Email segmentation: not just 'split your list' — concrete segment examples

Email segmentation is dividing your contact list into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or behavior, so you can send more relevant content to each group.

It sounds simple — and conceptually it is. But the difference between “we have segments” and “we segment effectively” is enormous. Segmented campaigns generate on average 14.3% higher open rates and 100.9% higher click-through rates than non-segmented ones, according to Mailchimp’s email marketing benchmarks.

Why segmentation works

The core problem with email marketing is relevance. An email about advanced features is irrelevant to a new user. An introductory offer is irrelevant to an existing customer. When you send the same thing to everyone, the content is by definition wrong for most people.

Segmentation solves this by matching message to recipient.

Demographic vs behavioral segmentation

Demographic segmentation uses static attributes: industry, company size, job title, location. It’s easy to implement because the data typically comes from the signup form.

Behavioral segmentation uses actions: what people click on, which pages they visit, when they last purchased, how engaged they are. It’s harder to set up but performs significantly better because it reflects current interest.

Start with demographic. Add behavioral when you have the data. HubSpot’s marketing segmentation guide provides additional examples of effective segmentation strategies.

6 concrete segment examples

1. Engagement segment

Split by activity level over the last 90 days:

• Active (opened 3+ emails) — send normally
• Passive (opened 0-2 emails) — reduce frequency, test new subject lines
• Inactive (0 opens in 90 days) — re-engagement campaign or remove them

Expected lift: 20-30% better open rate on active segments.

2. Customer lifecycle

• New leads — onboarding and education
• Active prospects — case studies and social proof
• Customers — upsell, tips, and loyalty
• Churned — win-back campaigns

Expected lift: 50-70% higher CTR with lifecycle-matched content.

3. Purchase history

Segment e-commerce customers by what and when they bought. Send product recommendations based on past purchases and follow up at the right time.

Expected lift: 30-50% higher conversion rate.

4. Industries (B2B)

Send case studies and examples from the recipient’s own industry. A SaaS company wants to see SaaS results, not retail numbers.

Expected lift: 25-40% higher engagement.

5. Signup source

Contacts from a webinar have a different context than contacts from a free trial. Tailor the first email series to the channel they came from.

Expected lift: 15-25% lower unsubscribe rate.

6. Lead score

Use lead scoring to identify warm leads and send them sales-oriented content, while cold leads get nurturing content.

Expected lift: 40-60% more sales-qualified leads.

How to get started

You don’t need all six segments from day one. Start with one segment that makes sense for your business. For most, the engagement segment is the easiest to implement and the most impactful.

The most important thing is that you stop sending the same email to everyone. Even a simple split into “active” and “inactive” improves your results significantly.

Read more about concrete segmentation strategies in our guide to segmentation that converts.