Behavioral segmentation 101: A information for electronic mail entrepreneurs

By Rhonda Bradley June 6, 2024

Seeking to enhance your electronic mail open, click on, and conversion charges? How about giving your ROI a killer enhance? 

Behavioral segmentation allows you to personalize electronic mail content material based on shoppers’ pursuits and habits. 

It’s the best kind of content material personalization and has a dramatic impact in your backside line — gross sales.

👉 76% of shoppers usually tend to buy from manufacturers that personalize their communications. 

On this information, we demystify the time period “behavioral segmentation” and present you the way it works.

Discover out precisely what the time period means and how one can (simply) use it to personalize your electronic mail messages.

Uncover all the things you’ll want to learn about behavior-based advertising, together with:

• What’s behavioral segmentation?
• Why behavioral segmentation issues to entrepreneurs
• Kinds of advertising segmentation
• Kinds of behavioral segmentation in electronic mail advertising
• How behavioral segmentation is utilized in electronic mail advertising
• The right way to get began with behavioral segmentation for electronic mail advertising
• Behavioral segmentation examples

What’s behavioral segmentation?

Behavioral segmentation is an automatic, data-based advertising technique. 

It tracks reader interactions in your emails, touchdown web page, and web site. Then it makes use of that knowledge to group your viewers into smaller segments based mostly on their pursuits and actions.

In consequence, you may ship extremely efficient, customized electronic mail content material to the proper individuals on the proper time.

For instance, meals supply service GrubHub seen I hadn’t used its service these days. So it despatched me an electronic mail with the header “It’s been too lengthy: allow us to deal with you to a 20% off supply.”

After ignoring Grubhub emails for weeks, it solely took one customized message to reel me proper again in. Good transfer, Grubhub!

As you’ll see within the subsequent part, I’m not the one shopper who’s a fan of customized content material. 🤭

Why behavioral segmentation issues in advertising

Behavioral segmentation is the most effective and most superior technique of offering customized content material to your viewers. 

Entrepreneurs and shoppers alike love personalization. 

Personalised advertising campaigns:

• Scale back buyer acquisition prices by as much as 50%.
• Improve ROI by 10-30%.
• Increase your income by 10 – 15%.
• Improve model loyalty, referrals, and repeat purchases.

For instance, to extend engagement and fundraising, The Fisher Heart wanted a technique to personalize communication based mostly on donors’ historical past and pursuits.

The non-profit turned to electronic mail advertising instruments to tag and section their viewers based mostly on habits akin to donation dates.

This customized method led to a 500% improve in its electronic mail subscriber listing. 

In accordance with a McKinsey report on personalization, most shoppers (72%) count on companies to cater to their particular person wants and pursuits.

In its report, McKinsey exhibits that almost all shoppers choose customized content material. 

Right here’s what the typical shopper thinks about customized advertising:

TIP: Improve your ROI much more by pairing segmentation with different extremely efficient advertising methods akin to appreciative electronic mail signal offs and model consciousness campaigns.

Kinds of advertising segmentation

There are numerous methods to section your viewers for personalization, however none is as efficient as behavioral segmentation. 

On the coronary heart of behavioral segmentation lies electronic mail advertising. 

A very good electronic mail advertising platform permits you to automate all the course of — from gathering behavioral knowledge to sending customized electronic mail campaigns based mostly on that knowledge. 

Web sites additionally use behavioral segmentation to gasoline their electronic mail advertising message and to construct dynamic web site content material. 

4 Core varieties of advertising segmentation

#1 – Behavioral segmentation

Behavioral segmentation teams individuals based on their interactions along with your electronic mail messages, touchdown pages, and web site.

It’s used to ship customized electronic mail content material and supply dynamic web site content material that aligns with shoppers’ pursuits, habits, and place within the purchaser’s journey.

#2 – Demographic segmentation

Demographic segmentation teams individuals by variables akin to gender, revenue, degree of schooling, age, and ethnicity. 

It may be useful when growing authentic purchaser personas. Nevertheless,  it depends on assumptions that may result in  poorly-matched content material.

For instance, IT Cosmetics despatched an electronic mail with the header “Remodel your confidence with a radiant complexion.” The message assumes that every one girls search confidence. 

