Have you ever wondered what the key differences are between Mailchimp groups and segments? If you’re like most Mailchimp users, at some point, these terms have caused some head-scratching. In this detailed guide, you will learn about groups and segments in mailchimp and when it is ideal to use each one of them. Groups and segments are powerful features that allow you to organize your contacts in meaningful ways and target them with specific content, improving your email campaign’s open rates to a great extent. But understanding when to use one versus the other can be tricky.
In this blog post, we’ll break down the differences between Mailchimp groups and segments so you can leverage the full power of Mailchimp’s audience tools and send the right message to your target audience at the right time. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you’ll walk away with a crystal clear understanding of these features and actionable tips for how to apply them to your own email marketing. By the end, you’ll be segmenting and grouping contacts in your MailChimp mailing lists like a pro to boost your email open and click rates.
Key Differences Between Groups and Segments
So you’ve got an email list in Mailchimp and want to segment your MailChimp subscribers. Or maybe you have segments already set up but are wondering how they differ from regular groups. The main differences between groups and segments in Mailchimp are:
Functionality
Groups are simple lists you can use to organize your contacts. You can categorize subscribers into groups based on location, interests, purchase history, etc. Segments, on the other hand, allow you to filter your email list dynamically using subscribers’ profile data and behaviors. You can create complex segments based on opens, clicks, purchases and more.
Targeting
While you can send campaigns to groups, segments provide much more advanced targeting options for your MailChimp list. You can send targeted email campaigns to segments based on their behaviors and attributes. For example, send a promotion only to subscribers who haven’t opened in 6 months or target customers who made a purchase within the last year.
Updating
Groups are static, meaning subscribers remain in the same groups unless you manually move them. Segments update dynamically as your subscribers’ profiles and behaviors change. If someone no longer qualifies for a segment, they are automatically removed. This helps ensure your email campaigns are sent to the right people.
Reporting
You’ll get basic reporting on groups showing opens, clicks and bounces. Segments provide customized reporting to gain insights into your subscribers’ behaviors and see how your campaigns are performing for each segment.
Using a combination of groups and segments in Mailchimp gives you flexibility and power to tailor your email marketing to your subscribers’ needs. Groups keep things simple, while segments help you get super-targeted. Mastering the use of these features will make your email campaigns that much more effective.
When to Use Groups vs Segments
So you’ve set up your Mailchimp account and are ready to organize your contacts, but are still deciding whether to use Groups or Segments. Both options allow you to categorize your MailChimp subscribers, but they serve different purposes.
When to Use Groups
Use Groups when you want to send targeted emails to specific categories of contacts. For example, you may have Groups for:
- Customers vs Prospects
- Newsletter Subscribers vs Blog Followers
- Based on Geographic Location
Groups are best for broad categories that won’t change often. You can send emails only to members of a particular Group, allowing you to tailor your messaging. Groups also make it easy to view reports on how different categories of contacts engage with your email campaigns.
When to Use Segments
Use Mailchimp segments when you want to target contacts based on specific attributes that may change over time, such as:
- Purchased in the Last 30 Days
- Opened 3 of the Last 5 Emails
- Hasn’t Purchased in 6+ Months
Segments are dynamic, automatically updating based on your contacts’ behaviors and attributes. Segments are one of the most powerful tools that you can use to get your message across to the right people. You can create complex MailChimp segments using multiple conditions, then target key Segments to re-engage inactive contacts or provide special offers to loyal customers.
While you can use Groups and Segments together, be careful not to overlap them too much. Start with broad Groups to categorize your email list, then create a new segment within those Groups to target specific subsets of contacts. Reviewing your Segments and Groups regularly is the best way to ensure your contacts continue receiving the most relevant emails from you. With some experimenting, you’ll determine the right mix of Groups and Segments for your particular business needs.
How to Create Groups and Segments in Mailchimp
Once you’ve created your lists in Mailchimp, it’s time to organize them into groups and segments. Groups and segments allow you to target specific MailChimp subscribers based on various criteria.
Groups
Groups are broad categories you can use to organize your MailChimp subscribers. For example, you might have:
- Geographic Location (US Subscribers, Canada Subscribers, etc.)
