List Segmentation by the Book.

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List segmentation is a pretty important marketing skill.  You never, ever have just one list of anything.

You have a customer list, a previous customer list, a blue chip customer list.  You might have an A-B-C list of prospects.  You might have a newsletter list.  You might have a mailing list, Christmas Card list, prospect list, and so on and so on.

Yet it amazes me to see companies who do email marketing and not do any list segmentation at all.

Just a Constant Contact account and one list of email addresses.

The Benefits of List Segmentation.

Keeping people in different lists is an effective way to be able to target each list with different information.  More relevant information or more targeted information.

Follow These Guidelines.

Here are four simple segments to split your lists into.

1.  Blue Chip Customers.

2.  Past Customers.

3.  All Other Customers.

4.  Prospects.

I'm not going to describe each segment because they seem pretty self explanitory to me, but here's what you do with these lists.

Take extra time with your Blue Chip Customers.  They should have special treatment. They should be on the inside. You should listen to them.  Keep them safe from your competition.  Don't hammer away at them with price discount after price discount.

Your past customers should also have special treatment.  You need to send them different messages from your Blue Chips.  Win them back.  Give them good reasons to re-engage you. I'm often surprised by the number of calls I get from previous customers wanting to use our services again.  Make sure you keep in touch so this is easy for them to do.

Keep doing what you're doing with all your other customers.  Newsletters, offers, events, updates, etc.

Finally prospects are a special group.  They have to be courted.  If they have a problem and you can solve it, that's what the emails should be about.  Plan to earn their trust, earn their respect, earn their business...

...see the pattern.  You can earn it.  Using email.

We'll show you how.