A company relying on an extensive database containing lots of information will always have better chances of success in any industry. With a complete and detailed database, you can tap into the prospects’ and customers’ pain points and then customize your email approach to amplify the outcomes.
But just having large targeted mailing lists doesn’t mean that you can send the same email to everyone and then expect the high ROI of email marketing to bring a long list of quality leads for your firm. We live in an era where people are looking forward to a more personalized approach, and this is where you can use the power of segmentation for slicing the database.
Segmentation is an easy yet effective database management approach that you can use to optimize targeted mailing lists. Without segmentation, the response rate will decrease as no one wishes to keep receiving irrelevant emails. In this blog post, we will take a look at the top 7 email marketing segmentation strategies that you should use.
Firmographics
This is a basic segmentation strategy that you can use for better targeting. In firmographic segmentation, the segmentation of business-to-business customers based on their shared company attributes is done. This type of practice provides deeper insights to both the sales and marketing team, leading to a focused and accurate email campaign. Even if you have purchased email lists, you can still segment the list based on firmographics.
Geographic area
One of the first segmentation strategies that any marketer will use, even in email marketing, is categorization based on geographical area. Information such as age, company position, gender, and even income level gives detailed information about the person you will target.
The key to successful geographical segmentation is getting more information about the prospect during the signup process. But you have to be careful with this type of approach since asking for too much information might make you look suspicious.
Survey and quiz
Many marketers wouldn’t dare to ask more than the prospects’ email addresses, but you don’t have to worry as you will still have the option of tapping into the prospect’s details through surveys and quizzes.
Using a survey gives you an option to get detailed demographic information about the prospect. In addition to this, you can also get valuable information about the prospects’ interests, preferences, and beliefs.
Past purchase
Segmentation based on past purchases is another seamless way to optimize targeting. The most straightforward approach, in this case, is to send out emails recommending similar items that go well with the previous purchase of the customers.
In addition to this, you can target based on refill, replacement, or even renewal as you will have complete information about the past purchase of the people you are targeting.
Website behavior
If you keep track of the visitors’ website behavior, then personalizing your message based on such behavior will be ideal. For example, if a particular group of people visits a specific page of your website, you can design your email campaign around that page.
This is one of the easiest ways of slicing a database since all the companies have a website, and tracking website behavior is easy for everyone.
Email engagement
This is another basic segmentation strategy that you can use even when you purchase email lists. But you must understand that even this basic segmentation approach can significantly impact your overall process.
The crucial metrics in email engagement segmentation will be both the open rates and the clickthrough rates. You can begin segmenting based on inactive and active users like someone who has not opened your email for the past two months.
Position in the sales funnel
One of the most effective ways to customize your message is to target people based on their sales funnel position. If someone is at the top of your sales funnel, then the email for that person should be completely different from someone at the bottom of the sales funnel. This type of segmentation can be used in all kinds of marketing mailing lists.
If you are planning on sending emails to a group of new subscribers, it wouldn’t need much personalization, but that will not be the case with your old subscribers as they are going to need a more personalized approach.
