What is segmentation in email marketing?

Segmentation divides your email list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, so you can send more relevant messages to each group.

The core idea: Not everyone on your list has the same needs, interests, or relationship with your brand. Sending the same message to everyone means most people get something that's not quite right for them.

Common segmentation criteria:

Demographics: Age, location, gender, job title
Behavior: Past purchases, email engagement, website activity
Preferences: Stated interests, product categories, frequency preferences
Lifecycle: New subscribers, active customers, lapsed buyers

Example: Instead of emailing your entire list about a winter coat sale, you segment by location and only send to subscribers in cold climates. People in Florida don't get irrelevant emails. People in Minnesota get exactly what they need.

Why it matters:

Relevant emails get opened and clicked
Irrelevant emails get ignored or marked spam
Engagement signals affect deliverability
Better targeting means better ROI

Segmentation is sorting your cargo before shipping. Everything going to the same port travels together. You wouldn't load a ship heading to London with packages for Tokyo.