59% of the marketers claim that email is their biggest source of ROI.
However, the success of the emails depends heavily on the quality of the subscriber list that you have prepared. If your subscriber list does not contain people who have opted-in to receive emails or, does not include email preferences with respect to interests and frequency, then it is incomplete, and you may not get the results that you expect from the campaign.
Marketers who use segmented campaigns observe a 760% increase in the revenue.
Segmentation plays an important role in the increase in engagement and conversions. The first thing you ought to know about segmentation is that it has different forms, and comes with its own set of challenges. You, as the email marketer, ought to observe how you need to segment your list in order to attain the goals you have set.
When we are talking about segmentation, let us talk about the two different types- static and dynamic. The dynamic segmentation is the more powerful of the two, and is the one that will act like the crusader of your war towards accomplishing goals.
Why segmentation is important?
Let’s take a look at a scenario where an email was sent without segmentation.
So, let’s assume a new series is being launched, and the email is sent to a person who is not interested in watching series. Will that person open the email? No. The person will either send it to trash or, unsubscribe, as you are not sending them emails that are relevant to them.
This is the result of an unsegmented list. So, whoever opted in for your emails, you decided to keep them in a single list, and spammed them with emails that were a part of your campaign. So, whether or not the person is interested in that particular email, they will receive it, and you will have a bigger unsubscribe list, as a result.
However, imagine a reverse scenario. You are a mobile company, and you send two different emails, one to the prospects and one to the already converted. The prospects will receive emails regarding the new mobile options available while, the converted will receive some accessories and add-on related emails. This way, you will be able to witness proper conversions from both the emails, and you will succeed in attaining your goals.
As both are different, and were treated differently, you are able to successfully convert both lists. The reason was personalized attention that was showered on them.
Let’s understand the difference between a static list and a dynamic list.
Static vs. Dynamic Lists
When you say static, as the name suggests, they contain the list of people who have opted-in for the emails from you. They simply contain the names and email addresses of the people who have signed up for your emails. You can use any of the email tools available online to create the static lists and upload it to your database, while managing the duplication.
The static lists are generally used when you are getting people to register for an event, as there is no way you will be connecting with the list again for any other purpose. The static list is also used as part of the trade show, as it is a one-time affair.
Dynamic lists, on the other hand, are pretty evolving in nature. They are in accordance with the buyer’s journey and the buying stage they are in. whenever they meet a certain criterion, they are put into a particular list, and then nurtured accordingly. It is an intelligent list and so will include only those people who match the criteria for the moment. The moment they stop meeting the criteria, they are automatically removed from these lists.
A dynamic list impacts personalization, and helps the email marketing evolve with time, for both the subscribers and the marketers.
How Dynamic Segmentation Works?
It is important to segment the list according to the buyer’s journey, and that’s what the dynamic segmentation does.
Let’s understand it with an example.
When a subscriber first opts-in for your email list, they are interested in your business but, know next to nothing about it.
So, the criteria is new subscribers, and when this is met, the email that you would send would belong to the welcome series.
Next, there are subscribers who have been on the list for a while, and have been inactive. You need to get them out of the dormancy stage. The best way to perform this would be to send them a re-engagement email. These emails would offer them some discounts or, make them want to get back to the brand in some way or the other.
The dynamic segmentation moves the people from within the list based on the buying stage, their interests and other preferences as observed by the intelligent email system the business uses.
So, once the user has been welcomed, and they still opt to stay with you, the system will move them one step up towards the next list.
The data for the dynamic lists is made available through the app/website activity, the interests they showcase while browsing casually, the kind of data they fill in while on the app/website or any other asset that belongs to your business etc.
These dynamic lists can be utilized majorly for
- General marketing activities
- Lead nurturing via email campaigns
- Customer retention activities
Personalization is a result of dynamic segmentation, as you know what the customers are expecting from you, and you can give them just that. The result of a dynamic segmentation is that you know the customer’s expectations and can live up to that.
Wrapping up
Segmentation is an art that you need to incorporate in your email marketing for successful conversions. You cannot grow your business and convert better if you don’t know what the customer is expecting, and how you can offer what they need.
Make sure you use the dynamic insights offered by the data made available through the various channels to give your segmentation a boost, and improve your marketing efforts. It is believed that email is the best way to generate better leads. So, if you want to make the most of this channel, start with building a quality list.
