The #1 reason for unsubscribing to email is irrelevant contact. Average email performance metrics will diminish for all subscriber lists over time unless a genuine effort is made to improve customer relevancy. Regardless of the attribute used (i.e., purchase behavior, demographics et cetera) any form of segmentation is proven to lift results. Segment your prospect/customer database based on behavior, preferences, demographics, personas et cetera. Work towards the ultimate goal of writing email copy to match the tone and style of your matrix of target audience clusters: right message, right person, and right time.

Example: Salesforce.com, the world’s leader in delivering on-demand applications for integrated sales force automation, customer service and support, marketing, file management and analytics, is using segmentation to personalize online dialogs with hundreds of thousands of customers and prospects on a regular basis. Salesforce.com uses personalized email to compress sales cycles, strengthen online relationships, and achieve an average opt-out rate of .01 percent-- well below the industry average rate of 1 percent. Certain programs frequently result in a 100 percent open rate. They send regular email product updates, product training schedules, newsletters and upcoming event invitation to deliver superior service and value to a worldwide constituent base.