Best practices for using custom objects

It's tempting to collect as much customer information as possible, especially when custom objects give you more flexibility. But more data doesn't automatically mean better marketing. Focus on information that serves a specific purpose.

• Identify the action you want customers to take. Are you helping them prepare for something, make a decision, or complete a task?
• Work backward from that action. Determine which object details are necessary to support it and which would add little value.
• Keep your goals measurable. Choose a business outcome you can evaluate, such as repeat bookings, renewals, or customer engagement.

For example, a nail salon wants to reduce missed appointments. Rather than collecting every detail about its customers, it focuses on appointment dates, times, and services booked. With this information, the salon can send timely reminders that help customers prepare for their visits.

Starting with a clear purpose helps you focus your efforts on customer information that actually makes a difference.

Some of the most valuable customer interactions happen between purchases, bookings, or visits. Think about how the information in your custom objects could help customers get more value from something they've already purchased or experienced.

• Anticipate what customers might need next. Consider common questions, challenges, or decisions that arise after a purchase or appointment.
• Share information when it's useful. Transactional follow-up messages might make sense right after customers pay for a service, while other guidance could be more valuable even later.
• Offer support before another sale. Educational content, helpful reminders, and relevant recommendations can keep customers engaged without every message feeling promotional.

For example, a business that sells home appliances could track customers' registered products and share maintenance tips, replacement filter reminders, or troubleshooting resources based on the appliance model and purchase date.
By staying useful between transactions, you give customers more reasons to engage with your business over time.

Customers can have multiple objects connected to their profiles, and those records won't always share the same status, dates, or details. Consider both who qualifies for your message and which information is appropriate to display.

• Review your audience criteria. Make sure customers qualify based on the information that matters to your segments, campaigns, and flows, not simply because they have an associated object record.
• Consider records that shouldn't appear. Canceled bookings, expired memberships, or completed appointments might need to be excluded from the message content.
• Account for customers with multiple qualifying records. Use object filters to show only pertinent details to that specific message.

For example, a fitness studio wants to encourage members to book their next class. Some customers have several upcoming class registrations, while others have only completed classes. The studio should determine who needs the reminder and ensure the message displays the appropriate class information for each person.

Thinking through both decisions helps prevent messages from reaching the right person that contain confusing or irrelevant details.

A message might look perfect when you preview it using a customer with complete, accurate information. But real customer data isn't always that straightforward. Testing a wider range of scenarios helps you catch issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

• Test incomplete records. Check how your message reads when optional information, such as a name, location, or preference, isn't available.
• Test multiple and changing records. Consider customers with several active object records, canceled bookings, or information that has recently changed.
• Check the entire customer experience. Look beyond whether a personalization tag displays correctly. Make sure the subject line, message content, and next steps all make sense together.

For example, a travel company sends personalized pre-trip emails using customers' booking records. Previewing a customer with two upcoming trips might reveal that the subject line references one destination while the email content displays details for another.

Testing less straightforward scenarios helps you identify issues before they affect the customer experience.