With 40+ years of history behind it, there are any number of tactics that email marketers have developed over time to optimize campaign performance. Whether it involves different subject line strategies, personalization, various types of content, or even strategic use of email suppression list management tactics, there are any number of areas to choose from.

That being said, one of the most powerful and effective strategies available to email marketers is audience targeting. By using this tactic, advertisers can deliver message content that has been designed to engage each specific audience segment, improving the relevance of the campaign as a whole.

There are numerous ways to approach email audience or list targeting. Here are several options marketers should consider.

Interests

Recipients’ varying interests can be a powerful basis for list targeting, by making sure the content appeals to each audience segment.  Appealing to the interests of each target group can lead to higher open rates and an uptick in overall engagement.

One of the main reasons individuals engage with email advertising content is that it matches their own interests or needs. Think of your own experience. When you open and engage with emails, what is it they most have in common? While it might be a catchy subject line that gets you to open an email in the first place, in the end it’s about whether or not the overall content is relevant to you and that you find it interesting.

Location

Geographic/location targeting is another key strategy that can be highly effective across a wide variety of industries and type of product or service offerings. This is one of the most straightforward forms of targeting, but it can produce powerful results. While not every advertiser’s offerings are location-dependent, there is no doubt that some products and services perform better in different parts of the country and world. It can also be effective to plan your email send time around the time zone of the recipient, for best performance.

Sales Cycle Status

This may come into play most often in the B2B space, but for any purchasing decision that may take time or involve multiple steps, focusing on where a recipient is in the sales cycle is very valuable. Messaging strategy is likely to be very different for a brand new prospect vs. one that has already indicated they are in the market and have already evaluated information about the advertiser’s products or services. This strategy is on full display in many companies’ lead nurturing programs.

These are just a few basic types of email audience targeting you might consider.