Your mailing list includes many different people with many different lifestyles. The best way to connect with each of them is to make it personal.
You can achieve this through segmentation. Break the big mailing list down into categories. Like this, you can tailor your SMS messages to suit individuals, rather than approaching them en masse.
Segmenting helps you to be more efficient with your campaign automation. It also makes customers feel part of a community. People are more likely to respond positively if it’s clear you’ve done your research and value them specifically.
Popular Segments include:
1. Location⚡️ #
You can segment your customers based on their location. This is especially helpful if you can only serve a certain area. However, it can also be used to grab the attention of a particular niche of people.
You can have big segments, such as the UK as a whole.
You can also target customers more specifically. For example, customers in the county of Herefordshire, or customers in Lancashire, or customers in South London.
The location will change when and how you send messages.
For example:
- First Time Customers in Yorkshire: the message is triggered by their purchase, but further segmentation allows you to send location-specific events, or discounts, for example.
- Customers in The UK: the message is triggered by an event happening in the UK such as Guy Fawkes Night.
Location also determines when you’re allowed to send your messages.
2. Age and Gender ⚡️ #
Keeping data relating to customers’ identities allows you to send relevant promotions. This helps you avoid over-messaging and opt-outs.
People in their 60s have different wants and needs to those in their 20s. People don’t want to see adverts for other age demographics.
You could have segments for the over 60s, as well as segments for those aged 18-25. More specifically, you could also have a segment: ‘Female customers in their 50s’.
Using specifications like this, you may send gender-specific clothing, or items popular with older demographics, as appropriate.
For example:
- Customers who are 40+ and female: an SMS is triggered by customers providing this information, so you can send relevant calls to action. The message offers a discount on items that are typically associated with this group.
3. Engagement Levels⚡️ #
This involves segmenting customers according to:
- How often they make a purchase
- How recently they made a purchase
- How frequently they make purchases
For example, you can send new products and exclusive deals to highly-engaged customers, based on their previous purchases. For inactive customers, you might instead send targeted win-back campaigns with discounts and promotions.
You might even create a VIP list to reward loyal customers with exclusive deals and early-access offers via SMS.
For example,
- Inactive Customer: an SMS is triggered by no purchases being made for 6 months, and reads, ‘we miss you! Use CODE20 for 20% off’.
- Frequent Customer: an SMS is triggered by their 10th purchase, and thanks them for their loyalty, offering a reward
4. Birthdays ⚡️ #
Show you care! Send customers a deal on their birthday by creating a segment that goes out on specific dates.
For example,
- Customers born on 4th May: a message is triggered by this date arriving, and it offers a birthday discount.
5. New Subscribers⚡️ #
In order to send a ‘thank you’ for joining, you might create a segment that is triggered by the first purchase, or initial subscription. Send a welcome message, and include an introductory offer that might incite customers to return again.
6. Cart Abandonment⚡️ #
Segments triggered by a customer leaving their cart at checkout will allow you to send reminders within 48 hours of abandonment. These can be used to persuade people back to their abandoned carts, and inspire them to purchase where they may have been undecided.
Sweet Sweet Segmentation… #
Now that your campaigns are as neatly, sweetly segmented as a Chocolate Orange, check out:
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