Dynamic content
Dynamic content is content within an email or web page that changes automatically based on known attributes of the recipient or visitor, without the sender needing to create separate versions of the communication.
Rather than sending one static version of an email to your entire list, dynamic content allows you to define rules: show content block A to contacts in the UK, content block B to contacts in the Netherlands; show the product image that matches the category the visitor last browsed; include a case study relevant to the recipient’s industry. The platform evaluates these rules for each recipient at send time and dynamically assembles the personalised version.
Dynamic content is powered by the data you hold about your contacts, whether in your CRM, your email platform, or a connected data source. The richer and more accurate the data, the more specific and relevant the personalisation you can deliver. Common data points used in B2B dynamic content include industry, company size, job role, lifecycle stage, geographic location, previous purchase or engagement history, and account characteristics for ABM programmes.
For B2B marketers, dynamic content is one of the most powerful tools for scaling personalisation. Instead of creating 10 different email variants for 10 different segments, you build one email with dynamic sections that automatically resolve to the right content for each recipient. This is faster to produce, easier to manage, and delivers a more relevant experience than static segmentation alone. The prerequisite is good data: dynamic content is only as useful as the data that drives it.
What is the difference between dynamic content and personalisation tokens?
Personalisation tokens (or merge tags) insert individual data points into fixed positions in an email, such as a recipient’s first name in the subject line or their company name in the body. Dynamic content goes further: it changes entire sections or blocks of an email based on conditions, showing different images, paragraphs, offers, or calls to action to different recipients. Personalisation tokens customise specific words; dynamic content customises the structure and substance of the communication.
What data can I use to trigger dynamic content?
Any data stored in your email platform or CRM can potentially be used to trigger dynamic content. Common examples include demographic data (job title, industry, company size, country), behavioural data (pages visited, emails clicked, products purchased), lifecycle stage (lead, trial user, customer, lapsed customer), account data for ABM programmes (target account status, account tier, assigned sales rep), and event-based data (whether someone has registered for a webinar, attended a demo, or used a specific product feature).
Does dynamic content affect email deliverability?
Dynamic content itself does not negatively affect deliverability when used correctly. However, if the data driving dynamic content results in emails containing very different content for different recipients, it is worth testing that all variants render correctly across email clients. Extremely complex dynamic rules can also make email HTML larger, which can affect load time and potentially spam scoring if the HTML becomes unusually long. Keep conditional logic as simple as the use case allows and test all content variants before sending.