Personalize Opt-in and Match messages
Whether you use the email, Slack or MS Teams communication channel, you can personalize the messages sent to members.
Emails
Customize your email(s) template(s)
Open your program
Go to the "Communication" tab, and scroll down to access the Emails personalization section.
If you selected the "Ask for participation" option in the Settings, 2 emails will be sent: the opt-in email and the intro email.
If you selected the "Automatic participation" option in the Settings, only 1 email will be sent: the intro email.
Select the email type (Opt-in / Intro Email), and click "Customize".
Customize your email templates!
You can personalize:
The sender (by default, the sender is juliette@random-coffee.com, but you can modify it!)
The subject of the email
✨ Pro tip
We usually reply to emails with an interesting subject line and engaging content. To catch the reader's attention, you can:
Personalize the subject line (adding the recipient's name)
Use emojis (e.g., "Would you like to meet with a colleague informally and just for fun? 😀")
Ask a question (e.g., "[First Name], would you like to chit-chat with a new colleague?")
Use power words (e.g.: Ready, Save the date, Learn, Change, Engage...)
Do not remove {{coworkers}} next to "To:" (for the recipients).
✨ Pro tip
The email content should be engaging, straight to the point, and contain words that catch the reader's attention and encourage them to participate in the initiative.
Offer some benefits out of this participation: get to know what your colleagues do, find a mentor, learn a new language, find a job opportunity in a different department...
Encourage participants to share their matching experience: you can invite participants to share pictures with their match on the company's social media page. This will increase their sense of belonging and make others want to be part of the initiative.
Other useful tips:
In the opt-in message, do not forget to mention when the match message will be sent out!
Invite members to access their Member Portal to set matching preferences and define their availabilities!
The url associated to the "Yes, I'm in" button or link (opt-in for the session) must be: {{request_link}}
The url associated to the "No, thanks" button or link (opt-out for the session) must be: {{reject_link}}
In the intro email, do not remove the section:
{% for coworker in coworkers %}
()
{% endfor %}
It enables to automatically display the names of the members who are matched together in the intro email.
However, feel free to add other information, especially using "Merge Tags", to personalize your intro (by adding the department values for each member for example). This is possible if you previously created categories.
Add your own logo
Click on the actual RandomCoffee logo, and select "Upload image" in the right panel. The logo will be automatically replaced by yours.
Add blocks & content
You can drag and drop new blocks from the "Blocks" menu. Then, drag and drop your desired contents in it, from the "Content" menu.
Below in an example of a 50% / 50% block including text at the left, and an image at the right.
Add a button
Drag and drop the "Button" content, from the "Content" section.
Then, click on your button to customize its colors, url, etc.
Add Merge tags
Merge tags are useful for personalizing even more your templates by adding more context for members.
Make sure you previously created categories.
When editing your email, click "Merge Tags" in the floating bar and select the one you want to add.
| Merge Tag | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
Company name | Add the company name | Opt-in email + Intro email |
First Name | Add recipient's first name | Opt-in email + Intro email |
Unsubscribe Link | Enable the recipient to access the unsubcribe page and choose to opt-out for: a session / a program / RandomCoffee in general. (It is included by default at the end of the email, as a link). | Opt-in email + Intro email |
Coworker > ... | Here you can find all the categories you created. You can display the title of the category (e.g., City), or the category value (e.g.,Paris) linked to the member. | Intro email |
Meeting organizer* | This merge tag allows you to randomly select a member from the group to be responsible for organizing the coffee. The Meeting's organizer is not the Admin. | Intro email |
Program Name | Add the program name | Intro email |
Schedule a meeting link | Add a link to the booking page | Intro email |
✨ Pro tip
*Below is an example on how to use the "Meeting Organizer" merge tag in the match email:
"Hi X, Y, Z!
You've been matched! 🥳 Here's some information about your group:
X (X@example.com), [Job title], based in [location]
Y (Y@example.com), [Job title], based in [location]
Z (Z@example.com), [Job title], based in [location]
As the designated organizer for the group, X please reach out to your matches and set up a time to meet before [date]!"
Send test email(s)
You can send test email(s) to yourself to check if everything is fine in terms of layout and content.
Note that merge tags do not work in test emails.
From the "Communication" tab, select "Opt-in email" or "Intro email", and click "Send test email".
An email will be automatically sent to your email address.
Slack/MS Teams messages
Customize your cards
Open your program
Go to the "Communication" tab and scroll down to reach the "Card Message" section
Personalize your card(s)!
You can use the following variables in your cards:
{{first_name}}
{{company}}
{{coworker.full_name}} (in the match card only)
{{coworker.email }} (in the match card only)
Slack and MS Teams cards are editable in markdown language. Click here for tips on formatting options.
Note that, in Microsoft Teams, the match card automatically includes 3 buttons at the bottom of the card: "Schedule your meetup", "Start a chat", and "Start a call".
Basic formatting options
Headings
To create a heading, add number signs (#) in front of a word or phrase. The number of number signs you use should correspond to the heading level. For example, to create a heading level three (<h3>), use three number signs (e.g., ### My Header).
Bold
To bold text, add two asterisks before and after a word or phrase. To bold the middle of a word for emphasis, add two asterisks without spaces around the letters.
Example:
Italic
To italicize text, add one asterisk before and after a word or phrase. To italicize the middle of a word for emphasis, add one asterisk without spaces around the letters.
Example:
Bold and italic
To emphasize text with bold and italics at the same time, add three asterisks before and after a word or phrase. To bold and italicize the middle of a word for emphasis, add three asterisks without spaces around the letters.
Example:
Blockquotes
To create a blockquote, add a > in front of a paragraph.
Example:
Add images
You can add images in your MS Teams/Slack card if you have a public link to your image.
To add an image, add an exclamation mark (!), followed by alt text in brackets, and the path or URL to the image asset in parentheses.
Example:
✨ Pro tip
Use and reuse our communication assets! They have been created for you.
Open the image of your choice
Right-click on it, and select "open in a new tab"
Copy the link of the image from your browser
Paste the link in your MS Teams / Slack card template
Adjust the image size by putting 240 after "width=" in the link
See the Bonus: illustrated example below 😉
Add links
To create a link, enclose the link text in brackets (e.g., [RandomCoffee]) and then follow it immediately with the URL in parentheses (e.g., (https://www.random-coffee.com)).
Example:
Another example with the booking link:
