Marketing emails used to be about blasting everyone the same message and hoping for the best. These days, that's a great way to get ignored—or worse, marked as spam. If you want your emails to land (and actually get opened), you need to talk to the right people about the right things. That’s where audience segmentation comes in, especially when you’re building automations in Mailchimp Journeys.
This guide is for anyone who’s tired of sending one-size-fits-all emails and wants to use Mailchimp’s tools to target specific groups, without falling down a rabbit hole of unnecessary complexity. I’ll walk you through segmenting your audience inside Journeys, what actually works, what’s worth skipping, and how to avoid common headaches.
Why bother segmenting in Mailchimp Journeys?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s be honest—Mailchimp’s segmentation tools aren’t perfect. But if you want better open rates, fewer unsubscribes, and emails that don’t feel like noise, it’s worth learning the ropes.
What segmentation actually does for you: - Sends the right content to the right people, so you’re more likely to get a response. - Reduces spam complaints and unsubscribes. - Makes your automations feel less robotic and more personal.
Who should care:
Anyone running regular email campaigns, especially if you’ve got a list of more than a few hundred people, or you’re sending anything besides generic newsletters.
Step 1: Know your audience (and your data)
You can’t segment an audience you don’t understand. Start by taking a cold, hard look at your list.
What to check: - Contact fields: What data do you collect? Email, name, location, purchase history, signup source—these all matter. - Tags and groups: Are your contacts tagged based on interests, sign-up method, or actions? - List hygiene: Is your list full of stale or unengaged contacts? (If so, fix that first. Segmentation can’t rescue a dead list.)
Pro tip:
Don’t overcomplicate. If you only collect email addresses and first names, you’re not going to segment by “favorite product” or “last purchase.” Work with what you’ve got, not what you wish you had.
Step 2: Decide what matters (skip the vanity segments)
Mailchimp gives you way too many ways to slice and dice your list. Focus on segments that actually move the needle.
Useful segment ideas: - Engagement: Who opened your last few emails? Who hasn’t opened anything in months? - Location: Useful for local events, time zones, or regional offers. - Signup source: Did they come from a website pop-up, a checkout page, or a trade show? - Purchase behavior: First-time buyers vs. repeat customers.
Segments that rarely pay off: - Overly specific demographics (unless your business is hyper-niche) - Random interests you can’t act on - Anyone who hasn’t engaged in years (clean these out, don’t segment them)
Step 3: Build your segments in Mailchimp
Mailchimp’s “Journey” builder lets you add starting points and branching logic based on segments. Here’s how to actually set them up:
3.1 Create a new Journey
- Go to Automations > Journeys in Mailchimp.
- Click Create Journey.
- Pick a template or start from scratch (templates are fine, but don’t get lost in the weeds—simple is good).
3.2 Choose a starting point
This is where segmentation begins.
You can start a Journey when: - Someone joins your audience - A tag is added - They make a purchase (if you’ve got e-commerce connected) - They meet specific segment conditions
To use a segment as your starting point:
1. Select “Audience management” > “Joins a segment.”
2. Build your segment using Mailchimp’s conditions. Example: Email activity > Has opened > Any of the last 5 campaigns.
3. Name your segment. Don’t call it “Segment 1.” Be specific (“Recent Engagers - Last 30 Days”).
Pro tip:
Don’t create 50 micro-segments hoping for magic. Start with 2-3 meaningful ones and expand if you see results.
3.3 Add branching and filters
Once someone is in a Journey, you can branch based on their behavior.
- If/Else branches let you split the flow: For example, if someone clicks a specific link, you can send them down a different path.
- Wait steps let you pause before checking if someone did something (like opened an email).
- Update contact lets you tag or group people based on their actions, which you can use for further segmentation.
What works:
Use branching for big forks in the road (e.g., buyers vs. non-buyers, engaged vs. unengaged).
What doesn’t:
Don’t overuse branches for tiny differences. You’ll end up with a mess that’s impossible to maintain.
Step 4: Test your segments (don’t assume you got it right)
Here’s where most people screw up—they build segments, hit launch, and never look back. Don’t do that.
How to sanity-check your segments: - Preview or test: Mailchimp lets you preview who’s in a segment. - Send test emails: Always send to yourself and a colleague (ideally with test contacts in different segments). - Check the numbers: If a segment is empty or way bigger/smaller than you expected, something’s off.
Pro tip:
If you’re not sure your conditions are working, create dummy contacts that fit each segment and see if they trigger the Journey.
Step 5: Launch, monitor, and tweak
Once you’re satisfied your segments make sense, turn on your Journey and watch what happens.
What to watch: - Open and click rates by segment: Are some groups performing way better than others? - Drop-off: Are people getting stuck or not progressing? Maybe your logic is too strict. - Unsubscribes and complaints: A spike here usually means your segment or content is off.
What to tweak: - If a segment isn’t performing, revisit your criteria—maybe it’s too broad, too narrow, or just not useful. - Don’t be afraid to merge or delete segments that aren’t working. Nobody gets it perfect on the first try.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Over-segmentation: More segments = more work and more confusion. Start simple.
- Relying on bad data: If your tags or fields are messy, your segments will be too.
- Ignoring compliance: Don’t send stuff people didn’t sign up for. It’s not just bad practice, it’s legally risky.
- Set-it-and-forget-it: Segments get stale. Review them at least quarterly.
Keep it simple, iterate often
Segmentation isn’t a magic bullet, but it’s how you stop annoying your audience and start getting results. Don’t wait for the “perfect” setup—start small, watch what happens, and adjust as you go. The best Journeys are the ones you actually use, not the ones you spend months planning but never launch. If you’re not sure, keep it simple, hit send, and learn from real results. That’s how you actually get better at email marketing.