Why date based filters are so important
Your most engaged customers are likely to be your highest value customers. Being able to identify and organise your customers is integral to successful email marketing.
Every inbox has certain algorithms in place that track engagement (opens) and the more opens you get the more likely you are to appear in recipients inbox’s and not in their junk. If you are emailing people who consistently engage your reputation with those inboxes will improve with every send.
You can work out your own customer lifecycles and engagement plans for a more tailored approach but as a good starting point we advise segmenting your by last opened date with a 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, 12+ month split.
How should I contact these segments?
If your marketing schedule requires that you email your customers once a week, your 0-3 month openers would appear in every send. Every other send your 3-6 month openers would be included and once a month you would include your 0-3, 3-6, 6-12 segments. You would only email your unengaged quarterly with more direct campaigns.
What does my 0-3 month segment want to receive?
This segment want to receive everything you send and are most likely your most valuable subscribers.
What does my 3-6 month segment want to receive?
These are your second most engaged subscribers, they should be treated carefully to keep them engaged. These will be the easiest people to bring into your 0-3 month segment. Sending them links to a preference centre might be a good way to get them to tell you a bit more about what they’d like to receive.
What does my 6-12 month segment want to receive?
Send these subscribers big company announcements, your sale emails or deals. You can still target this segment more often but it is important to realise that you will want to entice them back in with more relevant content. Ask these subscribers if they still want to hear from you.
What about my 12+ segment?
Your 12+ monthly segment should be contacted sparingly. You should be contacting them with more aggressive offers to pull them back into your more regular correspondence. The content you send these subscribers should be different from everyone else, for example sending larger offers and putting more emphasis on their value to you.