Merge Tags are a piece of code that allows you to include dynamic, unique data in your marketing initiatives. This is particularly helpful when creating automations or scheduled emails that re-use common links or snippets, such as your studio phone number, a waiver link, or a booking page link.
Common Merge Tags include:
First Name - allows you to customize an email or text with the client's first name
Phone Number - quickly add your studio phone number to any email or text
Class Schedule URL - quickly add your schedule URL to any email or text
Waiver URL - easily add your waiver to a pre-class email or text
HQ Syncing
This is particularly helpful in creating an auto-campaign or scheduled email at the HQ level, but needs the language to be oriented to each location when the content is ultimately pushed to franchisees.
For example, let's say you have created an auto-campaign in the HQ account
This campaign includes an auto-email to target clients who have created a profile in your booking software and encourage them to purchase and/or book.
This auto-email will drive the client to a landing page. These landing pages will differ per franchisee.
Instead of pushing this email into each franchisee account and manually editing the content to reflect that particular franchisee, I can use a merge tag to populate the relevant information in each account.
Create an HQ Merge Tag
If you would like to create a new merge tag in all your child accounts, follow these steps.
In the HQ Account, navigate to Settings > Merge Tags > HQ Merge Tags and click Add HQ Merge Tag.
Fill out the Merge Tag information and click Save.
Choose between Text or URL for the type of content
Name: For internal purposes. If your merge tag is a URL, include URL at the end of the name for ease of reference.
Content: the information you want to display to your customers. At the HQ level, there will likely be no value so enter "--".
Identifier: This is the code snippet that will display when creating emails and emails. If your merge tag is a URL, include "_url" at the end of the identifier, as in the example below.
Click Save. The merge tag placeholder has now been added to all child accounts.
Add a value to Merge Tags at the child level
Now that you have created the merge tag at the HQ level, you will need to add the value at each child location.
While logged into a child account, navigate to Settings > Merge Tags > HQ Merge Tags.
You will see the HQ merge tag placeholders. Enter the account-specific value. If the value is a URL, be sure to include https://www.
Click Save Changes.
Account Merge Tags vs HQ Merge Tags
Account and HQ Merge tags function the same way, and both can be used interchangeably in automations and emails. The only difference is that HQ merge tags can be created once at the HQ level and pushed to child accounts, which may save you time, and will ensure no typographical errors when creating the identifier.
The only difference in set-up is that you will add the value at the account level, as the merge tag placeholder will not be shared with the other locations.
Editing Merge Tags
Any Merge Tag can be edited by updating the content and clicking Save.
Deleting a Merge Tag
To delete a Merge Tag, click the trash can icon next to the tag.
If you are deleting an HQ Merge Tag, you will be given the option to delete it from the child accounts.
Changing the name of a Merge Tag
On non-default Merge Tags, hover over the name and click the pencil icon to change the label/name.
Using Merge Tags in emails and SMS messages
When creating an email in the HQ account, this merge tag will appear on the list of Available Personalizations, which can be copied and pasted into the message content.
If your merge tag is a URL, it can also be used as the URL of a button or text hyperlink.
We recommend sending yourself a test email to test merge tags before setting an email to live.
Merge tags can be used in Marketing Emails and SMS Messages. Merge tags cannot be used in Transactional Emails or SMS Messages.