Segmentation sounds like a buzzword, but it’s not rocket science—and you’re probably already doing some of it without realizing. Recently, someone asked me, “How do I make sure I’m sending to the right people?”

The answer? Use the tools you already have to leverage behavior, build loyalty, and drive revenue. Today, I’ll show you how to keep segmentation simple while making your email marketing smarter and more profitable.

Full disclosure! This is a beast of an article separated into 6 Key Points. So I don’t lose you, I’m splitting this into two. This is Step 1-3. Next week is Step 4-6. If you’re not subscribed, I’d really recommend it cause next week is where the magic really happens.

Step 1: Segmentation Isn’t One Big Thing

Let’s simplify this. Segmentation breaks down into three main categories, and you’re probably already doing some of this without even realizing:

1. Behavioral

• What they do.

• Think actions like browsing, clicking, adding to cart, or buying.

• Why it matters: Behavioral segmentation is the most actionable. It lets you respond to real-time signals, like sending cart abandonment emails or post-purchase thank-yous.

2. Demographic

• Who they are.

• Age, location, income, gender—basic details that help you understand your audience at a glance.

• Why it matters: Demographics help you shape your messaging. I’m in the Whitsundays of Australia. It’s stinking hot and humid. Don’t send me an email about sweaters. Send me an email about sunscreen and board shorts.

3. Psychographic

• Why they act.

• Interests, motivations, and values—this is the “why” behind the behavior.

• Why it matters: If someone values sustainability, you’ll want to highlight your eco-friendly products.

Enter RFM: Your Behavioral Power Move

Behavioral segmentation gets even more powerful when you focus on RFM:

1. Recency: When did they last buy or opt-in?

2. Frequency: How often do they purchase?

3. Monetary Value: How much do they spend?

With tools like Klaviyo, you don’t have to lift a finger. These systems already know, for example, when a customer might reorder and can trigger emails automatically. It’s segmentation on autopilot.

The Value Ladder: Build Loyalty Over Time

• High-value customers: Treat them like royalty. Early access, exclusive offers, VIP programs.

• Low-value customers: Focus on loyalty and gradually move them up the value ladder. Use dynamic product blocks to show smaller items they’re more likely to buy.

Example: If someone typically spends $20-30, don’t hit them with a $200 product immediately. Instead, suggest mid-range items, build trust, and work them up to the big-ticket items.

Why This Is Easy

The best part? Most of this is already happening. Behavioral triggers like cart abandonment and post-purchase emails are baked into your tools. Your job is to refine them—add a few dynamic blocks, tailor messaging by value, and let the system do the rest.

Segmentation isn’t hard. You’re already doing it. Now it’s time to make it even smarter.

Step 2: Campaigns vs. Automations—The Balance

Segmentation starts to get really interesting when you understand the difference between campaigns and automations—and how they complement each other.

Campaigns: Broad and Engaging

• Campaigns are sent to broader segments of your audience, including:

  • Customers: Your most engaged and lucrative group.

  • Non-Customers: People you’re trying to nudge toward a first purchase.

• Keep most campaigns simple and targeted to your most engaged audiences—think people who’ve opened or clicked in the last 30-90 days. This is your general buy window anyway.

  • Every so often, run a promo (every 6 weeks or so) and send to a broader list like 365 day engaged or even the total list. That will kick a bunch of folks over the line of either purchase or engagement and they’ll either add revenue or be defined as “engaged” for your more frequent emails.

• When Campaigns Shine:

  • They’re great for sales, product launches, or seasonal promos that apply to a wide audience.

  • Example: A holiday gift guide sent to all active subscribers.

Automations: The Precision Tool

• Automations are behavior-driven and highly segmented. They respond automatically to what someone does, like:

  • Browsing a product → They get a browse abandonment email.

  • Adding to cart → They get a cart recovery email.

  • Completing a purchase → They get a post-purchase flow.

