Email segmentation: Definition, strategy, and examples

Are your email campaigns falling flat, with low open rates and minimal engagement? It is high time you divide your subscriber list into smaller, targeted groups based on behavior, location, or interests. Companies using email segmentation report 760 percent higher revenue from email campaigns, proving how powerful it can be.

In this article, you will learn what email marketing segmentation is, how to build a strategy tailored to your business, and actionable examples to inspire your campaigns, as well as how to use segmentation to create personalized, relevant emails that drive higher open rates, clicks, and conversions.

What is email segmentation?

Email segmentation is the process of dividing your email subscriber list into smaller, more targeted groups (segments) based on specific characteristics like:

Email Engagement: Opens, clicks, or inactivity.
Demographics: Age, gender, income, or location.
Geography: Local events, weather, or regional trends.
Lifecycle Stage: Leads, first-time buyers, or repeat customers.
Purchase History: Products bought, frequency, or spending habits.
Website Behavior: Browsing history, cart abandonment, or time on site.
Interests and Preferences: Selected during sign-up or inferred from behavior.

These segments help you to send personalized emails that resonate with each group to increase the chances of engagement, clicks, and conversions. For example, give a discount on baby essentials to new parents or show premium upgrades to high spenders.

14 email segmentation strategies for your marketing campaign

As you go through these strategies, consider what specific data points, like frequency of purchases or product categories, you can use to create personalized offers that drive repeat sales and build long-term loyalty.

1. Welcome new subscribers with a friendly email series

Welcome emails have a high open rate of 86 percent and are a great way to connect with your audience. Segment subscribers who signed up within the last 30 days and start an automated drip campaign to nurture them.

A drip campaign is a series of automated emails sent at specific intervals to guide these subscribers through their first interactions with your brand. It helps:

New subscribers get to know who you are and what you offer right away.
Consistent, helpful emails show that you value them.
Subscribers who feel welcomed are more likely to open your emails, visit your website, and make their first purchase.

Start with a warm welcome email that thanks them for joining and introduces your brand. A catchy subject line with their name like “[Lead’s Name!] Welcome to [Your Brand]—We’re So Glad You’re Here!” can grab attention and set the tone.

Then, show appreciation for signing up or subscribing and share a brief overview of who you are and what you offer. Make sure to include a discount code, freebie, or special perk to encourage their first purchase.

Lastly, include a call-to-action to encourage them to explore your website, follow you on social media, or check out a featured product.

2. Decode your audience with demographic data

Use demographic segmentation to identify your audience, expand your reach, and cater to niche markets. Group subscribers based on key characteristics:

Gender: Highlight gender-specific products or services.
Parental Status: Focus on products for parents or kids.
Marital Status: Offer deals for singles, couples, or families.
Income Level: Promote luxury items or budget-friendly options.
Age: Tailor messages for Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, or Boomers.
Occupation: Target professionals with industry-specific solutions.
Location: Customize offers for local events, weather, or holidays.
Education: Share content relevant to their knowledge level or profession.
Cultural Background: Celebrate diversity with regionally or culturally relevant email marketing campaigns.

Then, create email messages that resonate with each demographic group. For instance, target millennials with eco-friendly products and social proof. For seniors, highlight vehicles designed for comfort and safety, featuring higher seating, advanced safety systems, and simplified controls tailored to their needs.

Similarly, parents of young kids will appreciate promotions on baby essentials or parenting tips, while snow-region residents will respond to emails featuring winter gear with local imagery.

3. Offer VIP perks to your most loyal customers

It costs 5 to 7 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. So, focus on your most engaged and loyal customers to boost long-term revenue. These customers are your biggest advocates and are 4 times more likely to refer your brand to others. They will love it if you treat them like part of an exclusive club.

Here is how you can reward them:

Let your highest spenders preview new collections or products before anyone else.
Celebrate milestones like anniversaries or special holidays with personalized coupon codes.
Provide free shipping, priority customer support, or limited-edition items.
Highlight VIP members in your newsletters or offer badges for their loyalty.

Amazon Prime takes loyalty to the next level by offering benefits like free 2-day shipping, access to exclusive deals, and Prime Video streaming. The program’s convenience and value encourage customers to shop more frequently, with Prime members spending $1,400 annually on average, compared to $600 for non-members.

If they stay inactive after your campaign, remove them to keep your list healthy.

4. Send birthday emails with a fun surprise or discount

Birthday emails have 45 percent higher open rates than standard emails. That’s because people love getting acknowledged on their special day. Create a dedicated birthday segment to deliver tailored messages that make your subscribers feel valued and increase engagement. Here is how to do it:

Collect birthday data by adding a birthday field to your sign-up forms or surveys. You can also use popup forms on your website to capture this information.
In your email platform (ex. DailyStory), create a segment for all subscribers with an upcoming birthday.
Schedule a drip campaign that triggers a birthday email 7 days before, on the day of, or even the week after.
Include variations for different segments. For example, offer higher discounts or exclusive gifts for your VIP birthday segment.

