Klaviyo lists and segments are a fundamental part of email marketing but they can be confusing when you’re just starting out. At first glance, they look pretty similar, and it’s easy to get stuck wondering when to use them.
The good news is, while every account is a little different, there are some simple, general rules for lists and segments that can make a big difference to your deliverability and engagement.
Firstly, A Refresher: What Are Klaviyo Lists and Segments?
Essentially, a list is the entirety of a database within Klaviyo. It may be the people in your database from your website sign ups. It could be a list of people who entered their details at a trade show. It could be a list of people who signed up for a competition. Essentially, it is the A-Z of everyone within a certain database.
On the other hand, a segment is built from a list. It is, in essence, a snippet of a list. Take, for example, a 90-day engaged segment. This is a group of people who live within a specific marketing list, who have opened, clicked or interacted with at least one email in the last 90 days.
You can also build segments based on similar buying patterns; for example, all those within your marketing list who have purchased at least twice. You can even break it down by postcode or even custom data points (such as their gender or hair colour).
How granular you can get really depends on the data you are collecting from each customer.
When to use a list
Many people make the mistake of assuming that they need to use their list for every campaign. This is possible, yes. But it will harm your deliverability. Imagine inviting 10,000 people to a party and expecting them all to show up. We would be impressed!
If you were to send all of your campaigns to your full list, you may notice that your open rates, click rates and placed order rates are below industry average. You should instead reserve your campaign emails for engaged segments eg. customers who respond and react; this is how you build strong deliverability.
When launching a big sale or a new product, however, you can send to your full list to ensure no one misses out.
It is important to remember that over time, even customers who may have once been engaged can fizzle out. Cleaning your database frequently can ensure you make room for customers who are more likely to respond and purchase, without significantly raising your Klaviyo billing costs.
Lists are best used to trigger flows, for example the welcome series, lead magnet flows, product information flows and competitions.
When to use a segment
Segments are what you should use when sending campaigns to your customers. We typically recommend using segments based on customer engagement, as this helps you drive deliverability and improve your metrics across the board. For you, this means you’ll be more likely to land in inboxes (not the spam folder) and boost your sales long term.
You may need to send a mass email or two using your lists when you first use Klaviyo to understand who is engaged. This can momentarily hit your deliverability and drag it down.
From there, focusing on 90 day engagement until you have achieved strong open rates will help you see email success. You can then begin to widen sends to appease the algorithm without majorly harming your metrics.
Remember, that you can also be strategic with your segments. If you’re selling clothing, for example, you can use perceived gender to send male vs female emails (as well as your engaged segments) to boost purchase rates.
The Email By Design Team Can Support You With Klaviyo Lists and Segments
Segmentation is a complicated web. As every account is different, you also need time to understand which segments will perform the best for you to provide long-term results and growth.
Not sure where to begin? Email by Design can help you better understand lists and segments, all while building strong segments of value. Get started by booking a free call today.
