Definition
Segmentation and personalization are related but distinct. Segmentation divides your list into groups that share traits, such as location, engagement, or purchase history, so you can send different messages to different groups.
Personalization tailors the experience to an individual using their data, such as using their first name, showing recommended products, or referencing their recent activity. It works within (or on top of) segments.
Both improve relevance, and the best programs combine them: segment to choose the right message for a group, then personalize the details for each person within it. Start with segmentation, then layer personalization as you collect more data.
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Related Glossary Terms
Account-Based Marketing Email
An account-based marketing email is a highly targeted message sent to a specific organisation or decision-maker group as part of a focused B2B strategy.
AI Personalization
AI personalization uses machine learning to tailor email content, timing and offers to each subscriber’s behaviour and predicted needs, delivering more relevant experiences at scale.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.
B2B Email Marketing
B2B email marketing targets business professionals and organisations with longer sales cycles, educational content, and relationship-driven campaigns compared to B2C email.
B2C Email Marketing
B2C email marketing focuses on sending targeted promotional and transactional emails to individual consumers, emphasising personalisation, urgency, and direct response.
Behavioral Email
Behavioral email is a message triggered by a subscriber's action, inaction, or engagement pattern, making it more relevant than scheduled broadcast sends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Segmentation groups your list so different groups get different messages; personalization tailors an individual message using each recipient's own data.
Start with segmentation, which is easier and delivers quick relevance wins. Then layer personalization on top as you gather richer data for individual tailoring.
Use segmentation to decide which message a group gets, then personalize that message with each recipient's details, such as name, recommendation or recent behavior.