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I’ve written in depth in the past about email and why it’s so important. Today, I want to take things a step further and address a part of email marketing that is often neglected: the area of segmentation.
Different people on your list are going to respond to different approaches. What works best for Segment A may not be effective at all for Segment B. The problem is, many marketers never bother to split their lists into segments; they simply send the same sequences to their entire list and do a dance of joy if 3 percent of recipients both open and click through.
Now, what if I told you that you could conceivably increase those numbers to at least 5 percent and have the potential to go much, much further? One of my writers wrote a sequence for a client that wound up with a 60 percent open rate and 34 percent conversion rate increase over previous efforts. While those numbers are very unusual, they reflect what’s possible if you simply try a new approach.
If you haven’t tried segmenting your list thus far, I recommend it highly. Here are a few ways to effectively segment that you can start testing right away.
#1. Target Your Ideal Customer First
Whenever you capture an email, you want to use it. That means that you have to be willing to understand going in that a precious few people are actually going to read what you send them. The people on your list who most closely fit your target demo are the first ones with whom you should be testing your sequences and campaigns.
Something with a higher-than-average open rate is likely to appeal to a broader audience. The same is true when looking at your conversions. If your most-likely buyers fail to respond to your CTA, it’s not likely to work on larger list segments, either. However, anything with an above-average response will often work well in other list segments, as well.
#2. Make Use of Quizzes and Surveys
I’ve also mentioned in the past that squeeze pages and opt-in fields need to be simple if you want to capture more email addresses. There is a way to pull enough information out of a prospect to accurately target tastes and habits while keeping him or her engaged. That way comes in the form of surveys and quizzes.
Make a game out of gathering the information. Offer a digital asset that possesses a high perceived value, and people will gladly answer a 5-question survey in most cases to get it. That’s the real trick, though: give them something of actual value in return. Some good-quality content, like an ebook or coupon code, can go a long way in getting you the information you need about your prospect. Just be sure you’ve hired an experienced ebook writer so the value actually exists when you deliver to your prospect. It matters.
#3. Analyze Effective Sending Frequencies
You can use segmentation to split test sending frequencies for your emails. Send at different intervals to two segments that each possess similar demographic profiles. You can then analyze how often you can send while still maintaining a good open rate. When a good pattern appears to emerge, change the frequency of the lower-performing segment to match the higher performer and see if the numbers stabilize. You can then test that same frequency on other segments.
#4. Segment Geographically
Let’s say you have a large segment of subscribers in Chicago (any reputable email delivery service should be able to supply you with those stats). Now imagine being one of those subs and seeing a subject line like “3,401 People in Chicago Are Making Money with This Right Now.” Try it and watch what happens.
People will open the message based solely on their ability to identify with the subject line. Add to it the veiled prospect of showing them how they can make money, and you have an incredible opportunity to bust a new segment wide open.
#5. Employ Cart Abandon and Customer Loyalty Segments
These are two areas that you should absolutely never neglect. If you are running an e-comm, it is imperative that you have a solid cart abandon sequence at the ready to reclaim the dollars that people click away without spending. It’s amazing what a 10 percent off coupon for coming back to your site will do, and here’s the kicker: Most people won’t even use the coupon code!
For your loyal customers, a steady stream of special exclusive offers is a surefire way to keep them coming back to your site, even if it’s just to browse. If they spend some time looking around, it will help your bounce rate, which, in turn, improves SEO. It’s a win-win.
Now, there are literally thousands of ways to segment email lists, and, ultimately, it will be up to you to determine how to best reach the people that matter the most in your business. Keep in mind, though, that the simpler you make it in the beginning, the easier it will be to target long-term segmenting strategies that will net you large returns down the line.