Whereas this can be true for a lot of of its feminine prospects, it’s not true for all girls — and will flip some individuals away.

Demographic assumptions aren’t at all times a dependable technique to personalize advertising content material.

#3 – Geographic segmentation 

Geographic segmentation teams individuals by location and sub-categories like tradition, language, and timezone. 

Geographic segmentation could be useful in figuring out fundamentals akin to what language to make use of, what time to ship emails, and what vacation schedules to lean into.

Nevertheless, geographic knowledge factors are imprecise and don’t present sufficient data to create a really customized electronic mail or web site expertise.

For instance, a meal service utilizing geographic segmentation may promote fried meals to individuals residing within the Midwest and wholesome meals to individuals on the West Coast. 

This method could be based mostly on geographic cliches that trigger some readers to shortly lose curiosity. 

#4 – Firmographic segmentation

Firmographic segmentation is utilized by business-to-business (B2B) corporations. It segments individuals by the traits of their firm, akin to business, firm dimension, progress charge, and expertise used.

When you solely promote to different companies, firmographic knowledge could be very useful.  Nevertheless, firmographic segmentation doesn’t assist corporations that promote on to shoppers. 

Kinds of behavioral segmentation in electronic mail advertising

Behavioral segmentation in electronic mail advertising includes grouping subscribers based mostly on their actions and behaviors. 

5 Core varieties of behavioral segmentation for electronic mail advertising

1 – Engagement degree: Segmenting subscribers based mostly on their interplay with earlier emails, akin to:

• Electronic mail opens
• Clicks inside emails 
• Polls and surveys accomplished

2 – Web site exercise: Segmenting subscribers based mostly on their interactions along with your web site, akin to:

• Pages visited 
• Merchandise considered
• Actions taken
• Types crammed out
• Deserted carts

3 – Touchdown pages: Segmenting subscribers based mostly on the touchdown pages they reply to, akin to:

• Becoming a member of your electronic mail listing
• Scheduling a free session
• Downloading lead era content material
• Signing up for a webinar

4 – Buy habits: Segmenting subscribers based mostly on their buying historical past, which offers data akin to:

• New versus repeat prospects
• Buy frequency
• Common order spend
• Favourite product classes 

5 – Purchaser’s journey: Segmenting subscribers based mostly on their stage within the purchaser’s journey, akin to:

• Consciousness
• Consideration
• Resolution
• Advocacy

The right way to use behavioral segmentation in electronic mail advertising

Behavioral segmentation in electronic mail advertising is an automatic course of. 

As soon as it’s arrange, your electronic mail advertising program segments your listing into smaller teams based mostly on their interactions along with your emails, web site, and touchdown pages. 

Then it sends customized electronic mail messages and campaigns to numerous segments of your listing.

For instance, think about you run a web based pet provide retailer. Right here’s an instance of how electronic mail segmentation may make it easier to.

Information:

• You discover {that a} group of subscribers persistently opens and clicks on emails about canine coaching merchandise.
• One other group incessantly engages with emails about cat-related merchandise.

Segmentation:

• Create a section known as “Canine Coaching Fanatics” for the primary group.
• Create a section known as “Cat Lovers” for the second group.

Software:

• Ship focused emails about canine coaching ideas, lessons, and reductions to the Canine Coaching Fanatics section.
• Ship focused emails about toys, treats, and meals to the Cat Lovers section.

Outcomes:

By segmenting your electronic mail listing, you improve the relevance of your messages. This results in elevated engagement, conversions, and gross sales.

Behavioral segmentation works as a result of the emails you ship turn out to be extra fascinating to your readers. In order that they’re extra prone to open and skim your messages as an alternative of ignoring them.

Whereas this all may sound like plenty of work, it’s a reasonably easy and fast course of that may be totally automated. 

When you create campaigns and set triggers, automation does the remainder of the be just right for you.

Behavioral segmentation in motion

Within the electronic mail beneath, Petco shares a 20% low cost with canine homeowners who’ve bought coaching lessons previously. 

This can be a nice instance of purchase-based behavioral segmentation.

Coursera sends customized suggestions on programs associated to lessons I’ve taken previously.

It’s a superb instance of interest-based behavioral segmentation.

Behavioral segmentation can be used on web sites, separate out of your electronic mail advertising platform. 

