What's the best way to choose email segmentation criteria for your audience?

The main purpose of segmenting is to better know your audience so that you can better target them, according to their needs and wants. According to your goal, segment your audience based on multiple approaches, such as RFM, Engagement, Position in the funnel, customer journey, and so on.

Knowing your goals is great, but what is even better is taking action toward them! What do you want to achieve and how are you going to achieve it with your email campaigns and segmentation criteria? Whether it's driving sales, increasing engagement, or nurturing leads, your goals and actions will shape your segmentation strategy. Identify the key metrics you want to improve and align your segmentation criteria accordingly.

It's crucial to recognize that the effectiveness of email segmentation hinges not only on identifying your objectives and KPIs but also on understanding your audience's preferences and behaviors. While aligning email campaigns with overall business goals is essential, tailoring segmentation criteria to match the unique needs and interests of your subscribers can significantly enhance engagement and conversion rates. By delving deeper into customer data and segmentation strategies, you can uncover hidden opportunities to deliver more personalized and relevant content, fostering stronger connections with your audience and driving tangible business results.

It widely depends on your specific business, but here’s a popular approach that a lot of my past clients used: Behavior-Based Segmentation: Segment your audience based on their behavior, such as purchase history, website interactions, or email engagement. Lifecycle Stage Segmentation: Divide your audience into segments based on their lifecycle stage, distinguishing between new subscribers, active customers, and lapsed customers. These two are somewhat standard, other types will require a deep dive into the specific business.

It really hinges on the nature of your specific enterprise, but here's a popular methodology that many of my past clients have found success with: 1. Action-Based Segmentation: Divide your audience based on their actions, such as their purchase history, interactions on your website, or responsiveness to your emails. 2. Stage-Based Segmentation: Segment your audience into groups based on where they are in their journey with your brand, distinguishing between new prospects, engaged customers, and those who have disengaged.

My framework for segmentation which gives me an IDEA of who the subscriber is. I.D.E.A.: 1. Identity (What does a subscriber call themselves?) 2. Desire (What is their motivation behind achieving the goal?) 3. Experience (How familiar they are with your solution/product) 4. Ambition (What does the subscriber hope to achieve?)

While I agree segmenting based on age, gender and location important, I consider understanding what stage each of your target audiences is to be very important. The experience a prospective client gets should differ from what an existing customer gets i.e the content for each is tailored differently.

Segmenting your email subscribers based on various criteria isn't just about organizing your list—it's about personalizing their experience and optimizing your communication strategy. By diving deep into demographics, psychographics, behaviors, and preferences, you're essentially crafting tailored experiences for different segments of your audience. However, it's not just about knowing who they are; it's about understanding how they engage with your content and what they expect from your brand. This nuanced approach allows you to send targeted messages that resonate with each segment, ultimately leading to higher engagement and better results.

The better you understand your audience, the more value you can bring to them. And ultimately, value bringing should be above making profit. There are general campaigns you should send to your audience regularly, but ultimately, the more targeted, adding-value emails are the ones that keep your audience engaged, interested and ultimately, turn regular subscribers into fans of your brand.

Collect subscriber data through forms and surveys. Segment based on demographics, behavior, and preferences for targeted campaigns.

The whole point of segmentation is to deliver targeted content that boosts engagement, conversions, and ultimately, your bottom line! The more specific and tailored your segments, the more likely your emails will resonate with your audience. For example, if you're a SaaS company that specializes in project management software, you could segment your audience by persona and send marketing emails to different groups depending on their job title. C-level executives might receive an email about the cost benefits and ROI of the software while project managers might receive an email about the features and how it can simplify their workflow and keep them on track. Don't forget that segmentation is also great for re-engaging inactive customers!

Segmenting your email list is like creating different rooms in a house, each tailored to specific needs and preferences. While you might be tempted to lump everyone together, understanding that each subscriber is on their unique journey can significantly enhance your conversions Just as you wouldn't serve a hearty stew to someone craving a light salad, you'd want to send the right email to every subscriber type. By segmenting based on lifecycle stage, persona, RFM, or engagement, you're essentially customizing your message to fit each subscriber's tastes and needs, increasing the likelihood of meaningful interaction.

When you're setting up segments for your e-commerce email list, think about what makes sense for your brand and your customers. You can split your list by how new folks are to your site, how often they buy, how much they spend, or how they interact with your emails. For example, you might send your regulars special deals because they shop often, and welcome coupons to those just signing up. It’s all about making each email feel just right for each customer. Keep tweaking your segments as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t.

