Mastering Two-Way Conversations: Unleashing Personalization with Branching Logic in Flows

Earlier this month, we introduced you to a significant update in Community’s Flows capabilities. This is the second blog in our 4-part series where we dive deeper into each of the major automated workflows updates. Today’s topic covers If/Else branching logic. 

As audiences grow and diversify, reaching customers on a personal level becomes more difficult, but essential. If/Else branching logic in Flows helps you personalize conversations as you onboard new members to your Community, drive conversions, or deepen engagement, to deliver the right message to the right person at exactly the right time.

What is If/Else Branching Logic?

If/Else branching logic is what allows you to create different paths for people based on what you know about them. You can direct individuals down one conversational path if they meet certain criteria (like age, location, or custom data). If they don’t, you can send them down an else path with different messaging. For example, one path for members “if” they are over 21 years old and another “else” path for those under 21. 

You can layer if/else logic into any level of your flows. In the same flow above, after you decide who is 21, you can then use if/else branching logic to give them specific messages if they live in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York or Houston. Think of it as a decision tree: members will be routed down different paths, with different messages, depending on who they are, what they like, demographics, etc. This makes your automated Flows smarter, more dynamic, and more personalized without adding complexity.

Community supports If/Else logic in Flows using filters like:

• Age  
• Gender Identity
• Subcommunities
• Location (with radius targeting)
• Custom Member Data from other systems like purchase frequency, spend amount, customer types, conference attendance, etc.

How If/Else Logic Fuels Targeted Messaging

Unlike traditional one-way blasts, If/Else branching logic lets you sort members based on their characteristics and custom data to ensure the right people receive the right message at the right time. It also ensures messages don’t go to those who aren’t the intended audience.  

This type of branching logic enables great efficiency, where you can set up one flow that automatically drives multiple campaigns and messages. The “location specific targeting” use case below, for example, enables you to promote pop-up events in multiple locations or cities like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and any number of other cities with a single flow. You would not want someone from Chicago getting an invitation to a pop-up event in New York City. This logic ensures:

• Compliance with age-restricted materials
• Engagement of members in relevant local events
• Delivery of messages and offers specific to subcommunities
• Branching of offers based on your organization's unique custom data
• Offers based on loyalty program tiers

With this structure, every message feels personal. Every response moves the relationship forward. Yet the entire process is automated so you’re scaling your engagement with your most important audiences. 

Why It Matters

With If/Else logic, you’re not just automating workflows, you’re tailoring highly effective two-way conversations. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

• Personalized Journeys: Send different content based on each subscriber’s age, gender, location, or even disclosed interests. What feels like a 1:1 conversation actually happens at scale.
• Targeted Conversions: Show the right offer to the right audience, increasing response rates and ROI.  
• Community-Aware Messaging: Speak differently to people who like pizza, burgers, cocktails or tacos, all in a single flow.  
• Compliance-Ready: Automatically meet regulatory standards by filtering based on member attributes like age.

Real-World Use Cases

Let’s bring this to life with practical examples already being implemented by leading brands.

Location-Specific Targeting Using Member Profile Data

How about targeting women who live in Chicago with a different message than women who live in NYC, Los Angeles or Houston? You can do that with If/Else branching.

A great example is the ability to promote a series of pop-up stores in several different cities for your fashion brand. You can ensure that only your local subscribers in Chicago receive the Chicago pop-up messages, while those in New York, Los Angeles or Houston receive messages only about the pop-up in their cities. Location-driven personalization is powerful, especially when combined with gender or age filters. You can drive attendance to local events, highlight city-specific promotions, or reflect cultural relevance in your tone and content. With radius targeting built in, you can even target several locations within the same city so hyperlocal messaging becomes scalable.

Community-Based Offers Using Subcommunities

Want to send a different offer for Members who live in your ‘Season Ticket Holder’ subcommunity versus those who don’t? You can do that with If/Else branching.

Tailor perks based on loyalty. Give your most dedicated subcommunities, like season ticket holders or VIP club members, exclusive messages, early access offers, or behind-the-scenes content. For example, everyone following a team could text ‘tickets,’ but only the VIP members’ subcommunity would receive special discounts and exclusive perks, while the season ticket holders’ subcommunity might receive information about the next game or merch, and everyone else might get a link to buy tickets.  

Loyalty Tier-Based Offers Using Custom Data

Want to surprise your most loyal shoppers with early access to exclusive drops? Or re-engage casual browsers with a different nudge? Are they interested in tops, pants, or accessories? You can have different paths for each, with If/Else branching.

When you layer in Custom Member Data imported from other systems, like loyalty status, purchase frequency, or recency, you can make each Flow feel like a concierge experience. VIPs can receive early access or tailored offers, while first-time buyers might receive a welcome discount. The result: increased conversion and retention, without additional manual effort.

Ready to Personalize at Scale Without Losing the Human Touch?

If/Else branching turns automation into personalization. It empowers you to speak to different segments of your audience as if you know them personally, because with Community, you do.  You know who they are, where they are, and what they are interested in. 

More than that, it powers two-way, personalized conversations at scale, through custom conversation paths that you create and control. Never lose your brand voice or the human touch. You own your audience experience with all the benefits of automation. 

Ready to build more meaningful, compliant, and conversion-ready member journeys? If you own Flows, branching logic is already in your toolkit. Start using it today.

Learn more about If/Else Flows:

• Watch this walkthrough to see it in action.

• Sign up for our upcoming webinar on November 6.