How to Segment Email Lists in Mailchimp

At Lindsay Scholz Studio, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits all approach to email marketing. Rather, we believe that carefully curated messaging developed for specific subscribers on an email list is the proven way to serve your audience well.

Is this more time-consuming? Yes. Does it result in higher opens and click-throughs? Also yes.

Today we’re sharing how to segment email lists in Mailchimp along with a behind-the-scenes peek at 3 key email segments that have helped serve our own list along with exactly how you can replicate them.

Please note: although this tutorial is Mailchimp-specific, these same segmenting principles can be applied to other email service providers as well. Let’s dive in!

First things first: what are email segments?

Segments allow us to send targeted emails to subscribers who meet certain criteria. Rather than ‘blasting’ your entire list with the same email, segments allow us to send more relevant messages. The result? Higher open and click-through rates.

Step 1: Access your email segments in Mailchimp

Access your segments panel by clicking Audience > View Contacts > Manage Contacts > Segments.

Segment 1: First Name Targeting

Click ‘New Segment’ and apply the below logic to find all first name subscribers. This will allow you to address subscribers by first name with confidence.

Segment 2: Local Subscribers

Hosting a local event and don’t want to bother reaching out to non-locals? We’ve got you. Apply this logic to target all local subscribers (in this case, we’re using our local zip code in St. Louis). If you host local events or work with local clients, this allows you to email only those within a close radius of your business with ease.

Segment 3: Signup Source

Apply this logic to target subscribers based on signup source. For instance, you can follow-up with those who opted into a specific landing page with additional offers.

Have any additional questions about setting up segments for your email list? Let us know in the comments below and we’re happy to help!