What is email segmentation?

hotsiagoodman
November 17, 2024

Get FREE Training Workshop from John Crestani

John Crestani has been recognized by Forbes, Business Insider, Entepreneur.com, and dozens of other publications for his success online. More importantly, he’s helped thousands of everyday people from around the world create success for themselves as well.

What is email segmentation?

Email segmentation is the process of dividing your email subscribers into smaller, more specific groups based on certain characteristics, behaviors, or preferences. This allows marketers to send personalized and relevant emails that improve engagement, conversions, and customer satisfaction.

How Does Email Segmentation Work?

  • Data Collection: Collect information about your subscribers during signup or through their interactions (e.g., purchases, clicks, website behavior).
  • Group Creation: Use this data to create distinct segments (e.g., based on demographics, location, or past purchases).
  • Targeted Campaigns: Design and send emails tailored to the specific needs and interests of each segment.

Common Ways to Segment an Email List:

1. Demographics

  • Based on age, gender, income, education level, etc.
  • Example: Sending beauty products for men and women separately.

2. Geographic Location

  • Group subscribers by city, state, country, or climate.
  • Example: Promoting winter clothing to subscribers in colder regions.

3. Purchase Behavior

  • Segment based on purchase history, frequency, or cart abandonment.
  • Example: Sending loyalty rewards to repeat customers or offering a discount to first-time buyers.

4. Interests or Preferences

  • Ask subscribers about their preferences during signup or through surveys.
  • Example: Sending tech-related content to subscribers interested in gadgets.

5. Engagement Level

  • Segment by how actively subscribers engage with your emails:
    • Active Users: Open and click emails frequently.
    • Inactive Users: Haven’t engaged in a while.
  • Example: Running a re-engagement campaign for inactive subscribers.

6. Lifecycle Stage

  • Divide subscribers by where they are in the customer journey:
    • New Subscribers: Send welcome emails.
    • Leads: Provide educational content or nurturing sequences.
    • Customers: Share loyalty rewards or cross-sell products.

7. Email Activity

  • Based on how subscribers interact with your emails:
    • Open rate.
    • Click-through rate.
    • Responses to previous campaigns.
  • Example: Resending an email with a different subject line to those who didn’t open it.

8. Time Since Last Interaction

  • Segment based on recent activity or inactivity.
  • Example: Offering discounts to subscribers who haven’t purchased in a while.

9. Spending Habits

  • Group by average order value or spending frequency.
  • Example: Providing exclusive offers to high-spending customers.

10. Device or Platform Usage

  • Identify whether subscribers use mobile, desktop, or specific email platforms.
  • Example: Optimizing designs or promotions for mobile users.

Benefits of Email Segmentation:

  1. Personalized Content:
    • Tailored messages resonate more with subscribers.
  2. Higher Engagement Rates:
    • Increases open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
  3. Reduced Unsubscribes:
    • Relevant emails make subscribers less likely to leave your list.
  4. Improved ROI:
    • Targeted campaigns yield better results than generic ones.
  5. Stronger Customer Relationships:
    • Showing you understand and value your audience fosters trust and loyalty.
  6. Efficient Use of Resources:
    • Focus marketing efforts on specific, high-impact groups.

Tools for Email Segmentation:

Most email marketing platforms, like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and HubSpot, offer built-in segmentation features. They allow you to segment based on criteria like behaviors, demographics, or custom tags.

Segmentation in Action:

A fitness brand may segment its email list into:

  • Beginners: Share tips on starting a fitness journey.
  • Experienced Users: Promote advanced workout equipment.
  • Regional Groups: Announce events or gym openings in specific cities.

By dividing your audience into meaningful groups, segmentation ensures that your emails are more relevant, engaging, and impactful.

Free Webinar Training Reveals From John Thornhill