Are you finding that your emails have a low open or a low click-through rate? It’s possible the problem isn’t your content – it might be your list. If your email campaigns have lackluster performance, try segmenting your email database – it can make all the difference.
Here are just a few of the many, many ways you can segment your audiences – use this as a starting point, and don’t be afraid to get a little creative! If you can think of a way to segment the list, you can probably also think of a way to target an email directly to that portion of your audience that will speak to them directly, and hike up those flagging conversion rates.
Remember that it’s fine to send different emails to different customers – if you don’t have the capability to segment your email database to this extent, consider redesigning your purchasing or signup process so that you can collect more – and more pertinent – information. And if all else fails – just ask! Put together a user survey on a site like SurveyMonkey, and serve it in a popup window immediately after purchase. If you can offer some sort of a free digital incentive – a white paper or an MP3, for example – that can help entice people to take the survey.
Past Purchases
Understanding what people have purchased from you in the past can help you in a few ways. First of all, if you’re selling a lot more of a particular product, you might consider focusing more heavily in this area, overall. But you can also market specific products or categories to consumers based on what they’ve purchased from you in the past.
Purchasing Frequency
This is a smart move because if a customer is a frequent buyer – well, you want to encourage even more purchases. You might also consider implementing a “frequent buyer” program for added incentive.
Geography
If you run a brick-and-mortar business, segmenting your email database by geographical area is critical – it allows you to target customers in your immediate area. But even if you have a digital business, having an understanding of the geographic region your site visitors call home can be useful. Are they in the U.S. or are they international? Do they hail from a rural or urban locale? This information can help you to understand how and why specific products have appeal.
Age
Understanding the age range of your client base, and how that breaks out across the board, is always a smart move – and it can even help you with things like site design and usability. Are your customers mostly 18-24? Consider beefing up your mobile presence. Are they mostly older, maybe 65+? Tailor your imagery and copy to meet their needs. And then promote the products that make sense for each group.
Gender
This is a no-brainer – although men and women may shop for one another, by all means, understanding whom you’re addressing with your email marketing can be incorporated into your copy, design, image choices, and promotional priorities. Women might tend to shop for themselves more at the beginning of the fashion season, for example – but they’re probably looking for gifts around holidays like Father’s Day.
Organization Type
If you are a B2B company, what sort of businesses do you serve? Brick-and-mortar? Nonprofits? Entrepreneurs? Franchisees? Ecommerce companies? All these businesses have different needs, and offering them different products or services in your email marketing will help address what they’re looking for.