5. Share location-based deals

Location-based marketing boosts engagement rates by up to 83 percent–a powerful strategy for personalized outreach. Target subscribers based on where they live, work, or shop, to send hyper-relevant emails.

For example, you could send “It’s Snowing in Denver! 20% Off Cozy Winter Wear” to subscribers in cold regions while offering “Sunny Days in Miami! Grab 15% Off Beachwear” to those in warmer areas.

You can also align promotions with local events like offering festival gear discounts or highlighting deals for regional holidays. Another tactic is driving foot traffic by sharing store-specific offers, like exclusive in-store discounts or pop-up event invitations.

Lastly, use dynamic content to insert location-specific details. For example, Netflix uses dynamic content to personalize emails by recommending shows or movies based on a user’s location and viewing preferences. Netflix users in the U.S. might see “Top Picks in America,” while those in France get “Popular in France.”

6. Remind shoppers about items left in their carts

Abandoned cart emails can have a 45 percent open rate. So, segment shoppers who leave items in their carts to send targeted emails that nudge them toward completing their purchase.

Use your email platform to identify shoppers who added items to their cart but didn’t check out within a specific time frame (ex. 24 hours). Then, send a series of 2-3 emails with increasing urgency:

A friendly reminder about the items left behind (within 24 hours).
Offer a small discount or free shipping to encourage action (48 hours later).
Create urgency with low-stock alerts or an expiration warning for their cart (final reminder).

Amazon sends abandoned cart emails with a personalized subject line like “You left this behind, [Name]!” The email features the item, a direct link to the cart, and recommendations for related products.

7. Share interest or preference-based content

80 percent of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that offer personalized experiences. Follow these steps for maximum email engagement:

Analyze browsing behavior, past purchases, or engagement with your emails. Use sign-up forms, short text surveys, or quizzes to ask subscribers about their interests.
Segment your audience based on preferences, like product categories (ex. fitness gear, skincare, tech gadgets). Conduct behavioral segmentation for triggers like frequent shoppers, casual browsers, or high-value customers.
Create tailored content. For fitness enthusiasts, share workout tips, product recommendations, or upcoming gear launches. For tech fans, give updates on the latest gadgets or comparison guides.
Hire an email marketing expert to design, optimize, and automate campaigns. This expert ensures your emails are strategically segmented, visually engaging, and impactful to save you time while maximizing results.

Spotify sends highly personalized emails and playlists based on user preferences, like the “Discover Weekly” feature. By analyzing listening habits, they recommend songs or artists that perfectly align with the user’s taste, boosting engagement and retention.

8. Highlight seasonal sales for holiday shoppers

68 percent of holiday shoppers pay more attention to promotional emails, which accounts for a 138% increase in conversion rates compared to standard campaigns.

Identify customers who have previously engaged with holiday promotions or shown interest in seasonal products. Then, tailor your messaging to these email segments, as 87% of people plan to spend the same or less than last year.

Schedule emails to align with peak engagement periods, considering that evenings may yield higher open rates during the holiday season.

Use festive imagery and design elements to evoke the holiday spirit and make your emails more engaging. Holiday colors, snowflakes, or gift icons are a few of the examples that you use in your email design.

Target’s holiday emails highlight time-sensitive sales with themes like “Black Friday Countdown” and “Last-Minute Holiday Deals.” Their emails feature dynamic content like Top Deals in [City]” and personalized product recommendations.

9. Follow up with attendees of your events or webinars

About 20 percent to 40 percent of webinar attendees turn into qualified leads, so make follow-ups an essential part of your email marketing strategy. A well-timed, personalized email reinforces the value of the event and encourages attendees to take the next step. Here is how to write a fool-proof follow-up email:

Send a thank you email

Send the email within 24 hours of the event. Make sure to thank attendees for joining, and highlight key takeaways. Add an enticing subject line: “Thanks for Attending [Webinar Name]! Here’s Your Follow-Up.”

Include a clear CTA

Encourage next actions like booking a demo, signing up for a trial, or downloading related content. For example, “Interested in Learning More? Schedule Your Free Consultation Here.”

Provide exclusive resources

Share bonus materials, like eBooks, guides, slides, webinar recordings, or checklists to deepen their knowledge and keep them engaged.

Segment for targeted follow-ups

Segment attendees based on their engagement during the event (ex. questions asked or poll responses). Tailor follow-ups to their specific interests.

Send a feedback request

Ask attendees for feedback to improve future events and demonstrate you value their opinions.

10. Tap into your customer personas to speak their language

Personas represent fictional profiles of your ideal customers, built on real customer data like demographics, behaviors, and preferences. Tap into these personas to tailor your messaging to address their unique needs, pain points, and goals.

Here is how to do it:

Collect data using surveys, website analytics, and customer feedback. Include key details like age, occupation, interests, challenges, and buying behaviors.
Group your subscribers based on which persona they align with. For example, a savvy budget shopper responds well to discounts and cost-saving tips. An eco-conscious consumer values sustainability and ethical sourcing.
Create email campaigns that align with each persona’s motivations. For a tech enthusiast, highlight advanced features in a product launch email, while for a budget shopper, focus on a limited-time discount.

