Email segmentation without the jargon

It’s time to talk about the ‘P’ word, no not promotion, pitch, purpose, etc. the other one…personalisation. Because that’s what segmentation is, it’s personalising your emails based on what your readers are, or aren’t doing.

Before it all gets sticky, let’s be clear. There are two types of personalisation in email marketing, the one where you add someone’s name into your content, for example, "Hello {name}" and the one where you can send targeted emails based on your subscribers behaviour.

We’re talking about the second one here, also known as segmentation. The one that makes your subscribers think:

“Ah, this is for me.”

“This person actually gets what I need.”

That’s what good email marketing does, it feels personal, even when it’s sent to hundreds of people - like a conversation, not a broadcast.

You can’t personalise your emails if you treat your list like a faceless crowd, that’s where segmentation comes in.

Hold up, before you click off thinking “Oh no, this is going to be complicated, isn’t it?” - just breathe, I’ll keep it as jargon free as possible!

We’re not going to be talking about multi-dependency funnels and segmenting people based on what their perfect hot drink and biscuit combo (Yorkshire tea, served black, with a couple of Borders dark chocolate covered ginger biscuits, if you ever fancy sending me a treat). It’s about knowing who’s who on your list so you can send the right message, to the right person, at the right time.

Why personalised emails actually matter

It's no secret that inboxes are noisy. Your subscribers get hundreds of emails every week, sometimes every day. Some they'll open, others they'll ignore without a second thought.

So what makes someone open yours?

Usually, it's because the email feels relevant, and relevant emails get read..

Think about your own inbox. You're far more likely to open an email that speaks to where you are right now than one that's clearly been sent to everyone under the sun. That doesn't mean every email has to be personalised, but when you can send the right message to the right people, it creates a much better experience.

Segmentation can be the difference between:

"Hey there! Here's our latest offer, whether you want it or not."

and

"Hey, you downloaded my freebie about growing your email list. Ready to take the next step?"

See the difference? Same sender, different experience.

Why most avoid this and why that’s mostly okay

If you’ve avoided segmentation until now, you’re in good company. Most freelancers, solopreneurs and small business owners don’t start out thinking about this stuff. You’re just trying to get some people on your list, right? So you pop a form on your website, offer a lead magnet and hope someone signs up.

Totally normal behaviour, but this is what happens over time:

• You add a website footer signup
• You create a lead magnet and landing page
• You run a workshop or event
• You get a few 1:1 clients who you’d also like to stay in touch with

Suddenly you’ve got one big list of subscribers with no idea who joined how or why. That’s where things get messy and when you want to send something targeted, you realise you don’t really know who’s who.

So, if you’re asking, Hannah, do I really need to worry about this now?, the answer is yes. You don’t need to overcomplicate it, but setting it up now will save you massive headaches later because one day, future you is going to want to take advantage of this insider knowledge.

The real starting point: how people join your list

You wouldn’t be the first person to think segmentation starts with creating different emails for different people, but it actually starts with tracking how people get on your list in the first place. For each pathway you have that someone can join your list, web sign up, freebie, workshop, you should have a different group in your email system.

Example of how this looks:

Sign Up Source	Group to Create
Website Footer	General Newsletter
Freebie Download	Freebie Downloaders
Workshop Attendees	Workshop List

That’s it, there’s no fancy filters or clever magic, just clear labels for how people arrived which can be set in each form/landing page you create.

This is why I always encourage clients to think about groups before they even start creating lots of forms. It's much easier to organise people as they come in than it is to untangle one giant list a year later. Future you will be incredibly grateful that you've taken a few extra minutes to get this bit right.

Groups vs Segments: what’s the difference?

Let’s make this simple:

Groups	Segments
Fixed	Dynamic
People are added manually or by signup form	People are automatically filtered based on actions
Example: “Freebie Downloaders”	Example: “Clicked a link in the last 30 days”

Groups are about where someone came from—like signing up for a freebie or a newsletter.

Segments are about what they do next—like clicking a link, opening emails regularly, or not opening anything at all.

Why this matters for small businesses

When you treat everyone the same, emails start to feel generic. Generic emails can still work, but they'll rarely feel as relevant as something that's clearly been written with the reader in mind.

That doesn't mean you suddenly need to create five different versions of every newsletter. Far from it. Most of the time you'll probably send your regular emails to your whole list, and that's absolutely fine.

Segmentation, however, gives you options. It means you know who downloaded your freebie, who came to your workshop, who's already a client and who's been quietly opening every email for the last six months.

It also stops those awkward moments, like inviting a paying client to book a discovery call they've already had, or promoting an in-person event in Orkney to someone who lives in Bristol. It’s not about making your email marketing more complicated, it's about making it more relevant.

Real-life examples from real people

Sometimes segmentation sounds far more complicated than it actually is, so here are a few simple examples.

Notice that none of these businesses are doing anything particularly clever. They're simply keeping track of where people came from and using that information when it makes sense.

1. The Yoga Teacher

Groups:

• Monthly members
• Drop-in students
• Freebie downloaders

Segment example:

• People who’ve done 2 drop-ins but haven’t joined the membership → Send a friendly invite to try a month.

---

2. The Coach

Groups:

• Clients
• Freebie downloaders
• Free community members

Segment example:

• People in the community who downloaded the freebie but haven’t booked → Offer a free 15-min chat.

---

3. The Photographer

Groups:

• Family Shoots
• Brand Shoots
• Past Clients

Segment example:

• Clients from 12+ months ago → Send a check-in email or loyalty offer.

Common segmentation mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake	Fix
Everyone gets lumped into “All Subscribers”	Create at least 2–3 groups for how people joined
You don’t know who’s engaged or ghosted	Set up a simple “opened in last 90 days” segment
You overcomplicate it too soon	Start with one or two clear pathways and grow later, e.g. signed up for regular emails vs signed up for your freebie

Do I need to segment every email?

Absolutely not. This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about segmentation.

People often think that once they've created groups and segments they'll need to send a different version of every newsletter to every audience.

If that sounds exhausting, it’s because it is! Most businesses don't work like that.

Your regular newsletter will probably go to everyone on your list most of the time. Segmentation is simply there for those occasions when you've got something that's only relevant to a particular group of people.

Maybe you've created a new freebie for beginners. Maybe you're inviting previous clients to an exclusive workshop. Maybe you're launching something that's only relevant to people who've already bought from you.

Rather than sending those emails to everyone and hoping for the best, segmentation helps you send them to the people who are most likely to care.

That is all.

How to start without overcomplicating things

Here’s the simplest way to get going:

Step 1: Use groups to track how people signed up

This is your “entry point” tracking. Know where people came from.

Step 2: Use segments to track what people do next

Examples:

• People who opened in the last 90 days
• People who clicked a link about a specific offer
• People who haven’t engaged in 6 months → Maybe time for a re-engagement email, maybe time to ditch them.

Step 3: Don’t overthink the emails yet

This is about organising your list now so you’re not panicking later. When you’re ready to send targeted emails, the setup will already be there.

Future you will thank you

Right now, creating groups and segments might feel like one more thing to add to your to-do list. In reality, it's one of those jobs you do once and benefit from for years.

Segmentation = clarity

Personalisation = connection

Both lead to emails that people actually want to read. Start simple, keep it human and remember that you don't have to use every feature your email platform offers on day one.

Future you really will thank you.