Segment your list, or shout into the void

Dear reader,

The fastest way to make an email list stop listening is to send everyone the same thing, forever. People tune out what clearly wasn't meant for them.

Segmentation fixes that, and it doesn't need to be complicated.

A few segments that earn their keep

• New vs returning customers
• Recent buyers vs those who've gone quiet
• Category or interest, based on what they've bought or browsed
• Best customers, who deserve a different tone

You don't need dozens of micro-segments. A handful of sensible ones already makes each message feel more like it was written for the person reading it.

Relevance is just respect at scale. Segmentation is how you show it without writing every email by hand.

Start small

Pick one or two splits that clearly matter for your business and send to those before adding more. Relevance lifts opens, clicks and sales, and it lowers the unsubscribes that come from irrelevance.

Talk to people as if you know a little about them, because you do. That's the whole point of having a list.