According to experts at Campaign Monitor, a whopping 76% of consumers will not click on an email if it is not personalised to their current needs. This is why segmentation and personalisation remain two of the most important factors to consider when crafting an email campaign.
The question is, how do you take your segmentation strategy one step further?
With this in mind, let’s look at the benefits of giving your email strategy a segmented makeover as we reveal some key tactics to consider as we enter 2024.
Should You Send Segmented Emails?
Audience segmentation could save your 2024 email strategy. Not only are email campaigns extremely competitive, but your consumers won’t thank you if the only email deals you’re offering are for the products/services they have no interest in.
This is where personalised targeting comes in. In fact, 71% of consumers now expect personalisation within an email campaign. Whether this is addressing a name or creating customisable deals, brands that target consumer groups separately within their strategy will see the most success.
What is Segmentation?
Segmentation is simply the process of slipping your target consumer groups up. This can be in order of past behaviour, geographical locations, choice of device and so much more. The way you segment your audience is up to you.
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(Image Source: Zapier)
“You can make countless tweaks to your email strategy, but none are quite as powerful as customer segmentation. Essentially, segmenting is when you separate your leads based on their unique interests, goals and pain points,” claims Chris Christoff, the co-founder of MonsterInsights.
“The ability to hone in on what each customer wants and needs will help you personalize emails for your subscribers, which is crucial for eCommerce success.”
5 Ways To Adjust Your Segmentation Strategy For Success
With this in mind, let’s have a closer look at how to apply some great segmentation strategies to your next 2024 campaign.
Clean Up Your Email List
First things first. Let’s clean up that email list. If you want to maximise your 2024 campaign success, maintaining great hygiene within your subscriber list is the place to start.
Start by removing outdated or invalid email addresses of mailing list subscribers that have been inactive for over a year. Not only can these addresses negatively impact your open rate, but they can also increase the risk of your campaign being marked as spam.
The key here is to use a good quality email verification tool such as Zerobounce or Clearout in order to eliminate fake or mistyped addresses and prioritise a mailing list that will actively engage with your email campaign.
Segment Your Target Audience
Before you launch head first into a new email campaign, ensure that your target audience is likely to be interested in your messaging. For example, releasing a subject line of ‘How To Glam Up Your Work Wear’ to a unisex demographic may only be effective amongst one type of target lead.
Instead, ensure that your messaging strategy is segmented to target the values of each of your consumer groups.
“To ensure positive reception from potential customers and to maximize your own learning, target your audience as specifically as possible, tailor your messaging and test that messaging rigorously,” says Lian Amaris, CEO of Spiralgroup Marketing + PR. “Each step is an opportunity to be more relevant and more appealing.”
Target Your Mobile vs. Desktop Leads Separately
It’s no secret that more consumers are tapping into the e-commerce world from a mobile device. With over 49% of all emails now opened on a mobile device, we’ve hit a new avenue for segmentation in 2023.
The mobile vs desktop email experience is completely different. Not only do screen sizes differ, but mobile consumers are looking for shorter subject lines and a quick call-to-action as they browse from email to email. Desktop users are twice as likely to read an entire email, allowing you to pack more information and visual elements into your design.
Therefore, it’s crucial that you design your email campaign to be adaptable to both mobile and desktop devices, especially if you want to keep that open rate climbing.
(Image Source: Selligent)
Take this example from Dominos. Their desktop vs mobile email set-up differs to appeal to two types of customers. The desktop version prioritises larger visuals, while the mobile version is packed with easy-to-click CTA buttons for a fast track to the website.
Craft Stand-Out Subject Lines
Subject lines are also important when crafting the perfect email campaign. Remember that ecommerce competition will be at an all-time high in 2024, so it’s imperative that your brand stands out from the crowd.
The key here is to be clear and precise. If you’re offering a deal, make sure you tell your customers in the first line. Better still, if you’ve personalised your email with product bundles and exclusive offers, make sure your target knows this email is specially generated for them.
In fact, according to experts at Campaign Monitor, just personalising a subject line with the target’s name can increase the open rate by 26% alone.
While subject lines may attract the attention of your consumer, you must also build trust if you want a lead to open up your email.
This comes with prioritising brand consistency, such as maintaining the same domain name on your website and via email. Consumers are twice as likely to open an email from a trusted domain, as a pose to a @gmail.com alternative.
If you want to ensure that your email strategy receives an optimum open rate, ensure that your current domain ends in ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ or even create a domain name using an AI brand name generator for an optimised URL across all platforms.
Target Those Last-Minute Buyers
Last but not least, don’t forget to target those last-minute clickers. You wouldn’t believe how large this target group is. Around seasonal periods such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day, last-minute online deals are a lifesaver for the classic panic shopper a week before the big day.
Ensure that you craft a campaign just for this audience alone, packed full of last-minute offers and a subject line that contains ‘Arrives Before Valentine’s’.
(Image Source: Apple)
Take a look at this example from Apple. As the perfect last-mite email campaign, the brand clearly shows how quickly their products will arrive and offers the consumer a direct link straight to the gift guide page for a seamless purchase experience.
Are You Ready To Release Your Next Campaign?
As we enter 2024, it’s time to get your email strategy in order. Whether you’ve only just started cleaning up your email list, or you have a campaign ready to drop, ensure that your segmentation is up to scratch for maximum success.
The more consumer groups you target, the more new year conversions you’ll score. Good luck!