Websites accumulate behavioral knowledge and use it to construct dynamic web site content material. This offers guests a customized expertise.

For instance, after I go to AWeber.com, I’m not greeted with a gross sales web page as a result of the location “is aware of” I’m already a buyer. 

As a substitute, I’m welcomed with a login web page and particular occasion invitation. 

The right way to get began with behavioral segmentation for electronic mail advertising

To get began with segmented campaigns, make sure that your electronic mail advertising platform offers the next key options:

• Automated set off campaigns that assist you to ship automated electronic mail sequence based mostly on behavioral triggers.

• Touchdown web page integration that permits you to ship automated electronic mail sequence in response to interplay with touchdown pages.

• Web site integration capabilities that assist you to ship automated electronic mail campaigns based mostly on web site exercise.

When you don’t have these options or in case you haven’t chosen an electronic mail advertising platform but, try AWeber’s Plus Plan. We offer all of the instruments and options you’ll want to get began with behavioral segmentation.

Relying on which electronic mail advertising platform you employ, the method of getting began with segmentation might fluctuate. 

For instance, AWeber’s easy system of making tags and triggers allows you to shortly create segmented campaigns based mostly on consumer habits.

Within the YouTube video beneath, Kim Mathiot steps you thru utilizing tags to unlock the ability of segmentation.

Behavioral segmentation examples

Under are examples of customized electronic mail advertising messages utilizing behavioral segmentation. 

Deserted cart electronic mail instance

Deserted cart emails combine knowledge out of your web site into customized emails. 

Behavioral set off: Dropping objects into a web based purchasing cart however leaving the location with out making the acquisition.

Response: Deserted cart electronic mail encouraging buy.

For instance, have you ever ever obtained an electronic mail associated to objects you dropped into a web based purchasing cart (however by no means bought)?

Buy follow-up electronic mail instance

Buy follow-up emails affirm current purchases and infrequently immediate readers to purchase extra objects.

Behavioral set off: Making a purchase order.

Response: Comply with-up electronic mail to encourage add-on gross sales.

For instance, Instacart grocery supply service sends a affirmation electronic mail shortly after you faucet “Place your order.” 

The follow-up electronic mail exhibits a picture of the objects you bought, then encourages add-on gross sales with a  “Add Objects To Order” CTA.

Welcome electronic mail instance

Welcome electronic mail messages (or sequence) are despatched when somebody subscribes to your electronic mail listing. 

Behavioral set off: Joins electronic mail listing.

Response: Welcome electronic mail.

Within the electronic mail beneath, Pottery Barn welcomes me as an electronic mail subscriber by encouraging me to “Begin Buying.”

Reminder electronic mail instance

Reminder emails assist individuals keep away from falling via the cracks by encouraging them to take a particular motion. 

Behavioral set off: Subscriber inaction associated to a particular occasion.

Response: Reminder electronic mail.

For instance, I started to enroll in a SimilarWeb free trial as a result of it supplied a free report I wished to view. 

However when the signup requested my telephone quantity, I made a decision the report wasn’t well worth the follow-up calls I’d most likely obtain. So I left the location with out finishing the shape. 

In response, I obtained a customized electronic mail encouraging me to return.

Software affirmation instance

When somebody submits a kind or software in your web site or in an electronic mail, a receipt affirmation is normally despatched.

Behavioral set off: Submitting an software.

Response: Thanks in your software.

For instance, content material advertising neighborhood SuperPath requires customers to fill out an software when becoming a member of its neighborhood. 

After the consumer submits their software, the model responds with a “Thanks in your software” electronic mail.

Under is a pattern from Superpath’s software and its automated electronic mail response.

Personalizing advertising content material with behavioral segmentation 

Behavioral segmentation is the important thing to unlocking really customized advertising experiences for shoppers and purchasers. 

By segmenting your listing based mostly on private data akin to buy historical past, pursuits, and engagement, you may ship tailor-made content material that improves relationships along with your prospects and will increase your ROI.

AWeber’s Plus Plan offers easy however highly effective instruments that make it simple to make use of behavior-based advertising automation. Phase subscribers based on their habits and ship a number of customized electronic mail campaigns — on autopilot. 
Able to take pleasure in the advantages of behavioral segmentation and customized advertising? Join AWeber at present!