Best examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Real-world examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

The best way to understand segmentation is to see it in action. Below are real examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns that brands of all sizes are using right now.

One ecommerce brand selling fitness gear split its list into three engagement bands: highly active (opened in last 30 days), warm (31–90 days), and cold (90+ days). Highly active subscribers received new product drops and limited-time offers. Warm subscribers got more educational content—workout tips, recovery guides, and how-to videos—before any hard sell. Cold subscribers received a simple “Still interested?” re-engagement series with a one-click preference update. The result: the brand cut overall send volume by 22% while increasing revenue per email by over 30%.

A B2B SaaS company did something similar around lifecycle stage. Instead of one generic newsletter, they built segments for free-trial users, active customers, and churned accounts. Trial users received onboarding walkthroughs and feature spotlights. Active customers saw best-practice content and advanced product use cases. Churned accounts got a quarterly “What’s new since you left?” update with a tailored offer. Same list size, radically different performance.

These are the kinds of examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns you want to model: grounded in behavior, tightly aligned with business goals, and simple enough to maintain.

Behavioral examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Behavioral data is still the most powerful input you have. Instead of guessing what people want, you respond to what they actually do.

Segmenting by email engagement

One of the cleanest examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns is engagement-based segmentation. You group subscribers by how they interact with your emails:

• Highly engaged: opened or clicked in the last 30 days
• Moderately engaged: opened or clicked in the last 31–90 days
• At-risk: no opens/clicks in 91–180 days
• Inactive: no engagement for 180+ days

With this structure, you can:

• Send more frequent promotional campaigns to highly engaged subscribers without hurting your sender reputation.
• Focus on value-heavy, educational content for moderately engaged subscribers to keep them warm.
• Trigger re-engagement flows for at-risk subscribers before they quietly disappear.
• Run periodic sunsetting campaigns for inactive subscribers to keep your list healthy.

This approach lines up with inbox provider guidance about engagement and deliverability. For example, the Federal Trade Commission’s CAN-SPAM guidance emphasizes honoring opt-outs and managing list hygiene to avoid spam complaints (FTC.gov). Engagement-based segmentation is one of the most practical ways to operationalize that.

Segmenting by onsite and in-app behavior

Another strong example of segmentation: using website or product behavior. Think of:

• Browsed but did not purchase
• Viewed pricing page but did not start a trial
• Used a key feature repeatedly but ignored others

For instance, a mid-market SaaS tool noticed that users who tried their integrations feature in the first week were 2x more likely to convert from trial to paid. They created a segment of trial users who had not connected any integrations by day 5 and triggered a short email sequence: a 2-minute video demo, a customer quote, and a single CTA to connect their most popular integration. That one segment lifted trial-to-paid conversion by 11% in a single quarter.

These behavior-based segments are some of the best examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns because they map directly to intent. You’re not guessing; you’re responding to real signals.

Lifecycle-based examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Lifecycle segmentation acknowledges that a new subscriber, an active customer, and a lapsed buyer should never receive the same email. Here’s how brands are doing this in 2024–2025.

New subscribers vs. loyal customers

A DTC skincare brand created distinct lifecycle segments:

• New subscribers (joined < 7 days, no purchase)
• First-time buyers (1 order)
• Repeat customers (2–4 orders)
• VIP customers (5+ orders or high lifetime value)

New subscribers received a welcome series focused on brand story, ingredients, and social proof. First-time buyers got post-purchase education—how to use the product, what to expect, and when to reorder. Repeat customers saw cross-sell recommendations based on what they’d already bought. VIPs received early access to new formulations and a quiet “thank you” discount that was never promoted publicly.

This is a textbook example of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns that drives both short-term revenue and long-term loyalty.

