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GlossaryUpdated

What is email segmentation?

Email segmentation is the practice of dividing a list into groups that share a behaviour, an attribute or a relationship. A segment is usually dynamic, so a profile can move in and out as the data changes. Segmentation lets a sender write to a group instead of the whole list.

Key facts

  • Klaviyo documents segments as dynamic groups built from profile properties and events. Source
  • Google Analytics describes audiences as groups of users who share a characteristic. Source
  • Mailprompt's flow audience can be a list, a segment or any subscribed profile. Source

What segmentation means

This definition is part of the Mailprompt glossary. Segmentation is the practice of dividing a list into groups that share a behaviour, an attribute or a relationship. The group is usually defined by a rule, not by a manual list of names.

A segment can be built from profile properties such as country or first order date, from events such as a checkout or a purchase, or from a combination of both. The rule decides who is in and who is out.

Segments and lists

A list is a collection. A profile is added to a list, often through a signup form, and stays until someone removes it. A segment is a query. A profile is in the segment when it meets the rule and leaves when it stops meeting it.

A profile can be on many lists and in many segments. That is useful. It also means the same profile can receive several flows at once if the audiences overlap. A frequency cap and a clear flow map are part of making segmentation safe.

Dynamic rules

A dynamic segment recomputes as the data changes. A segment of customers who bought in the last ninety days will lose a profile after ninety days. A segment of profiles who started a checkout but did not order will gain and lose profiles throughout the day.

The dynamic behaviour is the point. It is also a review risk. A flow audience can grow or shrink after approval, so the draft should name the segment and the rule rather than only the segment label.

Writing to a segment

A segment gives the copywriter a specific reader. A message to people who bought a coffee maker can mention the coffee maker. A message to people who have never bought can introduce the brand. A message to the whole list has to be vague enough to fit everyone.

Specificity usually improves the click rate and the relevance. It also makes the approval easier: the reviewer can see who the message is for and whether the offer makes sense for that group.

Over-segmentation

More segments are not automatically better. A rule so narrow that it contains a handful of profiles cannot support a campaign or a reliable test. A rule so broad that it contains the whole list is not a segment.

The useful segments are the ones that change a decision: what to say, when to send or whether to send at all. A segment that exists only because the tool makes it easy is extra work with no payoff.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a list and a segment?

A list is a collection a profile is added to, often through a signup form. A segment is a rule that selects profiles from the data. A profile can be on many lists and in many segments. Segments update as the underlying data changes; lists usually change only when someone adds or removes a profile.

What makes a good segment?

A clear rule, a stable definition and a reason to write to the group. “People who bought a coffee maker” is clear. “Engaged people” is not, unless the engagement rule is written down. A segment that changes definition between campaigns is not comparable across time.

Can a segment change after I build a flow?

Yes. A dynamic segment recomputes as profiles meet or stop meeting the rule. That is the point, but it also means a flow audience can grow or shrink after approval. The flow draft should name the segment and the rule so the approver knows what will happen as the data changes.

Sources