What are email segments & why do you need them?

Email segments are one of the best-kept secrets of the marketing world. Understanding them can help you radically improve your bottom line. In fact, research shows that segmented email campaigns had 14.32% higher open rates than did their non-segmented counterparts. So basically, if you break your email list into groups based on user preferences, and then send specific emails geared to the folks in those groups, there’s a higher chance they will actually open them. Science!

What are email segments?

Email segmentation refers to dividing your email subscribers into smaller groups, or segments, based on specific criteria you set up ahead of time. Email segmentation helps you determine what your customers want, and it can help you deliver exactly what they desire. You can set the criteria to sort your customers according to their geographic location, purchase history, interests, and more, and assign them to different email lists. Having this information at your fingertips allows you to personalize your emails for each segment, rather than sending generic one-size-fits-all messages, and is one of the largest benefits of email marketing.

Minimal effort results in minimal revenues. Customers can tell when a company doesn’t try very hard to get their business – generic emails are just one of the clues. In fact, nearly half of people who subscribe to email lists wind up throwing them in the trash, unread. Segmentation helps your email recipients feel as if you are speaking directly to them.

Types of Email Segments

Geographic email segmentation

As its name suggests, geographic email segmentation groups customers according to their location. This type of email segment is helpful if your business holds a special event, or if shipping is an issue.

B2B and specialization email segmentation

You wouldn’t want to send the businesses you work with the same emails as you send your customers, and vice versa. Each requires its own special messaging.

Content-specific email segmentation

Creating this segment relies on data collected about specific contacts, such as which pages they visited on your website and their purchases. This segmentation helps you deliver products and services to only the interested parties.

Behavior-specific email segmentation

This segmentation looks at deeper information, such as the length of time a customer lingers on a page, the number of pages they view on a typical visit, and their purchasing habits. This information helps you optimize their customer experience to stimulate more purchases.

Examples of Email Segmentation for a Cannabis Business

A cannabis retailer might use segmentation to create lists within their email subscribers for men and women, for example, as research suggests that men are more likely to report using joints/blunts, vaporizers, and concentrates, while women reportedly prefer using pipes and sublingual administration. You may also create interest-based segments on the frequency of use, preferred methods of administration, favorite cannabis strains, recreational or medicinal use, interest in paraphernalia or other accessories, and if the email recipient is a grower.

Understand Your Email Marketing Service Provider

Email segments are extremely powerful, but only if you know how to use them to grow your email list and improve communication with prospects and loyal customers. A number of companies offer do-it-yourself email marketing tools, but doing it yourself can be extremely confusing – especially if you are not a marketing professional. For best results, start with a digital marketing professional who specializes in servicing the cannabis industry.