Trial, active, and churned users in B2B

In B2B, lifecycle segmentation often centers on account status:

• Marketing-qualified leads (MQLs)
• Sales-qualified leads (SQLs)
• Active customers
• Churned or closed-lost accounts

One HR software company aligned its email segments directly with CRM stages. MQLs received industry benchmark reports and case studies. SQLs saw more product-specific comparisons and ROI calculators. Active customers received role-based education: admins got configuration tips, managers got performance review templates, employees got how-to guides.

For churned accounts, the company sent a quarterly recap of product updates with a short, personalized note from the account manager. This lifecycle segmentation turned email from a generic broadcast channel into a targeted, stage-aware system that supported sales and customer success.

Demographic and firmographic examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Demographic and firmographic data gets misused when it’s the only lens, but paired with behavior and lifecycle, it can be powerful.

Segmenting by role or seniority

A cybersecurity vendor learned that CISOs, IT managers, and security analysts responded to very different messages. They built three main role-based segments:

• Executives: focused on risk, compliance, and board-level reporting
• Managers: focused on implementation timelines and resource needs
• Practitioners: focused on technical details and workflow impact

Each segment received the same campaign theme (for example, a new threat report) but with different angles, subject lines, and CTAs. Executives got a short summary with a link to a one-page PDF suitable for board decks. Practitioners got a deep-dive technical breakdown and GitHub links.

This is a sharp example of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns where the underlying content is shared, but the framing is tailored to the audience’s day-to-day reality.

Segmenting by company size or industry

Firmographic segmentation is particularly effective in B2B. A cloud infrastructure provider segmented by:

• Startup (1–50 employees)
• Mid-market (51–500)
• Enterprise (500+)

While all three segments received the same product launch announcements, the stories were tailored:

• Startups: speed of deployment, simple pricing, and founder case studies
• Mid-market: cost control, observability, and migration support
• Enterprise: compliance, SLAs, and global support

Industry segmentation can work similarly. A marketing analytics platform created separate content tracks for ecommerce, SaaS, media, and education customers. Each segment saw dashboards, benchmarks, and case studies that reflected their world. If you work in higher education, for instance, you’re far more likely to trust an email that references a study from a university or a resource from ED.gov than one that leans on generic retail examples.

Interest and content-preference examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

With privacy changes and tighter data rules, declared preferences are becoming more valuable. Instead of tracking every click behind the scenes, you simply ask people what they want.

Topic and content-type preferences

A health and wellness publisher grew its list quickly but saw engagement slide. They added a simple preferences center where subscribers could choose interests like nutrition, mental health, fitness, and chronic conditions, plus content formats like quick tips, long reads, or webinars.

Subscribers who picked “nutrition” and “quick tips” started receiving short, practical emails with links to authoritative resources, such as evidence-based guidelines from the National Institutes of Health or healthy eating advice aligned with USDA.gov. Those who chose “mental health” saw more content referencing research from organizations like NIMH.NIH.gov.

Engagement jumped because the emails respected what subscribers said they cared about. This kind of preference-based segmentation is one of the best examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns that remain effective even as third-party tracking gets shakier.

Product and category interest

Retailers can do something similar around product categories. A sporting goods brand asked new subscribers to pick their main interests—running, cycling, hiking, or team sports. Runners received content about training plans, shoe launches, and injury prevention. Cyclists saw gear guides, maintenance checklists, and route ideas.

Instead of blasting the entire list with every promotion, the brand rotated campaigns through these interest segments. The running list might receive a spring marathon prep series, while the hiking list got backpacking checklists and trail safety resources.

Again, this is a straightforward example of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns that doesn’t require advanced AI—just a simple preference capture and consistent execution.

Transactional and value-based examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Purchase behavior is still one of the clearest signals you have. The trick is to use it for value, not just discounts.

Average order value and discount sensitivity

An apparel retailer analyzed purchase history and built segments around:

• High AOV, low discount usage
• Mid AOV, moderate discount usage
• Low AOV, high discount usage

High-AOV, low-discount customers received early access to new collections and styling content, with very few price promotions. Low-AOV, high-discount customers received more clearance and sale communications, plus “bundle and save” offers.

