The most effective email-segmentation strategy I've implemented is demographic segmentation. By categorizing our email list based on factors such as age, location, and industry, we can tailor our messaging to resonate with specific audiences. This personalized approach leads to higher engagement rates and lower unsubscribe rates, ultimately improving our email reputation. Focusing on relevant content for each demographic ensures that our emails are well-received, maintaining a positive sender reputation and enhancing overall deliverability.
Swapnil Kumar, Growth & Marketing Manager, Smartlead
In my experience as CEO of a tech company, I have found that the strategy called “lifecycle-stage segmentation” has been immensely effective in improving our email reputation. By splitting our customers not only into “new,” “regular,” and “churned” but also into stages like “one-time buyers,” “repeat customers,” or “high-value clients,” we are able to deliver tailored messages that resonate with each group. It's like being a trusted guide for each customer, helping them take the next best step. Consequently, we've seen a dramatic decrease in unopened emails and spam complaints, enhancing our email reputation significantly.
Abid Salahi, Co-founder & CEO, FinlyWealth
One of the most unique methods I have implemented to build our email reputation is segmenting according to customer complaints or feedback. This might seem contradictory, but targeting those customers who have not been happy with our service has done wonders. We have a segment we separate out for everyone who's had a problem, reported an issue, or has a service issue, and then we send targeted follow-up emails with details on what is being complained about.
For instance, if a customer's service was delayed, we send them an apology email that not only takes responsibility for the delay but also provides them with 20% off their next service. For those who've spoken negatively about communication, we give more tailored updates that include precise and concise information about their future appointments or services. This tactic makes a negative into a positive and lets customers know that we are listening and that we care. It's reinforced confidence, slowed churn, and improved our email standing because we demonstrate responsiveness and intervention when things don't seem to be going as expected.
Patrick Beltran, Marketing Director, Ardoz Digital
In my experience, the most effective email-segmentation strategy has been to segment our audience based on engagement levels. By categorizing recipients into groups such as "highly engaged," "moderately engaged," and "low engagement," we've been able to tailor our approach to match each segment's interaction history.
For instance, highly engaged users receive more frequent and action-driven content, while less engaged recipients receive value-driven, softer content with re-engagement campaigns aimed at sparking interest without overwhelming them. This not only improves overall email performance but also reduces unsubscribes and spam complaints, which are critical factors for maintaining a healthy email reputation.
By focusing on engagement, we also ensure that we're sending relevant content that resonates with each recipient. When people receive emails they find valuable, they're more likely to interact positively, which boosts deliverability and overall email reputation. This strategy has allowed us to create more meaningful connections with our audience while maintaining a positive sender score, ultimately driving better results for both marketing and customer satisfaction.
Shehar Yar, CEO, Software House
List management solutions are my secret sauce when it comes to email-segmentation. Over the years, I've tried a number of tools, but the ones that I really enjoy working with are HubSpot, AWeber, and ConvertKit.
What I usually do is create tags so that the email subscribers get tagged if they take a particular action. For instance, when they buy product A, they are tagged so they don't receive emails promoting the same product. Instead, we can send them an email featuring product B that could be a good combination with product A they already purchased.
Next, we have a wide range of automations. Here is an example: if someone buys product A, they now belong to the buyer's sequence. This is one more reason to segment—we can send emails to buyers and make sure they get the most out of every product, hence mitigating the risks of refunds.
We have a chance to create individual sequences for every product or service we focus on, getting subscribers from one sequence to the next based on the actions they take. On top of that, we can create separate sequences based on subscriber preferences, such as what lead magnet they signed up to receive.
Kate Dzhevaga, CMO, Head of Growth, SYMVOLT
I've found that segmenting our email list based on engagement levels has been incredibly effective in improving our email reputation. By sending more targeted and relevant content to highly-engaged subscribers, we've seen a significant increase in open rates, click-through rates, and overall deliverability.
Additionally, segmenting by projected purchase date using Klaviyo's AI tools has been particularly effective for pushing customers to make their next purchase. Klaviyo's predictive analytics allow us to identify customers who are likely to convert and send them personalized campaigns timed perfectly to encourage a purchase. This strategy has helped us increase our conversion rates and improve our overall email performance.
Erin Siemek, CEO, Forge Digital Marketing, LLC
My personal experience with email segmentation is one of the top email segmentation methods for increasing your email reputation, to understand where and how your visitors get to your website. You should care so much about this because you get to see what kind of content they're seeing. Imagine a user stumbles upon your website through a landing page that advertises a contest or a specific product line. Not only does it get them from merely stopping in to becoming a customer, but it also shows you what they care about.
Google Analytics and the rest can tell you all about this: what pages they go to, where they click, and how far they bounce off. This is high-value data because it lets you personalize your email campaigns with content that is relevant to their interests and requirements. So if someone opens a beginner's guide or intro offer on your site, you can group these people together. And the second follow-up email they receive from you could be stuffed full of more in-depth content, which will continue to push them into your sales funnel. Everything about making every email more relevant to their initial interests will increase engagement and, even better, your email reputation.
