With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up this month and the Holidays next month, your email marketing strategy should already be in full swing. If you’ve worked in email marketing before, you know that segmentation can work wonders. Adding segments to your email campaigns is the cherry on top of all the hard work you’ve put into your Holiday marketing strategy, plus, it’s super easy with ahoy! In order to maximize conversions during the time when 30% of all retail sales occur, we recommend the following segments:

Inactive Subscribers
It’s likely that you’ll want to send a different message to email subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in a while. In order to grab their attention, make sure your subject lines and preview text convey exactly what discount you’re providing, and give them an offer they can’t refuse!

Recently Active Subscribers
These subscribers are definitely interested in your Holiday sales, but they just need an extra push. Here’s when it’s time to get personal. Remind them of the products they’ve recently looked at and suggest related products, this time with an amazing discount!

VIP Customers
These are your most loyal customers, consisting of frequent buyers and repeat customers. They deserve a special gift that shows your appreciation. This will ensure that they keep coming back for more!

Holiday/Seasonal Shoppers
This segment consists of buyers from your previous Holiday sales. They deserve a more personal email, perhaps showing related products to their previous purchases. Remember to thank them for their past purchase and remind them of the awesome sale you’re having this time around!

Gift Givers
Customers that have sent products with gift notes/gift wrapping in the past are definitely shopping for gifts during the holiday season, so now is the perfect time to drive them back to your website. Let them know about any special gift options you’re offering (such as gift cards and product bundles) and be sure to include a discount.

Geographic Location
There are several benefits to geotargeting. First off, you can make sure your email arrives in the customer’s inbox at an appropriate time in their location. Additionally, you can promote products that might be useful in their location. For instance, your subscribers in Chicago are much more likely to buy a winter coat than your subscribers in Florida.

Demographics
Targeting by demographic is key during the Holidays. Though it’s likely that you’ll have limited information on each subscriber, their demographics will clue you into what their spending habits might look like during the Holidays. For some inspiration, refer to the list below:

Demographic Segmentation

  • Gender
  • Occupation
  • Education Level
  • Income
  • Ethnicity
  • Family Size
  • Religion
  • Race
  • Age

If you’re new to segmentation, you might be overwhelmed. We completely understand how segmentation is intimidating to email marketing newbies, which is why ahoy! offers a library of the most popular and effective email segments, automatically pulling data from your subscriber list. To avoid the hassle of creating new segments, try our Smart Segments and sign up for ahoy today!