Segmentation
Email segmentation is the practice of dividing your subscriber list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, behaviours, or preferences.
What Is Segmentation?
Segmentation allows you to send more relevant content to each group rather than blasting the same email to everyone. Common segmentation criteria include engagement level (active vs inactive), acquisition source, geographic location, content preferences, purchase history, and subscription date. Segmented campaigns consistently outperform non-segmented ones — research shows they can deliver 14% higher open rates and 100% higher click rates. The key is choosing segments that are meaningful for your content. A tech newsletter might segment by experience level (beginner vs advanced), while a news newsletter might segment by topic interest.
Why It Matters for Newsletters
Sending the same content to every subscriber wastes the attention of some and bores others. Segmentation lets you deliver the right content to the right people, improving engagement across every metric while reducing unsubscribes and spam complaints.
Best Practices
- Start with engagement-based segments (highly engaged, moderate, at-risk, dormant)
- Collect preference data during signup to enable interest-based segmentation
- Don't over-segment — each segment should be large enough to be actionable
- Test segment-specific content against generic sends to measure lift
- Regularly review and update segments as subscriber behaviour changes
How Aldus Handles This
Aldus tracks subscriber engagement automatically and segments your audience for re-engagement campaigns. The platform identifies at-risk subscribers and sends targeted win-back messages before they churn.