[FAQ]

Hello all,

I’m the marketing manager for an online retailer based in Manchester. We’re looking to take our email marketing to the next level this quarter.

At the moment, our segmentation is pretty basic; we mainly just separate customers from prospects. I keep hearing the term “advanced segmentation,” and I’m keen to understand what that looks like in practice.

What are some examples of more sophisticated segments that go beyond simple demographics? How are other e-commerce businesses using customer behaviour to create more targeted and effective campaigns?

Any practical examples would be brilliant. Cheers.

[Jeff Bullas]

A great question. Moving from basic to advanced segmentation is where you’ll find the biggest improvements in your campaign results.

Brief Answer: Advanced segmentation in email marketing is the practice of dividing your audience into highly specific micro-groups based on their behaviors, purchase history, and engagement level, not just their basic demographics. It allows you to send incredibly relevant text and image content to each group.

The core idea is to move beyond segmenting by who your subscribers are and start segmenting by what they do.

The most powerful form is behavioural segmentation. This is where you group people based on their actions. For example, you can create a segment of everyone who has viewed a specific product category on your website multiple times but has not yet made a purchase. This segment can then be sent a targeted email containing persuasive text and images specifically about that product category, perhaps including a limited-time offer to encourage a conversion. Another example is segmenting based on email engagement itself, creating separate campaigns for your most loyal readers versus those who have not opened an email in months.

Another advanced technique is segmenting by purchase history. This goes beyond just separating customers from non-customers. You can create a segment of your “VIPs” who have spent over a certain amount and send them exclusive offers. You can also segment by product category; if someone buys a printer, you can send them a follow-up email sequence with text and images promoting ink cartridges, not another printer.

The ultimate goal of this is hyper-relevance. By using data to create these smart segments, you ensure that the text, images, and offers in every email are as personally relevant as possible. This is what builds brand loyalty and drives a much higher return on investment from your email efforts.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

Posts