How to Use Customer Segments to Target the Right People in Mailchimp (and Other Email Tools)

So, you’ve identified your customer segments using an automated segmentation tool — now what?

If you're a junior marketing professional looking to improve your email campaigns, the next step is using those segments to deliver personalized, relevant content. Tools like Mailchimp, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and others make this easier than ever.

In this post, we’ll walk you through how to apply customer segments to your email marketing strategy — and why it’s one of the smartest moves you can make.

What Are Customer Segments?

Customer segments are groups of people who share common characteristics or behaviors. These could include:

Purchase frequency
Browsing behavior
Location
Lifetime value
Email engagement
Interests or preferences

If you've used an automated segmentation platform, these segments were likely created using unsupervised machine learning, meaning the patterns were identified without needing to define rules upfront.

Why Segmenting Your Email List Matters

Sending the same message to your entire email list is like shouting into a crowded room — not everyone will care.

Using email segmentation, you can:

✅ Improve open and click-through rates
✅ Reduce unsubscribes and spam complaints
✅ Personalize content and offers
✅ Increase conversion and ROI

How to Use Customer Segments in Mailchimp

Mailchimp (and most mailing platforms) lets you import and target segments easily. Here's how to do it step by step:

1. Export Segments from Your Segmentation Tool

Once your customer segments are generated, export them in CSV format or sync directly if your tool integrates with Mailchimp.

Each row should contain:

Email address
Segment name or tag
Optional: additional data like location, last purchase, etc.

2. Upload Your Segmented List into Mailchimp

Go to Audience → Manage Audience → Import Contacts, and upload your file.

✅ Tip: Use tags or groups in Mailchimp to label each contact by segment. For example: High-Value, Churn Risk, or Instagram Shoppers.

3. Create a Segment-Based Campaign

When creating an email campaign:

Choose "Send to a tag" or "Create a segment" within your audience.
Filter contacts using your segment tags, engagement data, or custom fields.

Example:
Send a loyalty discount to all users tagged as High-Value who’ve opened at least one email in the past 30 days.

4. Customize Your Message to Match the Segment

Personalization goes beyond using their name. Tailor:

Subject lines to match interests
Product recommendations based on past behavior
Tone and design to suit the audience

Use Cases for Segment-Based Email Campaigns

Winback Campaigns: Re-engage users labeled as Churn Risk.
Exclusive Offers: Reward High-Spending or Loyal customers.
Location-Based Campaigns: Target users in specific regions with local deals.
Behavioral Nudges: Recommend products based on browsing or purchase history.

Best Practices for Email Segmentation

🔹 Keep segments up-to-date
Use a tool that automatically updates segments as new data comes in.

🔹 Test and optimize
Try A/B testing different subject lines, send times, and offers for each segment.

🔹 Don’t over-segment
Focus on segments that offer clear marketing value, not just interesting patterns.

Final Thoughts

Using customer segments in your email marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have if you want to stay relevant, competitive, and connected to your audience.

With the right segmentation tool and platforms like Mailchimp, you can create smarter campaigns that actually resonate with your customers — and drive results.

Start Smarter Campaigns Today

Want to take the guesswork out of email segmentation?
Use our automated segmentation tool to identify high-performing customer groups — then sync them directly to your email platform for maximum impact.

How to Target Segments via MailChimp