Transparent Labs effectively targets both budget-conscious shoppers and fitness enthusiasts through their emails. For example, this particular email highlights a 25% sitewide discount and creates urgency with “48 hours left,” to appeal to deal-seekers. They also add a free shaker and sample pack for $100+ purchases that resonate with fitness-focused customers.

11. Tailor campaigns with purchase-based segmentation

Personalized product recommendations based on purchase history can increase conversions by 300 percent. This strategy helps you understand your audience’s preferences and send emails that align with their needs, boosting engagement and revenue.

Identify key buyer groups:

First-Time Buyers: Nurture them with welcome emails and complementary product suggestions.
Repeat Customers: Reward loyalty with exclusive offers or early access to sales.
High-Spenders: Highlight premium or luxury products and create VIP bundles.
Infrequent Shoppers: Use re-engagement campaigns to bring them back with enticing discounts.

Then tailor emails for each segment using the:

Upsell Opportunities: Promote add-ons or upgrades for past purchases.
Cross-Selling: Suggest complementary products related to what they’ve already bought.
Seasonal Promos: For buyers of seasonal items, recommend similar products for upcoming seasons.

Automate these campaigns using DailyStory to trigger emails based on specific purchase behaviors, ensuring timely and relevant communication. For example, if a customer buys a laptop, you could recommend accessories like cases or chargers. Amazon frequently uses this tactic with emails like, “Based on your recent purchase, you might also like…”.

12. Engage customers at each stage of their lifecycle

Segment your audience by their lifecycle stage to tailor your marketing efforts based on their customer journey with your brand. Customers at different lifecycle stages require unique strategies to nurture them effectively:

Leads: People who have shown interest but haven’t purchased yet.
First-Time Buyers: Customers who recently made their first purchase.
Repeat Customers: Loyal customers who frequently shop with you.
Lapsed Customers: Customers who haven’t engaged or purchased in a long time.

Tailor messaging to target customers for each stage:

Send educational content, discounts, or free trials to move leads to their first purchase.
Share welcome emails, product guides, and cross-sell opportunities for first-time buyers.
Reward loyalty with VIP perks, exclusive sales, or early access to new products for your repeat customers.
Send targeted campaigns with incentives to re-engage lapsed customers, like “We Miss You—Here’s 20% Off!”

13. Segment by behavior on your website

This approach helps identify intent and interest, letting you create personalized campaigns that resonate deeply with your audience. Key behaviors to track include:

Product browsing
Cart abandonment
Time spent on pages
Search activity

For example, visitors who repeatedly view a product may need a follow-up email with customer reviews or limited-time offers, while those engaging with educational content could be nurtured with related guides or tutorials.

Use Google Analytics or CRM platforms to capture behavior data. Create segments such as “Browsers,” “Cart Abandoners,” or “Engaged Content Consumers.”

Tailor messages for each group: send product recommendations to browsers, re-engagement emails with discounts to cart abandoners, and additional resources to content consumers. You can also trigger automated workflows for actions like exit intent, offering a popup with an incentive to prevent abandonment.

A unique way to leverage this segmentation is by combining behaviors. For instance, users who both browse and search for a product could receive highly specific campaigns addressing their exact needs. This layered targeting ensures your emails are timely, relevant, and conversion-focused.

14. Win back inactive subscribers

Inactive subscribers are people who were once interested in your brand but have stopped opening or clicking your emails. A well-crafted win-back campaign can rekindle their interest and bring them back into the fold.

Segment subscribers who haven’t engaged in 3-6 months (or whatever period is relevant for your brand). Then, send them a re-engagement email series:

Email 1: Acknowledge their absence with a friendly message. For example: “We Miss You! Here’s 20% Off to Reconnect.“
Email 2: Showcase exciting updates, like new products or features.
Email 3: Give them a reason to stay by offering an exclusive perk or discount.

Make sure to A/B test your win-back emails to make them more effective. Test different subject lines to see which grabs attention, like “We Miss You!” vs. “Exclusive Discount Just for You!” You can also test email formats. Try one email that’s visually driven and another that’s text-focused to see which performs better.

Conclusion

As you apply these strategies, think about this: Am I sending clickworthy emails to my audience or am I simply assuming what might work? The difference between generic campaigns and well-segmented ones is measurable in engagement rates, customer loyalty, and revenue growth.

To make it easier, use DailyStory, a marketing automation platform designed to streamline your campaigns. With our simple, user-friendly email and SMS marketing software, you can craft targeted messages. Start segmenting today and watch your campaigns evolve from good to unforgettable. What’s the first audience segment you’ll target to make your emails stand out?

About the author

Burkhard Berger is the founder of Novum™. He helps innovative B2B companies implement modern SEO strategies to scale their organic traffic to 1,000,000+ visitors per month. Curious about what your true traffic potential is?