You don’t need to segment your list by every variable. You need to segment by what 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. (that’s why your open rates might be suffering) You want segments that feel personal. They resonate, not just categorize. These are your “𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.” I prioritize behavior over demographics. And yes, we see higher conversions…by focusing on intent. Relevance > reach 1. Focus on customer behavior. 2. Build segments that align with intent. 3. Watch your engagement soar.

Using the IDEA framework that I shared above, I'll map each of their answers into custom fields on the subscriber record. Then based on those fields put the subscribers into appropriate sequences or flows that then pitch products or nurture them further. This ensures that those who are ready to buy today have that opportunity and proper messaging. For those that aren't, then don't get bothered with sales emails and unsubscribe. I.D.E.A.: 1. Identity (What does a subscriber call themselves?) 2. Desire (What is their motivation behind achieving the goal?) 3. Experience (How familiar they are with your solution/product) 4. Ambition (What does the subscriber hope to achieve?)

Test, test, test - and don't forget to document your results properly. This way you can ensure that your successes remain traceable and reproducible.

Email segmentation allows you to dissect your audience into smaller, more targeted groups, tailoring your messages to their specific needs and preferences. While metrics like open and click-through rates provide valuable insights, it's also crucial to consider qualitative data. For instance, analyzing customer feedback or response patterns can reveal deeper nuances about what resonates with different segments. This qualitative approach adds a human touch to your optimization efforts, enabling you to refine your email strategy beyond just numerical metrics. By understanding not only how your audience behaves but also why they behave that way, you can truly enhance the effectiveness of your email campaigns.

Testing and constant optimizing of your segmentation is very important to understanding whether your segments resonate with your customers or not. Holding control groups, running split testing or A/B testing, with the right understanding and analysis of data help understand the impact of planned segmentation.

A crucial aspect of email marketing is continuously refining your strategies through testing and optimization. Utilize A/B testing to compare different email elements like subject lines, content, or CTAs to determine what resonates best with your audience. For instance, test variations of promotional offers to gauge which drives higher conversions. Monitor key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to identify successful segments and refine your approach accordingly. Through systematic testing and optimization, you can ensure that your email campaigns consistently deliver optimal results, ultimately enhancing customer engagement and driving business growth.

Experiment with unconventional email formats or interactive content to stand out. For instance, I tested a GIF-based email campaign and saw a 25% increase in click-through rates. Thinking outside the box keeps campaigns fresh and engages subscribers in new ways, ultimately boosting results.

The key to any successful email segmentation is identifying the emotional triggers that resonate with your target audience! Are they motivated by fear, joy, or a desire for self-improvement? Consider segmenting and crafting emails that tap into these emotions and create a sense of connection. For instance, if you're in the travel industry, you could create segments for adventure seekers, relaxation enthusiasts, or cultural explorers, tailoring your messaging to evoke those specific emotions with a specific call to action (CTA). This, in turn, will lead to increased engagement, conversions, and ultimately, more sales.

When it comes to email segmentation, one often overlooked aspect is the potential for creativity and experimentation. While it's essential to rely on data-driven insights for optimization, don't be afraid to think outside the box. Consider incorporating unconventional segmentation criteria based on behavioral patterns, interests, or even psychological triggers. For example, segmenting based on specific hobbies or lifestyle preferences can lead to highly personalized and engaging content that resonates deeply with your audience. By embracing creativity in your segmentation strategy, you open doors to innovative approaches that can set your email campaigns apart from the competition.

Consider the importance of dynamic segmentation criteria in email marketing. Dynamic segmentation allows for real-time adjustments based on changing customer behaviors, preferences, and interactions with your brand. Incorporating dynamic criteria such as recent purchase history, browsing activity, or engagement levels enables personalized and timely communication. Continuously monitor and refine your segmentation criteria to ensure relevance and effectiveness in reaching your audience with tailored messaging. Dynamic segmentation empowers you to stay agile and responsive to evolving customer needs, fostering stronger connections and driving better results in your email campaigns.

In July, we boosted click-through rates by 23%. In August, we doubled engagement. The secret? Using segmentation to target the right people at the right time. 📌 Set clear goals - Want more sales or engagement? - Let your goals guide your segmentation. 📌 Analyze your audience - Look at demographics, behavior, and preferences. - Find patterns that match your business. 📌 Segment by engagement - Active vs. inactive subscribers. - Tailor messages to their activity. 📌 Consider lifecycle stages - New leads, loyal customers, or lapsed? - Personalize based on where they are in their journey. That's how we consistently drive results with targeted email segmentation.

Here are some No-Brainer segments you should always have: - Engaged Subscribers - Inactive Subscribers - New Subscribers - Buyers - Non Buyers eCom specific - Recently purchased (Exclude them from discount emails) - One time buyers - Repeat Buyers - VIP Customers - Cart abandoners - Potential Buyers