If you send B2B emails, you already know: a generic blast to everyone is the fastest way to get ignored. But most advice on segmentation is either too obvious (“segment by industry!”) or too convoluted (“track every micro-interaction!”). This guide is for marketers, founders, and anyone using Postdrips who wants real ways to segment their audience and boost engagement—without wasting time chasing shiny objects or drowning in data.
Why Bother Segmenting in the First Place?
Let’s be blunt: B2B buyers are busy, skeptical, and allergic to anything that feels off-target. If you’re not tailoring your emails, you’re just more noise in their inbox. Segmentation works because it helps you send the right message to the right people—without turning your life into a spreadsheet nightmare.
But don’t kid yourself: not every segmentation trick is worth the effort. The best segments are the ones that are easy to set up, easy to maintain, and actually move the needle.
Step 1: Get Your Data House in Order
Before you start slicing and dicing, you need clean, reliable data. This is non-negotiable. If your contacts are full of duplicates or missing key info, you’ll end up with useless segments.
What matters most: - Accurate contact info: Name, company, role, and email—at a minimum. - Firmographics: Industry, company size, location. You don’t need every detail, just what’s actionable. - Engagement history: Opens, clicks, replies, and conversions, if possible.
Skip this: Overcomplicating things with “AI intent signals” or a dozen custom fields you’ll never use. Start simple.
Pro tip: Run a cleanup once a quarter. Delete dead leads. Fill in missing data where you can. Don’t expect perfection—just make sure your segments won’t embarrass you.
Step 2: Start with Segmentation Basics That Matter
You’ve got endless options, but not all are worth your time. Here’s what actually works for most B2B teams:
1. Segment by Company Size
Small companies care about speed and price. Large companies care about compliance, scalability, and support. If your offer or messaging changes based on company size, make this your first segment.
- How to do it in Postdrips: Use custom fields or tags for company size (“1-10”, “11-100”, etc.).
- What to avoid: Don’t get too granular. Three or four buckets is enough.
2. Segment by Industry or Vertical
Not everyone speaks the same industry language. Tailor your case studies, examples, and pain points.
- How to do it: Use Postdrips’ filters to create segments by industry tags.
- Watch out: If you only have a handful of contacts in a niche, it’s not worth a dedicated campaign. Group similar industries if needed.
3. Segment by Job Role or Decision-Maker Type
The CFO cares about ROI. The IT lead cares about integrations. Sales wants speed. Figure out who you’re talking to.
- How to do it: Capture and tag job roles when people sign up or through LinkedIn research.
- Don’t bother: Trying to get too specific (“VP of Digital Transformation in Midwestern logistics firms”). You’ll end up with too many tiny segments and not enough time.
4. Segment by Engagement Level
This is underrated. Why treat a cold lead the same as someone who’s clicked your last five emails?
- How to do it: Use Postdrips’ automation to tag contacts based on recent activity.
- Ideas:
- “Hot” (opened/clicked last 2 emails)
- “Warm” (opened at least 1 in last month)
- “Cold” (no opens in 90+ days)
- What to ignore: Don’t obsess over tiny engagement signals (like “clicked but didn’t scroll”). Stick to opens, clicks, and replies.
Step 3: Map Segments to Actual Campaigns
A segment is only as good as the message you send. Don’t just split up your audience for the sake of it—make sure you actually do something with each group.
Examples that work: - Industry-specific case studies: Show how you helped a similar company. - Role-based pain points: “Hey CFO, here’s how we help you cut costs.” - Re-engagement for cold leads: “Still interested? Here’s what’s new.”
What to skip: Sending the same generic email with a swapped-out greeting. If your “segmentation” just changes a first name or industry, it’s not worth the hassle.
Pro tip: Create basic templates you can tweak for each segment, instead of reinventing the wheel every time.
Step 4: Use Postdrips’ Tools—But Keep It Simple
Postdrips gives you a lot of options: tags, custom fields, behavioral triggers, and more. The trick is to use just enough to get the job done—don’t turn your workflow into a science project.
How to segment in Postdrips without headaches: - Tags: Use for broad buckets like industry, company size, or engagement. - Custom Fields: Only for info you’ll actually use (don’t make 20 fields you never fill out). - Filters: Combine tags and fields to build segments for each campaign. - Automations: Set rules to update tags/fields based on actions (e.g., “clicked link = tag as interested”).
What to avoid: - Building segments so narrow you have more segments than contacts. - Creating automations you can’t remember or explain in a month.
Keep a cheat sheet of your segments and what each tag/field means. Trust me, future-you will thank you.
Step 5: Test, Measure, and Ruthlessly Simplify
Segmentation is only valuable if it gets better results. Don’t just set it and forget it.
What to do: - A/B test your emails across segments. Did that industry-specific message get more replies? - Cull dead segments every few months. If you’re not sending to it, delete it. - Watch your metrics: Open rates are nice, but replies, meetings booked, and sales are what matter. - Ask for feedback: If a segment isn’t engaging, maybe your assumptions are wrong.
What not to obsess over: Open rates alone. Some people will always ignore you—don’t chase ghosts.
Pro tip: Start with 2–3 core segments, get them working, then expand. Most teams waste time overcomplicating this step.
Step 6: Avoid These Common Segmentation Traps
It’s easy to get carried away with segmentation. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Segmenting for its own sake: If you aren’t sending different content, don’t bother.
- Letting data rot: Segments are useless if your data is out of date.
- Trying to personalize everything: Not every email needs to be hyper-tailored—just targeted enough to feel relevant.
- Ignoring the basics: Good copy and offers beat fancy segments every time.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Great segmentation in Postdrips isn’t about chasing every data point or building a maze of automations. It’s about finding a handful of ways to talk to your audience like you actually know them. Start simple, clean your data, and only add complexity when you see real results.
Don’t overthink it. The best segments are the ones you’ll actually use. Test, tweak, and kill what doesn’t work. Your future, less-stressed self will thank you.