Subscriber segmentation — what it is and what it’s for?

According to researchers from the University of San Diego, the average internet user processes 34 GB of information every day. In just a week, a similar amount would overload your laptop.

In a world like this, only targeted messages have a chance of finding an audience. Creating and sending them is possible thanks to segmentation.

How customer segmentation works

Let’s start with the fact that segmentation and personalization are not the same, although they are sometimes treated that way.

The customer segmentation referred to here is part of marketing automation campaigns and has a major impact on their effectiveness.

It consists of dividing users into segments based on their characteristic features and behaviors, which later allows you to send personalized messages.

You could say that segmentation is the first step towards personalization.

Subscriber segmentation with web push notifications

Seventy-one percent of Internet users are worried about how companies use their personal data.
At the same time, 62% expect brands to send personalized messages.

How to reconcile it?

The solution can be web push notifications, which do not need any sensitive data, not even cookies.

When the user agrees to receive notifications, the platform gives him a unique ID, by which he can be later identified and, as a result, assigned to the appropriate group. No other data is needed.

How segmentation with web push works

The script you add during integration with the application allows you to track the behavior of visitors to your site.

Based on this, you assign appropriate tags to different notification recipients. Later, when creating a campaign, you decide which groups you want to target.

You can assign any number of tags to any subscriber.

More: tagging in the PushPushGo application.

Test web push - for free!

Commonly used segmentation criteria

• Geographic data

The web push platform collects data on the location of users who sign up for notifications.

Geolocation is especially useful for publishers who display weather news.

This function will also work for online stores, which can, for example, offer free personal pickup at specific points.

What's more, the web push platform allows for sending based on time zones.

• Segmentation based on tracking user behavior on the site

Why should someone who has recently read business news be interested in something from the world of minor celebrities?

Why would someone who checked elegant shirts in your store several times be tempted to buy a discounted tracksuit?

Information on which products or articles are viewed by a given user will allow you to reach them with effective messages.

Thanks to this function you can also send notifications saving abandoned carts, as well as create upselling or cross-selling campaigns.

• Segmentation based on user preferences

Web push notifications can take the form of a short survey in which you ask the recipients what content they are interested in. You can do the same at the sign-up stage for notifications:

Create tags based on responses, then assign them to specific users.

• Customer loyalty 

Thanks to information like the date of the last visit or purchase, the number of visits in the last X days, cart value, and more, you are able to determine the level of engagement of your recipients.

You can easily determine which users are just getting to know your brand and those whose loyalty you have already gained. Then tag them and send messages tailored to specific groups.

• Segmentation based on subscriber characteristics and your own idea

Segmentation will look different for each website. Although it is possible to create several universal segments and scenarios, no one knows your audience better than you. Use this knowledge to make targeted segments for the best results.

The web push platform allows for advanced segmentation by collecting, among other things, the following information:

• type of device
• location
• subpages visited
• subpages visited in the last X days
• date of the last visit
• number of visits in the last X days
• time spent on the site
• value and number of products in the basket
• text entered into the search engine on the page
• clicks on specific buttons

Use this to create unique automation campaigns.

Other helpful ideas for customer segmentation

Get to know your audience

Data collected by the web push platform or other tool enabling segmentation of recipients will tell you, among other things, about what devices subscribers use and how they behave on your website.

However, this will not give you knowledge about what language to use or what promotions to introduce. Only in-depth knowledge of your target group will help you here.

Learn how to create buyer personas.

Analyze the shopping path 

We hear a lot about how the shopping path of modern consumers no longer resembles a traditional funnel. It's an endless loop with needs, the buying process, the use process, and re-buying process, etc.

No matter how complex your customers' paths are, in segmentation try to take into account not only the interests of the consumer but also at what stage of the shopping cycle they currently are.

Keep an eye on your metrics

CTR is the first indicator to watch after sending a newsletter or web push campaign. Clicking is a reward for engaging text or graphics but that's only half the battle.

The analysis should not end here. It is worth following the further behavior of users already on your site. In fact, this will only give you confidence that the segmentation implemented is effective. Here, of course, Google Analytics or similar tools like Yandex Metrcia come in handy.

Analyze factors such as bounce rate, visit depth, micro conversions, and conversion rate. The easiest way to monitor the effects of a web push campaign is to set the appropriate parameters for the links they contain. You don't have to assign UTM tags manually since the app will automatically add them to the links you send.

Test everything

Is everything good? It could be better.

How can A / B testing help you segment your audience? It can help you make sure that you understand the needs and expectations of a given group. Testing will help you verify your communication and determine if the segmentation was performed correctly.

In the case of push notifications, you can test:

• copy
• graphics
• sending time
• CTA

Why segmentation?

Because spray and pray tactics in marketing don’t work anymore.

The numbers back it up. 

The CTR of web push notifications sent to all subscribers is 10-12%. On the other hand, web push automation campaigns achieve an average CTR of 15%, and in many cases can exceed 20 or 30%.

This does not mean that you should completely give up on mass campaigns. However, you can't expect them to be as effective as those sent with segmentation and personalization.