Now that you’ve built an excellent list of clients and prospects and spent a lot of time cleaning it up, it’s now time to take it for a spin. But how do you get the most out of your email list? Segmenting your list into separate product interests or customer types will get you a better result – better open rates, better click throughs on link, and more.

• Don’t feel intimidated or afraid to test. You can begin by sending a general email to your entire list—one that clearly delineates your various products and services. Based on the response you receive, you’ll gain insight into the topics that interest various customers.
• Create a category for those who usually open your messages. Handle this list with special attention and segment it even further. This will improve the relevance of your emails, and your open rates.
• Pay attention to spending patterns. Identify those with high, average and low budgets—then create offers that are accordingly interesting and affordable.

There’s a lot of proof that segmentation has a significant payoff. One recent study found that open rates for segmented emails are 20% higher in the first 30 days than those of un-segmented emails. Now that’s a good reason to try a slice or two.