How Segmentation Helps Sell Exactly What Your Audience Wants
June 22, 2020
Segmentation, segmentation, segmentation.
If you’ve done anything with email marketing, you’ve probably heard that segmentation is all the rage. Email marketing and marketing automation experts talk about segmentation like it’s the next big thing—but sometimes it seems like there are more questions than answers.
What is segmentation?
What do I do with a segment? Why is it important?
Segmentation is a fancy way of sorting people into groups and make sure the right people get the right message.
How do I segment my audience in the first place?
If you run a salon, you could serve multiple groups of people who all have different needs. Four possible groups are people who want:
- Color and chemical services
- Extensions
- Waxing and brow design
- Makeup and lashes
Not all of those people are interested in the same services. Even if one person wants multiple services—you can sell better if you focus on each group’s specific needs.
What do you do with a segment?
When you know what your segments are interested in, you can change how you talk about your business.
When you know a contact is interested in a particular service, you can:
- Send out specific promotions for that service
- Put them in automations that sell (without any extra work from you!)
- Nurture them will helpful tips related to specific services
The result? People feel like you’re speaking to their specific needs—so they’re more likely to become clients.
How do you segment in the first place?
Marketing automation platforms like ActiveCampaign help you sort people into groups using “tags.”
When someone tells you that they’re interested in a particular service, you can “tag” them. From then on, you’ll always know the interests of that contact.
How do you get information about people’s interests in the first place? Here are three ways:
- Signup forms: When someone signs up for your email list through your website, you can include a field that asks about their interests—and then automatically add a tag based on their response.
- Segmentation emails: If you don’t know what someone is interested in, ask! Send them an email with links for each service, then automatically add a tag based on what they click.
- Behavior: Did a contact visit a specific page of your website? Add a tag! You can see what contacts are interested in based on how they interact with your marketing.
Imagine you’re thinking about getting extensions and visited a salon’s website or were thinking about joining a new gym—but then got distracted by something else on the internet. Wouldn’t it be helpful to get an email with a discount offer for extensions or a introductory membership?
Segmentation helps you make sure that you’re sending people the offers they’re interested in.