Segmentation, the word that you are sure to have heard a million times before and I can assure you, it is a word that you will continue to hear. Segmentation can be the make or break of your email marketing and there is no better place to start than from the very beginning – Welcome Series Segmentation.
In this post I am going to guide you through segmenting your Welcome Series into three target audiences. These segments are based on three sections of your data that is derived directly from your website. To learn more read on….
From the moment you connect new subscribers you should be segmenting your lists. Quite simply, you want to send powerful, compelling, content relevant to each of your subscribers. The truth is, even from the very first contact, your subscribers have individual needs. Here are the top three segments that you need to consider implementing within your welcome series.
1: Subscriber sign up method
Knowing how your subscriber signed up to your store gives you a wealth of information that can help you build the right content to match the buyer persona. Here is a list of different methods people may use to subscribe to your store:
- Newsletter subscriber: If a person is subscribing to your newsletter this is fantastic. This shows someone is generally interested in your brand for the long term and not just for an immediate sale. This subscriber shows interest in the content that you publish on your website and these are people that tend to be loyal.
- Exit intent subscriber: This is a generalization, but people that tend to sign up on the exit-intent are those that are still unsure about your store and brand but are considering giving you another chance. The exit intent group are price savvy and are easily persuaded to return with a nice little incentive.
- Checkout page signup: These new subscribers may have already purchased but they still deserve to be included in the welcome series. This group of subscribers are those that have already bought into your brand but have yet to be fully educated on the value your business can bring to them. Use your welcome series post purchase to educate and add-value to build engagement and loyalty.
2: Subscriber actions
When a subscriber signs up to your website your data shows us the on-site actions taken. Let us take a look at three different actions that new subscribers may have taken and how you can segment your welcome emails accordingly:
- Purchase: The first and clearest of all actions we can see is if a sale has already occurred. The purchase may have occurred prior to subscription, prompting the subscription. Alternatively it may have occurred during the first of the welcome emails. Content required for a person that has purchased during the first three welcome email stage, should be educational and value-added.
- Download: Many stores have downloadable documentation that gives information to a customer. If your new subscriber has downloaded a document this will ascertain the customer’s interests.
- Browse: We are able to see which pages your website visitors have been browsing and how often they have visited your store. Now we don’t expect you to be targeting people just for one visit to a singular page. However, if your new subscriber has been frequently visited the summer dresses category, then include relevant, educational content. Try to make your subscriber see that you really do understand their needs, right from day one!
3: Subscriber Profile
Once upon a time this was the only way companies could segment their audiences. Using fixed profile data you can segment your audience very easily. The three most common ways to segment your audience by subscriber profile data include:
- Gender: Different genders does not always mean that they are interested in different products, I for one will often shop online for gadgets for my husband. Marketing to different gender often uses a different tone and sales technique in the content of the email.
- Location: This remains an important segmentation area due to a number of factors. There are many stores that have brick and mortar stores that may carry different stock and different discounts. You may also consider different language for different regions. Don’t make a joke about the LA Kings losing an important game to your LA email recipients.
- Age range: Once again we can not necessarily distinguish the different products a person may or may not be interested in due to age, but we can adjust our language to suit the right audience and create an email series that will talk directly to this audience type.
When you start out it is not advisable to over segment your audience. This process is one that takes time. It is something that you will understand more of as you begin to understand your audience type. Remarkety’s segmentation articles are here as a guide to the options that are available.
Remember: Segmentation allows you to market your business in a powerful, targeted manner. Different types of segmentations will suit different businesses.
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