As a business owner, it might seem enticing to send an e-mail blast about the latest product or service your company offers to everyone on your list. However, before you do, take a few minutes to see how segmenting your customer base provides more-focused advertising, as well as more sales and marketing opportunities.
Here are a few categories to consider when segmenting your e-mail lists:
Gender-Not to wage a battle of the sexes, but many times taking into consideration the gender of your customers is well worth your time and effort.
Age- How much of an impact does age have on your products or services?
Geographic location- Location, location, location! Cliché, yet true. Depending on where your business is located, it’s best to analyze your database of clients to see who is close to you. If you’re offering an in-store promotion, or last minute markdowns, it’s to your advantage to see which clients on your list could physically be there. Take the time to know who they are and tailor your e-mails to these folks.
Interests/hobbies- As a marketer, by now you probably realize that getting to know your target customers is part of developing the relationship. As relationships go, take the time to understand not just what they spend their money on, but also their time.
Ethnicity- When marketing your business, consider if your products are more endorsed among one ethnic group compared to another.
Although not the only option, segmenting is one of many effective marketing strategies which we will discuss over time. Just as a good doctor understands a patient after studying their medical history, and then suggests a treatment plan, you will be confident on which strategy to apply based on how well you know your target audience.
More Marketing Resources
Branding and Advertising
Email Marketing Solutions
Search Engine Marketing Solutions
Direct Mail Marketing Solutions
by Nancy Adams
On October 17, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Very intriguing post
by Each One Reach One: Effective Viral Marketing Strategies : OneIMS | Integrated Marketing Solutions | Web Design | Printing | Online Marketing | Email Marketing | Advertising | SEO
On October 23, 2008 at 9:48 am
[...] Audience- The best way to determine the most successful approach is to define your client base. In an earlier blog, we talked about segmenting your e-mail list according to different client attributes. Sure, you [...]
by Jason Tweed
On November 20, 2008 at 9:37 am
Another way to segment e-mail lists is by occupation. While there are certainly benefits to targeting gender and age, people don’t tend to identify themselves as a 45-year-old woman. They will say “I am a physician” or “I’m an architect”.
With our clients we have found success focusing on how people identify themselves.