- Interests (Movie Lovers, Book Worms, Tech Enthusiasts, etc.)
- Customer Type (New Customers, Returning Customers, Premium Customers, etc.)
To create a group:
- Go to Audience > All Contacts
- Click on Manage Contacts, and you will see a drop-down menu
- Click on Groups
- Click Create Groups
- You will then see the following different options asking you, “How should we show group options on your sign-up form?”:
- As checkboxes (people can select more than one)
- As radio buttons (people can select only one)
- As a drop-down (people can select only one)
- Don’t show these groups on my signup form
- Choose the most appropriate option for yourself
- You can then create the group categories based on interests
- Under the Group category, you can have different group names
- Click Add Save
Another quick way to create groups in MailChimp is:
Click on Audience Dashboard under the Audience drop-down menu. Click on the manage audience drop-down menu, then click manage contacts; here, you will see groups. Click on groups and follow the next steps from step 4 onwards, as mentioned above.
Now you can send targeted campaigns, automations, and newsletters to specific groups.
Segments
Segments allow you to target your MailChimp subscribers based on more specific criteria. For example, you might have:
- Purchased in the last three months AND spent over $50
- Opened 3 of the previous 5 newsletters AND clicked a link
- Subscribed in 2019 OR lives in California
To build a segment:
- Go to Audience > Segments
- Click Create Segment
- Give your segment a name.
- Choose your criteria. You can add filters from subscriber profile info, campaign and automation activity, e-commerce data, and more. Use the AND, OR, and NOT operators to combine criteria. Here, you can also select MailChimp tags.
- Click review segment.
- Click save segment.
Another quick way to create segments in Mailchimp is:
Click on Audience Dashboard under Audience drop-down menu. Click on the manage audience drop-down menu, then click manage contacts; here, you will see segments. Click on segments and simply follow the next steps from step 2 onwards, as mentioned above.
Segments allow for highly targeted and personalized messaging to the subscribers that meet your criteria. Use them for campaigns, automations, and dynamic content.
Review and update your groups and segments regularly to keep your audience targeting as relevant as possible. With some regular maintenance, groups, and segments can become a powerful tool for maximizing the impact of your email marketing. New subscribers are automatically added to segments if they match the segment criteria.
Note: You can also add a new tag if you desire. Under Audience > Tags > Create Tag. You can also see your MailChimp tags from your audience dashboard. You can use tags if you want to label contacts.
Tips for Organizing Your Lists With Groups and Segments
Organizing your email list and contacts in Mailchimp is key to successful email marketing campaigns. Here are some tips to help you make the most of groups and segments:
Use groups for broad categorization.
Groups are best used for large categories of contacts, such as ‘customers’ or ‘newsletter subscribers’. Add all contacts to at least one group so you can send targeted emails. For example, put all your customers in a ‘Customers’ group and all newsletter signups in a ‘Newsletter’ group.
Create segments for more specific targeting.
Segments allow you to filter your email lists by specific attributes like location, purchase history or email clicks. For example, make a segment for customers in California or people who opened your last email. Segments can contain contacts from multiple groups. Use segments when you want to target a subset of a group.
Organize groups into a hierarchy.
Structure your groups into main categories and subcategories. For example, have main groups of ‘Customers’ and ‘Newsletter Subscribers’, then under ‘Customers’ have sub-groups like ‘West Coast’ and ‘East Coast’. This makes your lists easy to navigate and target.
Review and update regularly.
Go through your groups and segments regularly to make sure contacts are in the right categories. People move and change jobs or email addresses, so their attributes may change. Look for any groups or segments that haven’t been used in a while and consider consolidating or deleting them. Keep your email lists tidy and up-to-date for the best results.
Test and track the results.
Once you’ve organized your lists, send targeted emails to different groups and segments to see which get the best open and click rates. Look for any contacts that seem miscategorized based on their response. Make changes to your groups and segments to improve future email targeting and results. Continually optimizing your MailChimp mailing lists will lead to higher engagement and sales.
With some time and testing, you’ll be targeting your Mailchimp emails like a pro and getting great results. Let me know if you have any other questions!