Mail Merge to Create Gmail Draft

If you've ever run an email marketing campaign or used a cold email outreach strategy, you must be familiar with the intricacies of these methods.

Many email marketers and salespeople use mail merge to simplify the process.

But what exactly is Gmail mail merging, and how does it work? Continue reading for an overview of Gmail mail merge…

What Exactly Is a Mail Merge?

Mail merging is a useful feature that enables you to link a data-filled document to a template. The data includes information about the email recipients, such as first and last names, addresses, phone numbers, and so on. The information is entered into the email template at the specific locations' addresses.

A mail merge, in essence, simplifies the process of automatically sending mailings. This procedure typically involves storing a list of addresses, names, or other variables in a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel and creating a document in a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.

To allow automation between the files, users configure the document to include variable blank spaces and the spreadsheet to comprise corresponding variable data. This ensures that each document contains the correct information in the correct location. When both files are complete, the user runs them through a mail merge system, which retrieves the spreadsheet data and inserts it into the document.

Mail merge is an automated method of creating personalized letters or emails. It necessitates two components: a letter or email template with specific placeholders in the body. And a spreadsheet containing data that should be used to replace blank spaces for each independent receiver. These could include names, addresses, or any other personalized information. Some tools even allow you to send personal attachments with emails.

What Is A Mail Merge for Gmail? 

In its most basic form, a mail merge is a method of tailoring a batch of letters to each individual recipient.

Offline mail merges are typically used with an Excel spreadsheet and a Microsoft Word document. You can personalize a single letter to hundreds (or even thousands) of readers by creating a form letter in Word and then printing each individual's name and address in the Excel sheet.

This process is extremely useful for invitations, press releases, and direct mail campaigns where you need to submit the same assets to a large number of individuals quickly.

Fortunately, you can apply the same strategy to your current Gmail account. In Gmail, you can compose an email and then use personalized fields to include the recipient's name, address, or other personal information. These fields are then retrieved from a different source, such as a.CSV file, Google Sheets, or your CRM software.

Most data processing applications include a mail merge feature that allows users to send an email or similar document to multiple receivers. It connects a single form template to a data source containing recipient information such as name, address, and other predetermined and supported data.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mail Merging in Gmail

Mail merging has some advantages and disadvantages to consider. Here are some of the most significant advantages of mail merging in Gmail:

• Sending bulk emails in an easier way. 

Sending multiple emails to different people on an email list can be difficult, especially if you have a lot of variables to consider or are managing a large list. Mail merging with Gmail makes the process easier. You can almost entirely work within Gmail (with the assistance of another platform in some cases) and plan an entire campaign in just a few clicks. If you create and manage campaigns on a regular basis, this could save you hours of time.

• Message customization

Mail merging enables you to personalize messages sent from Gmail. According to research, personalized emails perform better; they receive more opens, have higher response rates, and tend to boost your overall ROI. Use mail merging in Gmail to specifically address individuals on your mailing list or to provide various kinds of content to various kinds of clients. It's an excellent way to "warm up" a previously "cold" email campaign.

• Real inboxes are being reached. 

Deliverability is a constant concern in email marketing. If your email appears to be too spammy, it may be flagged and routed to junk mail before it reaches its intended recipient. More importantly, if your email appears to be a sales or marketing email, Gmail may automatically route it to the Promotions tab. With mail merging and personalization, your email will come from your actual Gmail account, which will help your email stand out as genuine and organic, increasing the likelihood that it will land in an actual inbox and receive opens and responses.

• Using your Gmail account.

Gmail is a great email platform, but it isn't designed to help you send cold email outreach blasts or manage email marketing campaigns. Mail merge allows you to work within your existing Gmail account while still maximizing your sales and marketing strategies.

• Using spreadsheets and other data sources. 

If you already have a contact list of prospects or leads in Google Sheets (or another spreadsheet format), mail merging allows you to use it in Gmail. Take full advantage of all your client stored data in spreadsheets by using mail merging.

There are also some -not so good- sides about mail merging to consider:

• The learning curve

There are some tools and softwares that make Gmail mail merging simple and easy! Even if you are new to email marketing, you should be capable of launching a full campaign. However, there is still a learning curve to mail merging, and your first few actions may be difficult.

• Spam Perception

Even when you send a personalized email or create a personalized message to an extent, recipients maye see them like spam mail because of it’s automated nature.  If the recipient understands that your message is generically written and mass marketed, they won’t be interested in your email, too.  Gladly, you can fight against this by adding more value to your outgoing emails and by personalizing your messages as much as you can. Personalized emails are so important at this point.

• There is room for error. 

When managing your campaign, you'll be trusting on the accuracy of your data sheet and the functionality of automation. But sometimes, you may see a lot of errors. If your spreadsheet is out of date, or if it contains incorrect or irrelevant information, it may put the integrity of your messaging in danger. The only way to fight this is to conduct more thorough screening and checking.

• Lack of personalization 

You can use mail merge to "personalize" your email messages by adding names and special offers, but the basic message won’t be changing and remain the same. If you wanted "right" personalization, you'd have to compose a message for each person on your list. Obviously, you can’t write an email one by one to megalists, but it's a flaw to be aware of.

Why Should You Use Mail Merge?

Using mail merge to create personalized emails shows your audience that you see them as individuals (rather than numbers) and understand their needs and desires.

Furthermore, investing in personalized messaging can pay off in the long run. According to research, personalized marketing campaigns can generate a $20 return on investment for every dollar spent.

Personalization can be implemented by small businesses with limited (or non-existent) marketing budgets.

One of the simplest ways to customize your marketing strategies to the individual is to address each email to the reader, demonstrating that you know at the very least their first name. As a result, your emails will feel more like a private message from a friend than a promotion or sale.

Use Cases for Mail Merge for Gmail

You can use mail merging for Gmail in many different ways and in many different cases, here are some use cases that you can consider:

• Send bulk emails to your clients, partners, or prospects, whether you work for a large corporation or a small business (marketplace, ecommerce...)
• A newsletter solution that allows you to send out periodic newsletters about your new products, features, promotions, discounts, coupons, news, reports, metrics, and polls.
• Run an effective cold emailing or follow-up campaign for salespeople to drive and generate new leads.
• Manage public relations campaigns by contacting journalists and influencers.
• Seasonal greetings ( New Year, New year's Eve, Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Holidays, Ramadan, Halloween, Secret Santa, Easter Festival, Feast of Sacrifice and Christmas Holiday).
• Personalized thank-you emails should be sent to HR recruiters, crowdfunding 
• Inviting people to an event (webinar, conference, ceremony, meetup, fair...) and receiving responses from a large list of guests and invitees.
• supporters, product hunt upvoters, business angels, and a friend or family member.
• Organizations are currently using mail merge for Gmail to quickly send email updates to employees working from home during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
• Apply to multiple job postings at the same time and track the status of your applications like a task manager.

Why Mailsoftly Is the Best Mail Merge for Gmail 

Mailsoftly is a simple, inexpensive, and user-friendly Chrome extension that allows you to send personalized mass emails from your existing inbox. Mailsoftly was designed with small business owners in mind, with both free and paid plans available.

Mailsoftly's Basic plan is only $39 per month and can completely circumvent Gmail's sending limits. You get to send an unlimited number of emails per day! Furthermore, Mailsoftly's drag-and-drop builder allows you to customize over 100 beautiful templates.

Mailsoftly, the best mail merge for Gmail, also provides advanced reporting and analytics to help you take your marketing attempts to the next tier.

Prepared to discover how Mailsoftly can assist you in achieving your business objectives? Start by creating a free account today.