When you group your subscriber list into segments that reflect targetable characteristics, interests, or needs, you can then tailor the content you send so that it's more relevant, timely, and relatable for each segment.
That level of attention can result in higher open and clickthrough rates—both for a current campaign, and increasingly, over time, for future ones, assuming it's done properly.
Creating a persona for each segment you plan to send to can help you connect more deeply with that group so that you can provide communications that truly speak to their current mind frames, worldviews, interests, and needs.
As a result, subscribers will grow to feel more and more understood and start to recognize and appreciate the value they'll find within your emails. In the process, you'll maximize click rates and minimize unsubscribe rates and spam complaints.
Segmentation Opportunities
The email segments you create should align with your marketing and messaging goals, so pick and choose accordingly. Here are 12 possible ways to segment your email campaigns.
1. Subscriber Engagement
Measure cumulative actions by responder (the number of times each subscriber has opened and/or clicked on your emails, as well as how often he or she has converted because of your email efforts, during a defined period of time such as the past quarter or year).
Then, segment accordingly so that you can alter your messaging frequency to maximize the engagement signals that can boost your sender reputation and help fulfill your goals; minimize bounces, unsubscribes, and complaint reports; identify and reward your best responders; and uncover inactive list segments that are prime for win-back campaigns or suppression.
2. Email Provider
Another way you can improve deliverability is to appease the authorities of each popular email platform by creating segments of subscribers who belong to that platform and aligning your messages to that group in accordance with the rules and preferences of that particular provider.
Similarly, by creating separate email templates to match the specifications of popular email providers, you can ensure your messaging will display optimally for the subscribers who use those platforms, helping you to maximize reader engagement and clicks.
3. Device Type
If you're frustrated by using a one-size-adjusts-to-fit-all email design template, consider sending highly mobile-optimized designs for those who most often check email on their phones while maintaining the standard 600-pixel width specification for desktop users.
4. Open Day and Time
Segmenting based on when subscribers regularly choose to interact with your emails can help you deliver your messages to each group at the most optimal time so that you're right there on top of the inbox when they have both the space and desire to engage.
5. Location
Segmenting by geography is another way to account for time zones and send to each group at the most optimal moment, while making it easier to promote regional offers, connect your messaging with local weather and events, incorporate regional holidays and customs, and/or simply mention their specific location to help catch their eye and foster connection and trust.
6. Demographics
In B2C communications, demographics can refer to characteristics such as age, gender, nationality, marital status, family size, income level, lifestyle, education level, homeownership.
For B2B, you might consider your subscribers' industry or vertical, business size (by revenue, sales volume, or staff numbers), market size, job title, decision-making authority, systems capabilities, business growth, and the like.
7. Interests
Give subscribers the opportunity to choose which types of messages they wish to receive, and then segment accordingly. You can also take it a step further and inquire into their topic interests.
Or you can dig into your data to determine the types of emails they most often open and click on—for example, whether they prefer promotional deals and discounts, news and event updates, instructional content and tips, user-generated content, video, or podcasts.
You can also learn a lot about their interests by looking at the website pages they visit.
8. Values
Figure out why they buy or otherwise convert: which overarching values, desires, and needs they're fulfilling; which emotions and belief systems are involved; how their worldview or personal sense of self is impacted in the process; and which doubts or objections need to be addressed.
By speaking directly to those values and eliciting the emotions that inspire them to act, your messaging can connect with subscribers on a much deeper level.
9. Stage of the Buyer's Journey
New customers may have different motivations and information needs than your most loyal customers, or prospects who have never purchased from you. By segmenting based on where each group is in your sales cycle or funnel, you can give everyone precisely the support they need to take the next step.
10. Buying Behavior
To greet your subscribers with the exact right message at the most optimal time, consider segmenting according to their product preferences or product mix, frequency of purchase and their level of urgency at that time, their motivation (discounts, seasonality, as needed, new releases), amount they typically spend at a time, and the extent of their loyalty to your brand.
11. Past Purchases
Recommending and spotlighting certain products, services, or content in your emails becomes much more targeted and effective when you can offer cross-sells, upsells, or the next item in sequence that directly relates to your subscriber's needs, based on what has already been purchased or otherwise engaged with from your brand.
12. Time on List
If new subscribers behave differently than those who have been on your list for six months or longer, consider how you can cater your content and frequency to support more meaningful relationships with each group.
Using AI for Segmentation
Segmenting your list doesn't have to be a time-consuming, manual process. Much of it can be automated, and AI can help with its ability to analyze vast amounts of subscriber data, identify patterns, and predict preferences.
With AI's help, you can target small, well-defined segments with highly compelling messaging that stimulates engagement, nurtures connection, and strengthens conversion while also understanding which segments are worth prioritizing for the greatest return on your investment.
This article is part of a series on email marketing based on the comprehensive e-book How to Make Email Work Even Harder for You by Acoustic and MarketingProfs. The 70-page e-book is available for download (reg. required, but it's free); it's written by Kimberly Smith, whom you can reach at dtkgsmith@gmail.com.
