Static vs. Dynamic Email Marketing List Segmentation

When it comes to Email Marketing, your success is largely impacted by the quality of your email marketing list segmentation. And although you’ve segmented your list and organized it based on your buyer persona, there is still a large piece of email list segmentation that you’re probably missing. What I’m referring to is the idea of static lists vs. dynamic lists. It might seem like a simple concept, but there are a lot of emailers out there that don’t really know what the difference is. There’s more to it: what the difference is, when to use one or the other, who they appeal to, etc. By understanding this, you can improve your email marketing campaigns significantly, and adapt your campaigns to reel in the most leads possible.

Why Use Email Marketing List Segmentation?

Before we talk about the importance of different types of email segmentation, it is important to know why you should segment your email base in the first place. So exactly why should I be segmenting my email base? It’s pretty straightforward:

• Your customer base is not all the same. Most, if not all, businesses deal with more than one type of customer. Even if you only provide one product or service, there are different types of customers that need to be treated individually, in order to catch their eye in the most efficient way possible.

• Not everyone is ready to buy. If you sell pools, one customer might be wondering when you can install their pool, and another might still be deciding between an in ground or above ground pool. You can’t treat these customers the same, and they need different information in order to cater to their individual needs.

• You’ll establish your reputation. I might be redundant, but just in case, here it is one more time: If you send targeted, relevant emails with intriguing content to your customer base, you WILL become more interesting and engaging to your potential clients, and your unsubscribers will decrease.

• You’ll have leads, leads, and more leads. The truth is, the more you appeal to your individual customers, the more likely they are going to buy. That’s it, the bottom line. If you provide content that appeals to your audience, think about it, they are going to read it! And when they read the content from YOUR email that links to YOUR website, then they will have you in mind when they get ready to purchase.

Okay. Lets get down to it. You know why you need to segment your email lists, and the results that it can provide to you. So now how do I know the difference between static and dynamic email segmentation lists? Well lets first look at what exactly these list are, and how they differ.

What are Static Email Marketing Lists?

It’s as easy as it sounds. Static lists are… well… static. They don’t change. Simple. Static lists consist of the contacts that are in your database up until the point where you make the list. They don’t change once you make them, unless you add or remove them manually. Most often, they are created with a mass upload or an email tool. The contacts in a static list usually come from offline registration methods, such as tradeshows, or online methods not connected to your website.

When do I use Static Email Marketing Lists?

Static lists are usually used for emails that are sent infrequently or only sent once. Registrants from an event or a tradeshow are usually static lists. You can use these lists when you are sending them a one time email, or follow-up information from an event. Also, if you send emails to subscribers of a monthly newsletter, the list doesn’t change, unless you want to update them manually.

What are Dynamic Email Marketing Lists?

Dynamic lists are just the opposite of static lists: They change. And in order to make the most of them, they need to be changing constantly. Dynamic lists are email contacts that meet a certain criteria. The whole purpose of dynamic lists is to use data collected from your contacts and construct an email campaign that is specifically tailored to their wants and needs.

When do I use Dynamic Email Marketing Lists?

Okay so when would be the best time to use a dynamic list instead of a static one? It’s simple. Say you have a gigantic list of contacts that filled out a form on a landing page. And, going back to out pool business, some of them fill out a form field that says, “Yes, I have a pool”. Others fill out the field and say, “No, I don’t have a pool”. Where a dynamic list comes in is it takes all the people that have a pool and sends them one email that contains offers on pool cleaning and maintenance. And for those who don’t have a pool, they could get an email with information and deals on pools or equipment. This is an extremely advantageous tool that can significantly improve your email campaigns!

Key Takeaways

The reality of the matter is this: Dynamic lists and Static lists are of vital importance when it comes to a successful email marketing campaign and you need to know how and when to use them. Remember the next time you are planning a new email campaign that:

• You need to segment your email lists based on the wants and needs of your clients. Sort your list in a way that you can use to generate more leads and sales.

• Use static lists for infrequent emails such as newsletters, follow-up emails, and for contacts gained by offline events and shows.

• Make dynamic lists to gain information from your contacts, and use this information to make the sale.

When it comes to email tools such as Static lists and Dynamic lists, it is very possible to run a very successful, fully optimized email marketing campaign. Think of all the specific clients you could reach!

How is your company using static and dynamic lists to improve email marketing campaigns? If you need help getting started with segmenting your email list and improving your internet marketing, talk to our team today.