• These emails are as segmented as it gets—they’re built to target one person, one behavior, one moment.

The Key Distinction

Here’s where people often get it wrong:

• If someone is already going through automations, they’re already getting hyper-relevant messaging. Sending them a campaign on top of that? Overkill.

• My Rule: If someone’s in an automation, I keep them out of my campaign send list—unless it’s a wicked sale or announcement they absolutely need to see.

Why It Matters

• By excluding people in automations from your campaigns, you:

  • Avoid inbox fatigue: You’re not hitting people with multiple messages at once.

  • Maintain relevance: Let the automations do the job they’re built for—they’re already personalized and behavior-based.

When to Break the Rule

There’s one exception: if you’re running a big sale or major event. For example:

• A Black Friday sale that’s too good for anyone to miss.

• A new product launch that could excite even those mid-automation.

For these situations, include people in automations—but only sparingly.

Example Workflow

• Someone abandons their cart → They receive a cart recovery email sequence.

• While they’re in that sequence, they’re excluded from campaigns.

• Exception: Black Friday hits, and you send a campaign with the sale they’d love to know about.

Why This Works

By balancing campaigns and automations like this, you:

• Keep your messaging relevant.

• Avoid annoying your audience with too many emails.

• Let automations shine as your behavior-driven revenue engines, while campaigns work as broader engagement tools.

This isn’t about doing more—it’s about sending smarter.

Step 3: Automate Your Good Intentions

Automations are the real powerhouses of email marketing. They let you “set it and forget it” while continuing to engage your audience in meaningful, personalized ways. If campaigns are the sledgehammers, automations are the precision tools that go after specific opportunities. Here’s how to make them work harder for you:

Why Automations Are King

• Set It and [Don’t] Forget It: Think of automations as automating your best intentions. Once you design thoughtful responses to specific behaviors (e.g., abandoned carts, post-purchase follow-ups), they keep running and adapting without you lifting a finger.

  • But, I say don’t forget them, because these need non-stop optimization if you want to really grind out every last happy buck available to you. (More on this in Part 2.)

• Always On, Always Relevant: Automations ensure that the right person gets the right message at the right time—without manual effort.

Example: Someone abandons their cart? They get an email tailored to their specific items. Someone makes a purchase? They get a thank-you note and a product recommendation.

Focus on the Top Five Performing Flows

Not all automations are created equal. The top five revenue-generating flows are the same for almost every eCommerce brand:

1. Welcome Flow: Make a great first impression and turn new subscribers into buyers.

2. Browse Abandonment Flow: Follow up when someone views a product but doesn’t add it to their cart.

3. Abandoned Cart Flow: Nudge them to complete their purchase.

4. Abandoned Checkout Flow: Different to the above, further down the funnel.

5. Post-Purchase Flow: Thank them, encourage repeat purchases, and build loyalty.

Bonus #1: Site Abandonment Flow—a powerful tool to re-engage visitors who leave before adding anything to their cart.

Bonus #2: Replenishment Flow—Remind customers when it’s time to restock consumable products. (Even appearl can be “consumable”. Don’t skimp on the Replenishment Flow.)

Keep It Scalable

• Don’t Overdo It: Focus on making these five flows as robust as possible, but don’t overcomplicate things. Too many granular segments or overly complex flows can become unmanageable and lead to burnout.

• Tailored, Not Tedious: Build flows that address key customer behaviors without becoming a chore to maintain.

Never Use Smart Sending for Automations

Here’s where automations stand out: they’re already behavior-driven and highly targeted.

• Why No Smart Sending?:

  • If someone abandons their cart, they need to see that email—whether it’s 3 a.m. or 3 p.m. Time of day doesn’t matter when the messaging is perfectly timed to their actions.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Next week, we’re hitting Steps 4, 5 and 6. My advice? Send this to a buddy cause they’re going to want to be up to speed when Part 2 lands. 🚀