One email for the entire list is a compromise. It doesn't annoy people it's not relevant to, but it doesn't truly grab anyone either. Segment-based personalization gives a different result: the email is written for a specific group and feels relevant.
That said, creating a separate template for every segment is unnecessary work. It's enough to understand exactly what to change in the email and how to organize that technically.
What is a segment
A segment is a group of subscribers sharing a common trait. That trait can be anything: what they bought, how long ago, how active they are, where they came from, what they viewed on the site.
For most tasks, simple segmentation without a CRM is enough — based on email behavior and subscription source.
More on segmentation without a CRM: letteros.com/blog/marketing/kak-segmentirovat-bazu-podpischikov-bez-crm
What to change for different segments
You don't need to write a new email from scratch for each group. Usually it's enough to change a few elements.
Element | What to change for different segments |
|---|---|
Subject line | Different emphasis: for new subscribers — “get to know us”, for loyal ones — “just for you” |
Greeting and first paragraph | Addressing different contexts: newcomer, regular customer, inactive subscriber |
Main offer | Different offers: a discount on the first purchase vs. a loyalty bonus |
Product recommendations | Based on purchase or browsing history |
CTA button | Different wording: “Get started” vs. “Continue”, “Try it” vs. “Renew” |
Segmentation by relationship stage
The most practical breakdown for most businesses.
New subscribers (0–30 days)
Email goal: introducing the product, building initial trust, driving a first purchase or activation. Tone — welcoming and guiding. Don't push the sale, help them get oriented.
Active buyers
Goal: repeat purchase, upsell, referral. Tone — like talking to an old acquaintance. They already know the product, no need to explain — offer the next step.
Inactive (haven't opened in 60+ days)
Goal: win back attention or honestly let them go. Tone — no hard feelings, with a specific reason to return. A discount works worse at this stage than news or a change that might be relevant.
VIP (frequent buyers with a high average order value)
Goal: retention and a sense of special treatment. Tone — exclusive and personal. Early access, private offers, communication from a specific named person.
Segmentation by email behavior
Even without purchase data, you can segment by how people interact with the newsletter.
- Open but don't click. The subject line grabbed them, but the content or offer didn't. Check your CTA, refine the offer
- Click on specific categories. That means the topic is relevant — send more on it
- Only open certain types of emails (promo, useful content). Segment by interest in content type
A practical approach: one template, several content variants
Technically, the simplest approach is to work with a single master template and change only the offer and text blocks inside it. The email structure, header, and footer stay the same.
In Letteros, this is done by creating a module library: a separate banner block for new subscribers, another for loyal ones. When building an email for a specific segment, you simply swap in the right module.
This takes an extra 5–10 minutes per segment, but the emails become significantly more precise.
More on master templates: letteros.com/blog/markup/kak-uskorit-sozdanie-email-rassylok-s-pomoshhyu-master-shablonov-i-sistemy-gotovyh-modulej