One of those best practices is segmentation, a technique that breaks down your general email list into tailored, customized content targeted at groups within your list.
It’s common knowledge for many marketers that segmentation produces better open and click rates. And it makes sense – the end result is sending potential customers relevant content (and no other content) that they care about. By narrowing the focus, customers are much more likely to find your campaigns and content more relevant, thus driving stronger results and ROI.
If you haven’t completely bought-in on email segmentation, there are several compelling factors to consider. Many businesses sell one product or service to many different types of customers. With several types of ideal customers, do you treat them all the same? Another reality is that within your customer list, your contacts are all at different points of the sales cycle with your company. And while your email and brand reputation will also improve, the final proof is in the statistics. According to data from the Lyris Annual Email Optimizer Report, the top three results of segmented email from marketers were higher open rates (39 percent), greater relevance (34 percent), and lower unsubscribe rates (28 percent).
Many email marketing programs will segment a list, but the options of how to slice down a list is essentially pretty endless. Here are some popular segments:
Geographic area – Create geographically-specific offers to tailor highly-targeted promotions toward locals in certain areas.
Purchase history – Consider creating a list to reward those who buy – or buy regularly – with special offers to strengthen relationships with your best customers.
Abandoned shopping orders – Reach out to those who abandoned digital shopping orders to offer special incentives to come back and complete an order.
Loyal and engaged users – Determine your top and most loyal customers and offer special “VIP” recognition to create a feeling of exclusivity.
Event invitations – Create special events – physical or digital – for customers in specific areas.
New subscribers – Segment by date to determine who are new customers and send special welcome offers.