Hints for Email Marketing Segmentation

Often email subscribers/ readers fall into various categories, unless you truly have a niche or a small list of readers. You might see readers who never open your emails to those who will click through to purchase items on sale. Maximizing the effect of your email marketing strategy depends on the campaign and target audience. Creating a list based on the types of readers you have, targeting for each and increasing your call to action leads to conversion rates. Design four lists as per the following:

Those who respond

Any analytic software shows you who opened the email, clicked the link, and purchased something from your site. If they did not purchase but looked at your site again they are a responder to your email. Add anyone who fits this criterion to a list. They opened the email and followed through; therefore, they have an interest in your site and need to be treated as an important client. Provide sneak peeks, exclusive discounts, and other loyalty rewards for this loyalty. Maintain their interest or increase it to gain money from their sales. This is the list you want all readers on, but understandably it may not happen 100% of the time.

New readers

New readers signing up for emails and newsletters from the last time you sent one out need their own list. They are not quite in the responders list yet; however, once you have appropriate data they can be moved. Special offers for new readers show them they made the right choice becoming a part of your program. Make it clear they are special offers for being new to your newsletter/email list. Track the reactions you get from each of these new readers until you have the appropriate data to put them in a new list. Whatever you do, you should not send out emails to those who have been on the list a while, even if you missed them when they first signed up. Someone who has subscribed over two emails ago should not receive a special “new reader” offer. They belong to a different list.

Openers with lack of follow through

Quite a few registrants do nothing beyond opening the email before moving it to the trash. These individuals require classifications as openers. They open the email, yet find nothing of interest to make them follow through to your site. It is possible they do not open the email at all, but simply delete an email in their view window and move on to the next in the same manner. The fact is simply that they barely look at it whether it is the subject line or the content that does not interest them. Plenty of potential exists for these particular readers. Adapt your subject line first, then follow through in the email with an enticing call to action. A few may remain as openers only, but you also have a chance to convert a significant number to your responder list. If they move beyond opening to follow through keep targeting them with future emails you know they are interested in.

The deadweight

An email sent but never opened puts this type of subscriber in the deadweight category. Plenty of reasons exist for these individuals to be on your email list even though there is a lack of follow through after signing up. To convert some of these readers try different subject lines. Free shipping, 50% off, loyalty, or even a bold “we noticed you have not logged into our site for a while…” You do not want them to feel pressured or tracked; however, if you have a log in required for your site you can lead with that. If you do not wish to waste time trying to convert them simply send an email to re-confirm they wish to continue obtaining emails from you. Safety in dropping them results once you confirm they have no more interest in your site.