Email segmentation is a process of dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria. By doing this, you can send more targeted and relevant messages to each group, which can lead to more engaged subscribers and higher conversion rates.
There are many different ways to segment your email list, and the best approach will vary depending on your business goals and the type of subscribers you have.
However, some common segmentation criteria include demographic information (such as age, gender, location, etc.), interests and behavior (such as purchase history, website activity, email engagement, etc.), and even social media activity (such as follows, shares, and comments).
Why is email segmentation important?
Email segmentation is important because it allows you to send more targeted and relevant emails to your subscribers. When you segment your email list, you can send emails that are more likely to be opened and clicked on by the people who are interested in them.
It is one of the best ways to improve your email open rates and click-through rates, and it can also help you to avoid spamming your subscribers.
Moreso, email segmentation can also help you to save time and money. By segmenting your email list, you can send emails to only the people who are interested in receiving them. This means that you don’t have to waste time and money sending emails to people who are not interested in them.
5 Benefits of email list segmentation
Email list segmentation comes with a lot of benefits, especially for e-commerce businesses. Here’s a breakdown of a few of them:
Less bounced emails
If you’re not segmenting your emails, you’re likely going to get a lot of bounced emails. When your emails bounce, you’re not only losing potential sales, but you’re also risking getting your email address blacklisted which means that you won’t be able to use it to send emails anymore.
More clicks and conversions
When you segment your email lists, you can make more targeted content that’s related to your customers’ needs and interests. This is why you’re likely to see more clicks and conversions with segmented email lists.
Increased customer satisfaction
If you’re making more targeted emails, your customers are going to be more satisfied with your emails. After all, they’ll be more interested in the content of your emails because it’s related to them.
Reduced unsubscribe rate
With segmented email lists, you’re likely to have a lower unsubscribe rate because your customers will be more satisfied with your emails. This is because you’ll be sending more targeted and relevant emails to your customers, making it more likely that they’ll stay subscribed to your emails.
Faster email delivery
You’re also likely to see a faster email delivery with segmented emails because your emails will be more targeted and relevant to your customers. Segmentation will ensure that your emails are sent out to the right customers at the right time, making it more likely that they’ll read and engage with your emails.
When Is the best time to start email segmentation?
The best time to start email segmentation is when you have a significant amount of data on your subscribers. This data can include things like demographics, purchase history, and engagement data. Once you have this data, you can start to create segments that are based on these factors.
However, it is also important to note that email segmentation is an ongoing process. As you continue to collect data on your subscribers, you should continue to update and refine your segments. This will ensure that your segments are always relevant and targeted to your audience.
How to get started with email segmentation
To get started with email segmentation, you’ll first need to gather data on your subscribers. This can be done through signup forms, surveys, website tracking, and other methods. Once you have this data, you can start to segment your list into smaller groups.
Once you have decided on the criteria that you want to use, you will need to create segments for each criterion. You will need to add your subscribers to the appropriate segments. You can do this manually or automatically using an email marketing platform. Finally, you will need to create targeted email campaigns for each segment.
15 email segmentation ideas
Here are 15 email segmentation ideas to get you started:
1. Age
Segmenting your email list by age can be a great way to target your content and offers. For example, you could send a different email to your list of subscribers who are under 25 then you would to your list of subscribers who are over 25.
2. Gender
Just like with age, segmenting your email list by gender can help you target your content and offers. For example, you could send a different email to your list of female subscribers than you would to your list of male subscribers
3. Location
If you have subscribers in different locations, you could segment your email list by location. This would allow you to send different emails depending on where your subscribers are located.
4. Job Title
If you know your subscribers’ job titles, you could segment your email list by those titles. This would allow you to send different emails depending on your subscribers’ job titles.
5. Industry
Segmenting your email list by industry is a great way to make sure you’re tailoring your content to the right audience. This can be especially helpful if you have a diverse product or service offering.
6. Company Size
Another helpful way to segment your email list is by company size. This can help you customize your content to better fit the needs of each type of business.
7. Income Level
The income level of your subscribers can be a valuable segmentation criteria. It can help you better understand your audience and produce content that appeals to them.