By aligning offers to demonstrated behavior, the brand protected margin at the top end while still moving inventory with the value-focused segment. It’s a practical example of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns that connects directly to profitability.

Replenishment and reorder windows

For consumable products—vitamins, skincare, pet food—time-based segmentation around expected reorder windows can be very effective. A supplement company mapped out average usage cycles (for example, a 30-day supply) and triggered:

• A usage-tip email around day 7
• A “How is it going?” check-in around day 20
• A gentle reorder reminder around day 25–28

These emails were only sent to customers whose purchase history indicated they were likely to run out soon. The content referenced general health information and linked to evidence-based resources from organizations such as Mayo Clinic to avoid making unsupported claims.

This timing-based segmentation increased repeat purchase rates without blasting the entire list with generic “Buy again” messages.

Data, privacy, and trends shaping segmentation in 2024–2025

Segmentation isn’t happening in a vacuum. A few trends are reshaping how marketers build and use segments:

• Inbox privacy features (like Apple Mail Privacy Protection) are making open rates less reliable. Many teams are shifting toward click, purchase, and on-site behavior as primary signals.
• First-party data is more valuable than ever. Preference centers, quizzes, and surveys are becoming standard tools to collect explicit subscriber input.
• Regulation and compliance are tightening. Laws like GDPR and evolving US state privacy laws are pushing marketers to be more transparent about data use. Resources from the Federal Trade Commission are useful for staying aligned with US expectations.

In this environment, the smartest examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns are built on data you can defend and explain to a subscriber. If you’d be uncomfortable telling someone why they’re in a segment, that’s a red flag.

How to choose the right segmentation strategies for your email program

With so many examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns, it’s easy to overcomplicate things. A practical way to prioritize is to work backwards from your main goals:

• If your list is large but underperforming, start with engagement-based segmentation and a re-engagement/sunsetting plan.
• If you’re focused on revenue, lean into lifecycle and purchase-behavior segments: new vs. repeat buyers, high vs. low AOV, replenishment windows.
• If your product is complex, prioritize role, industry, and lifecycle stage segmentation so people see content that fits their responsibilities.
• If privacy and tracking are concerns, build out preference-based segments using explicit subscriber choices.

You don’t need every segment running on day one. Start with two or three of the best examples that directly support your current business objectives, measure impact, then layer on more nuance.

FAQ: examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns

Q: What are some simple examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns I can launch this month?
Start with engagement segments (recent openers vs. non-openers), a basic lifecycle split (new subscribers vs. existing customers), and one preference-based segment (for example, product category or content topic). These three alone can significantly improve relevance.

Q: Can you give an example of using segmentation to improve deliverability?
Yes. Many brands isolate inactive subscribers—those who haven’t opened or clicked in 90+ days—into a separate segment. They send a short re-engagement series and then stop emailing those who don’t respond. This protects sender reputation and aligns with guidance around spam complaints and list hygiene from organizations like the FTC.

Q: What’s an example of combining multiple segmentation strategies at once?
A strong example is a B2B company that segments by role (executive vs. practitioner), lifecycle stage (prospect vs. customer), and engagement (active vs. at-risk). Executives who are active customers receive high-level ROI stories and roadmap updates; practitioners who are at-risk receive practical tips and troubleshooting guides.

Q: Do I need advanced AI tools to use the best examples of segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns?
No. Most of the best examples in this article rely on data you already have: sign-up source, engagement, purchase history, and a few preference fields. AI can help with scoring and prediction, but it’s not a requirement to get meaningful results.

Q: How often should I update or review my segmentation strategy?
At least quarterly. Behavior patterns change, products evolve, and privacy rules shift. A quick quarterly audit—checking segment sizes, engagement, and revenue impact—keeps your segmentation strategies for targeted email campaigns aligned with reality.