A year ago, something important changed in email marketing. Apple introduced Mail Privacy Protection. This feature loads emails in the background, even if the reader never opens the message. Your email platform then still records an open. As a result, the open rate, the percentage of recipients who opened your email, is far less reliable.
Many businesses still divide their list based on who opens. That often produces the wrong selection. You email people who read nothing, and you overlook people who are genuinely interested. In this article you will learn how to segment more intelligently. Segmenting means splitting your list into groups that each receive their own message.
Why opens no longer tell you anything
An open is measured by a small, invisible image in your email. This is called a tracking pixel. If the image loads, an open is recorded. With Apple Mail privacy protection, the image is always loaded. That means it also happens when nobody sees the email.
This has three consequences:
- Your open rate looks higher than it really is.
- You can no longer see who is genuinely active.
- The time of the open is often wrong, so optimising send times based on opens works less well.
Your list is a mix of readers with and without Apple Mail. You do not know which people belong to which group. A segment based on opens is therefore a guess.
Segment on behaviour that counts
The solution is simple. Look at actions that are a deliberate choice. A click or a purchase does not happen by itself. You can build on that.
These are the signals you can use:
- Clicks in your emails: which links does someone click, and how often?
- Purchases: what did someone buy, when and for what amount?
- Website visits: which product pages or categories does someone view?
- Abandoned basket: someone started to order but did not complete the purchase.
- Time since the last purchase: how long ago did someone last buy?
These signals tell you something about interest. Someone who clicked on the same product three times without buying wants to hear something different from a loyal customer. The first person may need an extra nudge, such as more information or a reason to decide now. The second would rather see something new.
Three segments to start with
You do not need to build twenty segments straight away. Start with three. They are easy to set up and already make a big difference.
1. New subscribers without a purchase. These people do not know you well yet. Show them who you are, what you sell and why people buy from you. A short series of three to five emails suits this group well. Finish with a clear first step, such as a selection of bestsellers.
2. Customers with one purchase. This is the group that often delivers the most value. The question is whether someone will come back. Send an email with tips on the product they bought. After that, show suitable complementary products.
3. Repeat customers. These are your loyal customers. They do not need lengthy explanations. Give them news about new products first. A thank-you or a benefit for regular customers also works well.
A dedicated message for each segment already works better than one newsletter for everyone. Once these three are running well, you can expand. Think of a segment for customers who have not bought in a long time, or a segment per product category.
Connect your webshop to your email platform
Without a connection between your email platform and your webshop, you do not know who bought what. That means you cannot segment on purchases either. This connection is the foundation of everything above.
A good integration passes on at least this data:
- Which orders someone placed and on which date.
- Which products or categories someone bought.
- The value of the order.
- Whether someone left a basket behind.
After connecting, check that the data is correct. Place a test order and see whether it ends up in the right segment. Also check that someone disappears from the "new subscribers without a purchase" segment after buying. Otherwise a customer will still receive an email with a welcome discount even though they have already ordered.
Also pay attention to consent. You may only email people who have agreed to it. Using behavioural data for segments should be stated in your privacy policy.
What it looks like in practice
Imagine you have a webshop selling kitchen products and a list of a few thousand addresses. Every two weeks you send the same newsletter to everyone. Until now you have segmented on opens. So you mainly email people who seem "active", but many of those opens come from automatic loading.
You switch to behaviour. New subscribers receive a welcome series. Customers with one purchase receive an email with tips for the product they bought. Loyal customers hear about new products first. Someone who often clicked on coffee machines without buying receives a comparison of the most popular models.
The result is that each group receives an email that fits the moment they are in. You send fewer emails that resonate with no one. This makes it more likely that people click and buy. Your list also stays healthier, because people are less likely to drop off.
To see whether it works, you do not need to use the open rate. These are better measures:
- Click rate: the percentage of recipients who click on a link.
- Conversion: the percentage of recipients who buy something after a click.
- Revenue per email sent: what does a mailing earn on average?
- Repeat purchases: how many customers buy again within a certain period?
- Unsubscribes: an increase shows that a segment is not well matched.
Compare the results per segment and over a longer period. A single mailing says little. A trend over several weeks says much more.
Frequently asked questions
Is the open rate completely worthless now?
No, but you can no longer trust it blindly. At most, use it as a rough indication over a longer period. Do not base segments or automations on it. Clicks and purchases are far more reliable.
Are clicks reliable?
Usually, but not always. Some corporate security systems open links automatically to check them. It then looks as if someone clicked. Watch for unusual patterns, such as multiple clicks within a few seconds of sending. Purchases are the strongest signal.
Is my list big enough to segment?
There is no fixed minimum. Even with a small list, three simple segments work. Start small and see what happens. Only add more segments once each segment contains enough people to compare results.
Book a free 30-minute introductory call
Would you like to know how to organise your list more intelligently now that opens tell you less? We would be happy to think along with you. In a free 30-minute introductory call, we will look at your current setup. We will discuss whether your webshop and email platform are properly connected and which segments suit your business.
You will leave with an initial plan, with no obligation. Get in touch with Adventio Marketing in Amersfoort and book your call.
