Segmentation and targeting

Learn how relevancy drives response and the various different ways you can split up your email list to ensure you hit the target more often. Segmentation of your address database is widely regarded as a proven way to improve responses and results.

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Popular articles:

Does segmentation work?
Provides survey results and case studies demonstrating the potential value of segmentation and targeting.

Identifying engaged subscribers: unique clicks etc.
Second part of the article describes how you can use other common campaign stats to pick out those engaged subscribers.

Identifying engaged subscribers: repeat opens
How to use a forgotten report stat to find your very best subscribers.

Should all email marketers publish content?
Looks at the potential benefits of merging retail targeting concepts with content to drive long-term loyalty and sales.

Segment by domain?
Describes the potential benefits of splitting your list according to email address provider.

How to get accurate subscriber information: Part 2
Six ways you can learn more about your subscribers after they've got on your list.

How to get accurate subscriber information: Part 1
What can you do before the sign-up to help ensure people give you accurate data you can use for better targeting and segmentation.

Does relevancy alienate subscribers?
If you send out future emails based on what people clicked on before, you might be falling into a negative segmentation trap.

What is personalization?
Article explains the three different meanings applied to personalization in an email marketing context.

Can you have too much personalization?
Reports on scientific research suggesting that displaying the recipient's personal data in commercial emails can backfire on the sender.

When email personalization goes wrong
Warns about the potential problems of using first names in bulk emails without first cleaning up your database.

Targeting too difficult? Start simple - it works
Suggests you shouldn't be put off by the jargon and complexity of much of the discussion of targeting in email marketing. You can start off small and simple and still win the segmentation game.

Target and don't target, too
Explains how an email must drive direct and non-direct responses, which has consequences for the kinds of links you include.

But surely my emails are relevant?
Just because people signed-up to your email list, doesn't mean they will like what you send them. This article explains why.

You might also read...

List segmentation effects
Survey of the effects of various segmentation practices on key metrics like opens, clicks and unsubscribes.

Managing multiple email sources
Discusses how you might segment your list by acquisition source and send each "source" a different stream of messages.

Why segmentation makes sense
How to be relevant
Both articles make the case for segmentation and then suggest some ways you might split up your list.

Profit from email
Some ideas and examples of how to segment your list.

Make use of past purchase history
Explains how to use transactional data to better target and customize your emails.

Back to basics on email personalisation
Describes how you personalise emails without taking a degree course in advanced database theory.

ROI through relevance
Discusses those areas of your email marketing program that support more relevant messaging.

Questions to ask your subscribers
Addresses the issue of getting subscribers to tell you their preferences and demographics (includes examples of best practices.)

Superior sign-up practices
Some handy hints on data collection and planning the flow of the subscription process so that you have the right information for future list segmentation.

Permission-based email marketing essentials
This introduction has some suggestions on building up and using relevant data, and how offer codes can help you track the results of the subsequent targeting efforts.

Email segmentation for small business
Some tips on how those with fewer resources might approach the topic.

More segmentation links...