A new subscriber to an email list opening a targeted welcome email.

6 Email Segmentation Strategies You Need to Try (If You Want More Conversions)

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Email marketing is one of the oldest digital marketing strategies — and still one of the most effective. (Yeah, still.)

Thanks to advancements in email service providers, it’s also an easy way to get personalized content directly in front of your audience in real-time. Email segmentation allows you to tailor personalized emails to customers based on their position in the sales funnel. From inactive users to loyal customers, there’s an email segmentation strategy for everyone.

Benefits of Email Marketing

Emails have the power to reach anyone at any time. Thanks to the marketing power of mobile phones, you can talk to your audience whenever you want.

A well-crafted email marketing strategy can see up to a $36 ROI for every $1 spent, and profits are only expected to grow as the years go on. Segmenting your audience into personalized email marketing campaigns is the best way to guarantee positive metrics, including deliverability and open rates.

What is Email Segmentation?

Dividing email subscribers into separate email lists lets you deliver more relevant content to your email lists. Thankfully, email segmentation can be automated by customer relationship management (CRM) software so you can get the right message to the right person at the right time — with minimal workflow. You can send a series of targeted emails based on behavioral data and even send specific emails to customers from certain demographics.

Customers are more likely to buy if you personalize their content. In fact, companies that personalize content see 40% more revenue than those that don’t. Spammy, unpersonalized emails hurt your deliverability and push people to the dreaded unsubscribe button.

Whether you’re looking to advertise for a B2B business, an ecommerce site, or a retailer, the time to start using email marketing segmentation is now.

Creating Segmented Email Lists

Obviously, the first step is to take your email list and segment it into smaller groups.

An easy way to do this is by asking demographic questions in your email subscription sign-up form. Gathering metrics when email subscribers sign up allows you to send them relevant emails from the beginning — and it’s much harder to get that information further down the road. However, too many questions may push some people away, so make sure that the demographics you are asking about are relevant to your business.

You can also segment your email lists by behavioral data. You can track the metrics of specific email subscribers’ click-through rates, open rates, and purchase history. They can then be placed in segmented email lists relevant to their position in the sales funnel.

Software for Email Marketing Segmentation

The easiest way to create these segmented email lists is through marketing automation software. Email marketing platforms often allow you to set up segmented email lists based on customer data and demographics right from the get-go.

Email Marketing Platforms to Try

      • Mailchimp
      • HubSpot
      • Salesforce
      • Drip
      • Campaigner
      • Klayvio
      • Constant Contact

Email Segmentation Strategies

Now it’s time to decide what types of email segmentation strategies you want to roll out.

Here are some of the best email segmentation strategies companies use to boost conversion rates.

Demographic Segmentation

Demographic segmentation can help personalize your emails based on the details they provide on email surveys or the new subscriber sign-up form.

Age

Depending on the products you sell, it may make sense to send different content to different age groups. Plus, asking for their age may also be helpful because younger generations respond differently to marketing strategies.

Gender

If you sell clothes, shoes, body wash, or other commonly gender-specific items, it can’t hurt to make sure that your customers are receiving relevant content.

Job Title

Asking for a job title is especially helpful if you’re a B2B business, but it could help for many reasons. While both teachers and businessmen go to Office Depot, their needs are pretty different.

Geographic Location

Knowing where a customer is can help you specialize offers and keep them in the loop on nearby events. Don’t send someone in Connecticut an email about your new store opening in Arizona.

Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are an email segmentation strategy that helps new subscribers through the onboarding process. They’re a great way to introduce new subscribers to your brand and push them down the sales funnel.

Purchase History

Based on customers’ behavioral data, you can target customers based on their purchase history. You can send targeted emails to customers by offering them similar or related products that go with their previous purchases. Taking the time to set up different emails to subscribers based on their purchases leads to more sales down the line.

Email Engagement

Creating different segmented lists based on behavioral data like open rates and click-through rates lets you create a personalized experience in your emails — which ultimately betters your email list.

If a customer shows high engagement in your email content, then you can design personalized emails thanking them for their loyalty with discounts or follow-ups on the content they engaged in. You can place these customers on a segmented list that sends out content emails more frequently. Treat them like the VIPs they are!

If subscribers show a low open rate or click-through rate, you can send targeted emails to try and get them to re-engage. Specialize your subject line and email message to encourage them to check out your content or make a purchase. Pay close attention to this email list, though. Inactive users affect the health of your email list and should be removed when you spot them.

Cart Abandonment

If a customer loads up their ecommerce shopping cart but leaves without checking out, helpfully remind them that their products are waiting for them.

This strategy can be set up as a series of timed, targeted emails. While a single cart abandonment email is enough to get around 10% of customers to finalize their purchase, the most successful of these email campaigns send three.

Follow-Up Emails

After a new customer has purchased something through your ecommerce site, you can put them on a segmented list that sends a series of targeted emails about the purchased product. You can personalize these follow-up emails with a survey about their satisfaction, ideas on how to use the product or cross-sell other products that would go well with it.

3 Quick Tips for Successful Email Marketing Strategies

  • Take time on the subject line: A good subject line is essential to getting high open rates, and a subject line for a targeted email should offer a personalized experience just like the email messages do.
    1. Keep targeted email content evergreen: Unlike bulk emails that you send out all at once, many targeted personalized emails are sent out to different customers at different times, so make sure to keep the email content appropriate for any point and time if that’s the case.
  • Allow email subscribers to unsubscribe: There are specific laws that govern email marketing. A customer has to opt-in to your subscriber list in order to receive marketing emails. They also have to be able to unsubscribe easily.

Email List Segmentation Made Simple

A compelling subject line and a personalized email have the power to take your conversion rate from good to great. Marketing automation makes creating different segments simpler than ever.

But if you still feel like running an email marketing campaign is too much for your business or writing personalized emails for segmented lists is beyond your skillset, then you can always reach out to digital marketing professionals. You don’t have to let cart abandonment and inactive users hurt your revenue. Contact us today to start an email segmentation campaign to win them back.