Segment Your Lists and Provide Personalized Email Content
List segmentation is one of the principal benefits of email marketing automation and separates marketing automation platforms from email service providers (ESPs). Segmenting according to engagement level, areas of interest, and demographics allows email marketers to tailor their messaging to target their audiences with compelling content when and where they’re looking for it.
Compared with the traditional batch-and-blast approach used by ESPs, segmented sending produces exceptional open rates, engagement, and return on investment. It also results in fewer unsubscribes and spam complaints because the content being sent via email has been written for each specific audience — and increased relevance leads to increased resonance every time.
Yet, while segmentation is crucial in the modern digital environment, many companies continue to struggle to group their audiences properly. Here are three ways to ensure accurate audience segmentation and increased engagement through personalized content.
1) Learn Your Audience’s Pain Points
As marketers, sometimes we have a tendency to overcomplicate things, which is only natural considering the tools at our disposal. However, one proven way to learn more about your audience’s challenges and interests is to simply ask them! When you seek your initial or follow-up opt-in, include a checklist of 5-10 pain points or areas of interest for them to complete. Once armed with this valuable information, segment your lists accordingly and work on developing relevant content for all stages of the sales funnel.
2) Collect Website Visitor Data
The great thing about digital marketing is that skilled marketers are able to gather tons of meaningful data and then leverage that data to segment their marketing lists and deliver content that pushes prospects and customers through the sales cycle. First, you’ll have to create intuitive email reporting dashboards in your marketing automation platform so you can see which emails certain recipients are opening, reading, and engaging with. From there, you simply divide and conquer with compelling content delivered to the appropriate inbox.
3) Market Based on Location
Depending on the type and size of your company, knowing where your customers live, work, and shop can be a major competitive advantage because, more often than not, geography influences purchasing patterns. Email marketing based on location also helps senders optimize for multiple time zones, execute regional promotions, and deliver geo-targeted content to different audience segments. One particularly powerful way to do this is to send emails with testimonials from satisfied customers who live close to your intended recipients. Understanding where your customers and prospects live will help you understand what makes them tick and empower you to foster trust and nurture relationships.