Segmentation is the general practice of dividing a broader group, a subscriber list, a market, or an audience, into smaller sets that share meaningful characteristics, so messaging can be tailored more precisely than a single one-size-fits-all approach allows.
A quick answer to what is segmentation worth remembering: it’s the umbrella concept, not any one specific technique, several distinct types of segmentation all fall underneath it.
The Umbrella Term Over Several Specific Types
Segmentation email marketing applications branch into several types of segmentation covered in detail elsewhere in this glossary, each with its own dedicated page:
- Customer segmentation — grouping actual subscribers by behavior, purchase history, and engagement.
- Demographic segmentation — grouping by observable traits like age, location, and income.
- Psychographic segmentation — grouping by values, interests, and lifestyle.
- Market segment thinking — grouping the broader potential audience before anyone becomes a subscriber.
- RFM segmentation — a specific formula-based method using recency, frequency, and monetary value.
These segmentation examples represent the full range covered across this glossary. This page covers the general concept. For the specific practice of segmenting a store’s own subscriber list using real behavior and purchase data, the most common application for most stores, see our full Customer Segmentation guide.
Related terms:
Adflipr’s contact management tools support segmentation across all of these types, synced directly from a connected Shopify or WooCommerce store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Segmentation is dividing a broader subscriber database into targeted subgroups based on shared criteria to deliver more relevant messaging.
The main categories are demographic (attributes), geographic (location), behavioral (actions/purchases), psychographic (values), and RFM (recency/frequency/spend).
Segmented campaigns consistently generate higher open and click rates, increase revenue per recipient, and significantly reduce unsubscribe rates.
