What method should be used to display a subscriber's first name and the date of send in a monthly newsletter?

The most effective method to display a subscriber's first name and the date of send in a monthly newsletter is through the use of AMPscript. AMPscript is a powerful scripting language used in Salesforce Marketing Cloud to personalize emails and landing pages. It allows for dynamic content generation based on subscriber attributes and real-time data manipulation.

When employing AMPscript, you can easily pull a subscriber's first name directly from their profile data within the email context and format the current date. This capability enables a tailored experience for each recipient, enhancing engagement and relevance in your communications.

In contrast, personalization strings, while useful for basic personalization tasks, may have limitations in more complex scenarios, especially if formatting or conditional logic is required. The SQL query approach is better suited for managing large data sets and analytics rather than directly customizing content in newsletters. Guide Template Language is primarily used within Salesforce’s Journey Builder and isn’t typically the go-to choice for email personalization in newsletters. Therefore, AMPscript stands out as the ideal choice for achieving the desired outcome effectively.