Email Segmentation: Speaking to Every Customer Group Right
Sending the same email to your entire list is the fastest way to lose relevance. A VIP customer needs a different approach than someone who has never bought. Segmentation is the lever that turns an average list into a profitable one – here's how I build it in Klaviyo.
Why a list alone isn't enough
An unsegmented list treats every contact the same – whether someone just made their first purchase or hasn't opened an email in a year. The result: messages that fit perfectly for half the list and are completely irrelevant to the other half.
Segmentation solves exactly this problem by splitting the list into smaller, clearly defined groups – based on behavior, purchase history, or engagement. The core message stays the same, but tone, offer, and timing adapt to each group.
The key segments for e-commerce
First-Time Buyers
People who just made their first purchase are open to a relationship with the brand, but don't yet know the full range. A short post-purchase series that introduces the brand and invites repeat purchases – without immediately selling again – pays off here.
VIP Customers
Customers with high order value or frequent purchases deserve different treatment than the average: exclusive early access, special offers, a more personal tone. This group is usually small but disproportionately valuable to overall revenue.
Inactive Contacts
Contacts who haven't opened or clicked in months need either a targeted re-engagement attempt or should be removed from regular sends. Both protect the deliverability of the entire list.
Interest Without Purchase
Contacts who visited a product page or viewed an item but didn't buy show concrete interest in a specific category. Targeted, product-related campaigns work better here than generic blasts.
Practical note: You don't have to start with all four segments at once. For getting started, two are usually enough: first-time buyers and inactive contacts – they often bring the biggest effect for the least effort.
How segmentation works technically in Klaviyo
Klaviyo distinguishes between lists (static or sign-up-based groups, e.g. newsletter subscribers) and segments (dynamic groups that automatically update based on conditions like purchase behavior, engagement, or profile properties).
For most of the groups above, segments are the right choice because they keep themselves current: a customer who just made their first purchase automatically moves into the "first-time buyer" segment, without anyone manually maintaining a list.
Typical segmentation criteria
- Purchase history: Number of orders, total value, time since last purchase
- Engagement: Opens and clicks in the last 30/60/90 days
- Product interest: Categories viewed, links clicked in previous campaigns
- Profile properties: Location, sign-up source, filled-in preferences
Common mistakes in segmentation
1. Too many segments at once
Ten fine-grained segments sound precise, but often become unmanageable and each one ends up with too few contacts to reveal meaningful differences. A few clearly distinct segments usually beat many overlapping ones.
2. Segmentation that never shows up in the content
Building a segment does nothing if the campaign still sounds the same to everyone. The segmentation has to be reflected in the copy, the offer, or at least the subject line – otherwise the technical effort is wasted.
3. Ignoring inactive contacts
A growing share of completely inactive contacts in your main list gradually hurts deliverability for everyone – including your active contacts. Regularly filtering out or actively re-engaging them isn't a nice-to-have, it's maintenance.
Want to segment your list properly, instead of sending every email to everyone the same way?
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