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š5 Segmentation Secrets for Powerful Email Deliverability
Get More Emails in the Inbox (and Fewer in Spam)
Hey, Raymond here.
Last time, we talked about how Farm Field Table increased revenue by 503% just by optimizing their email frequency.
Pretty wild, right?
Today, letās tackle another major factor that can make or break your email successāsegmentation.
Hereās the truth: If your emails donāt land in the inbox, they donāt exist.
No one reads them, no one clicks, and youāre basically throwing marketing dollars down the drain.
Email deliverability isnāt just about avoiding the spam folder.
Itās about making sure inbox providers (like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook) see your emails as valuableānot junk.
And one of the best ways to do that?
Smart segmentation.
Why Do So Many Email Marketers Struggle with Segmentation?
I canāt tell you how many brands Iāve seen just blasting emails into the void, wondering why no oneās opening them.
The culprit? Zero segmentation.
No wonder marketers are still swapping war stories on Quora, Reddit, and HubSpot, trying to crack the code.



The good news?
You donāt have to keep guessing.
These 5 segmentation strategies will help you dodge the spam folder and keep your emails right where they belongāfront and center in the inbox.
1ļøā£ Engagement-Based Segmentation: Send Your Emails to People Who Actually Care
Iāve learned that not all subscribers deserve the same treatment.
Hereās how I break them down:
Highly Engaged: These are your ride-or-dies. They open, click, and love your content. Keep them happy with exclusive perks and VIP treatment.
Moderately Engaged: They interact sometimes but need a little push. Test subject lines, offer small incentives, or switch up your content.
Inactive: Havenāt clicked in months? Stop sending them the same stuff. Try a win-back campaign or remove them to protect your sender reputation.
If someone hasnāt opened in 90 days, I donāt just keep sending them emails and hoping for the best.
I either re-engage or removeāsimple as that.
2ļøā£ Purchase Behavior Segmentation: Send the Right Offers to the Right People
Not all subscribers is at the same stage in their buying journey.
Sending the same email to a first-time visitor and a loyal VIP customer?
Thatās like treating every restaurant guest like itās their first visitāawkward and impersonal.

Hereās how I segment based on purchasing behavior:
First-Time Buyers: Welcome them with product guides, helpful content, and maybe a small incentive to buy again.
Repeat Customers: Reward loyalty with exclusive perks, early access to sales, or behind-the-scenes content.
High Spenders: Treat them like VIPs with personalized recommendations, priority access, and white-glove service.
Cart Abandoners: Send a well-timed reminder with social proof (like reviews) or a limited-time discount to nudge them back.
3ļøā£ Send Domain-Specific Campaigns: Optimize for Different Email Providers
Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, and corporate domains all have different rules when it comes to filtering emails.
Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail users: Engagement matters the most. If your emails get ignored, theyāll start getting filtered out.
Corporate emails (@company.com): Business inboxes often have strict spam filters. Keep your emails concise, limit images and links, and avoid spammy words like āFREEā or āLIMITED TIME.ā
If I notice corporate domains struggling with open rates, I test dedicated sending IPs or authenticated domains to build trust.
4ļøā£ Geographic Segmentation: Sending Emails at the Right Time is Everything
Ever sent an email at 2 AM and wondered why engagement sucked? Yeah, same.
Sending emails at the wrong time kills results.
If someone in California and someone in London get your email at the same time, one of them is probably getting it at the wrong moment.
Hereās how I fix it:
Time zone-based sends: Make sure emails arrive at the right moment for each region.
Weather-based triggers: Promote products based on local weather (think winter gear for snowy areas).
Localized promotions: Adjust messaging for different regionsāpeople in New York and Sydney shouldnāt get the same deals at the same time.
5ļøā£ List Hygiene: Keep Your List Squeaky Clean
A bloated, outdated list kills your deliverability.
If youāre sending to dead addresses or unengaged subscribers, inbox providers start assuming your emails arenāt valuable.
Hereās what I do to keep my list healthy:
Remove unengaged subscribers every six months. Higher engagement = better deliverability.
Verify emails before sending to cut down on bounces.
Use double opt-in so only people who actually want emails get them.
My Pro Tip: Tools like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce help clean lists and keep deliverability strong.
What It All Comes Down To
Good email deliverability isnāt magicāitās about sending the right messages to the right people at the right time.
If your emails arenāt landing in the inbox, segmentation could be the missing piece.
Fine-tune your strategy, and youāll not only improve deliverability but also drive better engagement, higher conversions, and stronger customer relationships.
Need help dialing in your segmentation strategy?
Letās chat!
Cheers,
Raymond Chen
Founder & CEO, 11 Agency
Letās Make This Work for You
Thereās a lot that goes into building a high-converting email strategy.
If youāre serious about optimizing your email marketing, letās talk.
Hereās what we can do:
ā Done-for-You Email Strategy: If youāre ready to scale but donāt have the time, weāll build out a full email system that maximizes your revenue. You can book a call with me here.
ā Or, if you just want to grab a free resource, get a FREE 10-page KPI audit and a 128-point health scorecard to optimize your email marketing. Get it here!
More Resources to Help You Win at Email Marketing
If youāre up about boosting your email game, Iāve got a few more gems for you:
šŗ Check Out My First YouTube Video!
Struggling with emails landing in spam? In my very first YouTube video, I break down how to fix emails going to spamāfast. This step-by-step tutorial covers everything you need to know to get your emails back in the inbox where they belong. š Watch it here!
š Read my blog: 10 Email Segmentation Best Practices: Definition and Examples
Not sure if youāre segmenting your emails the right way?
Youāre not aloneāIāve seen so many brands struggle with this until they see the impact firsthand. Iāve helped businesses fine-tune their segmentation, boost engagement, and drive real revenue.
Want to see how itās done? I break it all down in my blog with best practices and real examples. š Read it here!
š” Letās Connect on LinkedIn
I share daily email marketing tips, behind-the-scenes insights, and strategies that actually work. If youāre looking for extra value beyond this newsletter, letās connect!š Follow me here.