Gavin Bent, Marketing Executive, Ponds By Michael Wheat
My personal favorite email-segmentation tactic for email-reputation building is to target inactive customers. You know, we don't want to eliminate those customers who haven't bought for a while.
First, I'm always going to attempt to understand why they've stopped. If they've been opening emails but haven't clicked anything, it could be a sign that they're still interested but haven't clicked the call to action (CTA). During times like this, I would continue with what they appear to enjoy and move the CTA around to see if anything else piques their interest.
Now, if they haven't opened emails in a very long time, then I know it's time to move them on to another list—something like an email-retention flow. It is not a sales pitch. Rather, you try to tap them more softly and have them go again, perhaps reading the site again, maybe reading a blog post, maybe starting a wishlist. This is a great way to revive them without being overtly prodding, which will ultimately result in returning some to your list and making your email lists healthy.
Dimitri Zobnin, Managing Director, House of Enki
Birthdays are one of those segmentation tactics that seem to be the real gem for increasing email reputation. I mean, who doesn't want some birthday extravaganza? It's a great way to tell your readers they matter to your business.
In my experience, an email to your subscribers on their birthday can be extremely useful. Not just “Happy Birthday,” but making them feel special and worth a little extra effort. You may even include an exclusive treat with their purchase, a cool discount code, or even birthday-only products or deals.
And a little insider's tip: don't wait for the day. I'll send these birthday offers out a few days early. Why? It gives people a little more time to redeem birthday benefits, and making it last for a week allows them a decent amount of time to redeem. Trust me, it's a win-win situation. They get an amazing deal, and you get to bolster your standing by demonstrating care.
Toni Norman, Senior Marketing Manager, Tingdene Residential Parks
For me, a simple but powerful email-segmentation tool for email-reputation enhancement is opt-in (and opt-out) emails. That sounds kind of weird—like you're making people unsubscribe—right? But, in reality, cleaning your list is extremely important for a successful campaign.
People update email addresses over time, or maybe they're no longer interested in your voice. And that is the point. But the fact is that you do not want your emails sitting in the inboxes of non-experts who simply have no use for them. So, how do you make sure your list is up-to-date? Well, sending out opt-in messages is a great start.
And it doesn't end there. Give your subscribers options, not only opt-in/opt-out. Let them choose when to hear from you or what they would like to receive. This way, even if they're a bit late for your weekly digests, they might still come back for the monthly digest or just the big news. It keeps them entertained and piques interest without acrimonious closure. It also keeps your email campaigns healthy and adds a better score to your reputation.
Jonathan Pickard, Head of Marketing, Holiday Resort Unity
In our website-development agency, we've discovered that behavioral segmentation is the secret sauce for boosting our email reputation. It's like being a digital detective, observing how subscribers interact with our content and tailoring our approach accordingly.
We segment our email list based on engagement levels—opens, clicks, and website visits. This allows us to send more frequent, value-packed emails to our most engaged subscribers while reducing send frequency to less active ones. It's a bit like a DJ reading the dance floor—you play more songs for those who are grooving and take it easy on those who aren't feeling the beat.
The result? Our email deliverability shot up by 25%, and our spam complaints dropped dramatically. It's a win-win: our engaged subscribers get more of what they love, while we avoid annoying the less interested ones.
This approach has not only improved our email reputation but also deepened our relationship with our audience. It's proof that in email marketing, quality truly trumps quantity. By focusing on those who truly want to hear from us, we've created a more vibrant, responsive community around our brand.
Harmanjit Singh, Founder & CEO, Website Design Brampton
We're focusing on segmenting our users based on how they interacted with our customer service. We don't only analyze purchase history or content engagement—we analyze user behavior with our support team, whether they need help often, if they've resolved a problem, or if they have reviewed our product.
From this engagement, we categorize these users into groups based on their experience with us to provide them specific content for their email newsletter. If, for instance, a user achieved a positive resolution to a support request, we might send an appreciation email or special offer as a thank-you gesture. To those who are already actively asking for help, we offer more in-depth information or predictive tips to maximize their user experience and catch problems in advance.
This customized feature recognizes their specific experience with our brand and provides greater connection and confidence. It's a trick that not only increases engagement but also greatly boosts our deliverability and credibility, as email recipients will perceive our emails to be more relevant and thoughtful as a direct result of their experiences with our brand.
Alexander Henschel, Digital Marketing Manager, Boulevard
Personally, I've found that the split of your email list into store visitors and website visitors really helped our email standing. Especially if you have both offline and online presence, it makes perfect sense to tailor your messaging around your customers' buying habits. For instance, I can promote invites to exclusive in-store promotions to those who enjoy going in, which really draws in a group. Shoppers, at the same time, enjoy special online offers that they can use on the website only.
What's difficult, of course, is actually determining how your customers actually buy things, and it's notoriously fickle. Once you get that down, you start reaping the rewards pretty quickly. Messages are what matter, and messages matter at the right moment.
Jason Stelle, Head of SEO, Filterbuy
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