8. Education Level
The level of education your subscribers have attained is an important factor in determining what kinds of content will resonate with them. For example, if you sell products or services that require a certain level of education or professional certification, you’ll want to make sure your emails are only going to people who meet that criteria.
9. marital status
Segmenting your email list by marital status allows you to send targeted content to those who are married, single, or divorced. This can be especially useful if you sell products or services that are geared towards a specific marital status.
10. VIPs
If you have a lot of different products or services, you may want to segment your email list by VIPs so you can send targeted messages to your most valuable customers.
11. Homeownership Status
Owning a home is a major life event that can influence someone’s buying decisions. Segmenting your list by homeownership status can help you send targeted content that’s relevant to where someone is in their life.
12. Interests
If you know what interests your subscribers have, you could segment your email list by those interests. This would allow you to send different emails depending on what your subscribers are interested in.
13. Purchase History
You could segment your email list by purchase history. This would allow you to send different emails depending on what your subscribers have purchased in the past.
14. Referral Source
If you’re looking to grow your email list, segmenting by referral source is a great way to track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
15. Email Engagement
You could segment your email list by engagement. This would allow you to send different emails depending on how engaged your subscribers are.
Top 10 email list segmentation tips
If you want to get the most out of email list segmentation, here are 10 tips to help you get started:
1. Know your audience
The first step to email list segmentation is to know your audience. You need to understand who your target customers are and what they’re interested in.
To do this, you can create buyer personas for your target customers. Buyer personas are fictional characters that represent your ideal customers. They include information about your customers, such as their demographics, interests, and pain points.
Creating buyer personas for your target customers will help you understand who they are and what they’re interested in. This information will be valuable when you start segmenting your email list.
2. Collect data about your subscribers
The next step to email list segmentation is to collect data about your subscribers. You need to gather information about your subscribers so that you can segment them effectively.
To do this, you can use an email marketing service that allows you to collect data about your subscribers. For example, Mailchimp allows you to collect data about your subscribers, such as their location, age, gender, and interests.
You can also use surveys and polls to collect data about your subscribers. This data will be valuable when you start segmenting your email list.
3. Segment your email list
Once you’ve collected data about your subscribers, you can start segmenting your email list. There are a number of ways to segment your email list, but the most common methods are by location, age, gender, and interests.
You can also segment your email list by engagement. This means segmenting your email list into those who are engaged with your emails and those who are not.
Engagement segmentation is a valuable way to segment your email list because it allows you to send more targeted and relevant emails to those who are engaged with your emails. This can improve your open rates and click-through rates.
4. Test your segments
Once you’ve segmented your email list, it’s important to test your segments. This will help you ensure that your segments are effective and that your emails are being delivered to the right people.
To test your segments, you can send a test email to each segment and see how they respond. You can also use A/B testing to test your segments.
5. Analyze your results
Once you’ve tested your segments, it’s important to analyze your results. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not.
To analyze your results, you can look at your open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. You can also use A/B testing to analyze your results.
6. Make changes
Once you’ve analyzed your results, it’s important to make changes. This will help you improve your segments and make them more effective.
To make changes, you can add or remove subscribers from your segments. You can also change the criteria for your segments.
7. Automate your segments
Once you’ve created and tested your segments, it’s important to automate your segments. This will help you save time and ensure that your segments are always up-to-date.
To automate your segments, you can use an email marketing service that allows you to automate your segments. For example, Mailchimp allows you to automate your segments.
8. Monitor your results
Once you’ve automated your segments, it’s important to monitor your results. This will help you ensure that your segments are effective and that your emails are being delivered to the right people.
To monitor your results, you can look at your open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. You can also use A/B testing to monitor your results.
9. Make changes
Once you’ve monitored your results, it’s important to make changes. This will help you improve your segments and make them more effective.
To make changes, you can add or remove subscribers from your segments. You can also change the criteria for your segments.
10. Evaluate your results
Once you’ve made changes to your segments, it’s important to evaluate your results. This will help you understand what’s working and what’s not.
To evaluate your results, you can look at your open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates. You can also use A/B testing to evaluate your results.
Conclusion
Email list segmentation is a powerful marketing tool that can help you improve your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds.
You need to carefully consider your audience and your goals before you start segmenting your list. And you need to make sure that your segmentation strategy is aligned with your overall marketing strategy.
