my self and add it to the list of pre-defined tokens for my peers to leverage going forward. I place the cursor at the end of the line (1) and click the Personalization button (2) to display the list of pre-defined tokens

In the list of pre-defined tokens I click New token (1) to display the Personalization dialog

In the Personalization dialog I click the Select a data field (1) to display the Select a field dialog

In the Select a field dialog I click the Search box (1) and locate the Managing partner table

In the Managing Partner table I select the Account Name field (2)

The Personalization dialog now shows that the personalization info comes from Contact->Managing Partner (account)->Account Name (1)

I can provide a label (1) and default value (2) for the field

To ensure this new token will be available to other marketers going forward I expand the Save options (1) and select Save & add to pre-defined list (2)

I provide a name for the pre-defined token and then click Add to pre-defined

The new token is inserted at the cursor position (1), and a confirmation of creation notification (2) is displayed

To quickly verify that the token is in fact available to others going forward, I can place the cursor a few lines down (1) and click the Personalization button (2) and see the new token is present as expected (3)

Finally I can test the email in a journey

And verify that Molly Clark receives an email with the correct personalization info added

Delivering personalized content is a top goal for marketers. Now, anyone can add the power of personalization to their content with a quick list of the most commonly used dynamic text

See also

• Preview: Personalize content using pre-defined tokens – link
• Quickly personalize emails using predefined dynamic text, without the need to know the underlying data structure – link