Email List Segmentation – How and Why

Recently, eMarketer reported on some new research released by Lyris in regards to the practices of large US digital marketers. The most compelling finding of the study was the use of list segmentation by email marketing professionals. List segmentation is the practice of gaining enough information about subscribers to be able to target them based on interests, demographics, industry, etc.

Increased ability to target consumers in critical no matter what your marketing vehicle is. Within the digital space, and specifically as it relates to email marketing, creating targeted segments is as easy as you make it. The key is to start early.

Most businesses, when they first start out building an email list, gather very little data about email subscribers. This could be out of fear that asking for more information will lead to a lower opt-in rate or because they may not see the long term benefits of list segmentation. Both are well founded concerns. After all, if you only have a few hundred subscribers how likely are you to ever segment? Keep in mind that as your list grows you will find great value in being able to target subscribers by zip code, age, gender, etc.

Here is a quick graphic from the eMarketer report that shows how marketers are segmenting their lists.

If you are a MyEmailProgram.com customer you can start your targeting strategy by creating custom fields for things like age, zip code, etc. Add these fields to your lists and include them on web forms. When sending your email campaign you can filter by any of these data points. For specific segments you use regularly you can setup and save contact list segments within the program.

Source: For Email Marketers, List Segmentation Is a Top Priority by eMarketer