“Dear Valued Customer” is how many Ghanaians recognise a mass mailing, and often a scam. Personalisation signals the opposite: that you know who the reader is and that they chose to hear from you. With Mailpro, you can insert any field stored on a contact into the subject line or body of a newsletter.
What to personalise
| Field | Example in Ghana |
|---|---|
| First name | “Akosua, your statement is ready” |
| Region or city | Store opening in Takoradi only shown to Western Region readers |
| Branch or school | Parents see news from their own campus |
| Customer type | Wholesale price list for traders, retail offers for individuals |
| Home or abroad | Diaspora readers get December travel and gifting content |
| Preferred language | A greeting in Twi, Ga or Ewe for community newsletters |
Store these in custom contact fields and insert them with Mailpro’s personalisation tools. Always set a fallback value, such as “Hello friend”, for contacts with a missing field.
Names deserve care
Ghanaian names follow many conventions: day names such as Kwame or Ama, Christian and Muslim first names, family names that differ between siblings. Let people type their own preferred name on your form rather than splitting it for them, and never guess.
Personalisation and the law
Personalisation runs on personal data, so the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) applies. Collect only what you will use, tell subscribers why you ask, and keep the data accurate. If you ask for a date of birth for birthday offers, say so on the form. Section 40 of the Act also requires consent before using personal data for direct marketing. Our subscription form guide shows how to ask for both.
Beyond merge fields
True personalisation means sending different content to different people. Combine fields with segments so an agro-input supplier sends planting advice to northern farmers ahead of their rainy season and different timing to customers in the south, where the rains come earlier. Or trigger an automated birthday email with a small gift.
Mistakes to avoid
- Putting a customer’s account balance or personal details in a subject line, where anyone glancing at their phone can read it.
- Using a field that is often empty, which leads to awkward greetings such as “Hello ,”.
- Personalising with data the person never knowingly gave you. If it would surprise them, do not use it.
Personalising SMS too
The same fields work in text messages. A short SMS such as “Ama, your order is ready at our Tema branch” feels far more trustworthy than an anonymous alert, and fits comfortably within a single message.
Where to go next
Once personalisation is in place, check the impact in your statistics: click rates by segment show whether the effort pays. To build the newsletter itself, return to creating newsletters in Ghana.