 A segment is a subset of your entire email database that captures an attribute, or combination of attributes, to help you better target the needs of your email subscribers or customers as they pertain to your business goals. You can gather these attributes at the time of subscription or opt-in to help define important segments and send the right message to the right people at the right time.
Segments define themselves
With the advancement of email marketing tools and their common integration with Web analytics, segments can also be defined based on reader actions or behavior. For instance, a segment may contain several rules to further define your target group such as ‘opens a specific email campaign’ or ‘clicks on a particular link’. These actions in combination with other relevant data collected via the original email opt-in form can be used to create a dynamic subset of your email list.
For example, you can use the ‘clicks a particular link’ rule to measure the interest in your different service offerings. I’d suggest taking this opportunity to direct people to individual landing pages with more information about the services you have available. This would provide insight into which services are of most interest to the people on your list, and provide direction for subsequent communications.
Focus on conversions
What are you trying to accomplish with your masterfully designed email templates? Your primary focus should be on the conversion process and turning those conversions into long term customer relationships, building upon each step within the process. Every action your subscribers take within an email should have a purpose to help them reach the end goal. Make sure that you link to relevant pages on your Web site, or customized landing pages that you can track and analyze to further refine your list segmentation.
Segmentation ideas
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Frequent readers vs. frequent buyers
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Frequent readers vs. frequent cart abandoners
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Stagnant readers and their behavior after a re-engagement campaign
The goal is to gain a better understanding of the interests and needs of the people on your email list, and send them targeted, relevant messaging to put them on the right path to conversion, ultimately helping you accomplish your business goals.
About the Author
Christine Cheas is a strategic account manager at Lyris, Inc. and consults with clients on integrated marketing campaigns.
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