Benefits of creating email list segments – Its a fact, general email campaigns, sent to your entire subscriber base, will not always be as successful as you want them to be. Subscribers prefer a unique tailored email that speaks directly to them.
Research shows taking the time to personalize your email messages, not only increase open rates, but also clickthroughs which ultimately results in higher ROI.
Personalize and sending the right message at the right time starts with segmenting your email list.
5 easy ways to segment your mailing list, so your email finds the proper inbox.
1. Demographics:
Puzzle Pieces
With Lyris ListManager there are hundreds of ways to use demographics to segment your list.
New to using demographics? – we recommend you start slowly, with some of the more common demographics such as age, gender, location and birth date. Collect this information about each subscriber on their profile form by simply adding the demographic field you want to collect to your subscribe form. Once the information is collected you can use it as needed to choose the targeted audience for your email campaigns.
2. Location, Location, Location:
They say home is where the heart is. Knowing where your subscribers call home can give you a clear advantage with an email campaign. Using their location, you can tailor your subject line to include local information or include information for your nearest local store instead of a corporate office. Knowing the location of your subscriber is as easy as adding a ZIP code line onto your subscription form!
3. Previously Purchased Items:
If you know where someone has been, it may just help you figure out where they are going next. Shopping is the same premise, if you know what they bought in the past, send offers that correspond to their interest. Personalizing the sale experience for your subscribers will keep them coming back for more.
4. Subscriber Engagement:
It’s important to keep track of your subscriber’s interest on your mailing list. It takes time and effort to generate an email marketing campaign, and you want to get the most for your time. Therefore, sending a mailing to your whole list may seem like you are getting a big bang for your buck, however, if you look closer you may notice that some subscribers haven’t been interacting with your emails for days, weeks or even months.
If this is the case, you can target these individuals with a re-engagement campaign. Let them know what they’re missing. Offer them an incentive to come back. When running a re-engagement campaign, it is often effective to ask for feedback as to why they are no longer interacting with your emails.
For example, maybe they feel overwhelmed with daily emails and would prefer to be contacted once a week instead. Bringing your unengaged subscriber back into the fold by making them feel appreciated, is as simple as listening to their needs and acting on them.
5. Asked and Answered:
Personalized emails require personal information, but you don’t want to scare away potential subscribers with an opt-in form a mile long. Instead, send out a survey to your new subscribers asking them about their interests and opinions. Extending an incentive for their answers will help to gather the information you need. For example, each submission may enter them into a drawing for a coveted item. With a survey, you must give a little to get a lot.
As a final point, always test your messages before you send them out.
