Use Segments and Exclusions
Include the people who should receive the email, and exclude the people who should not receive it.
Overview
A common mistake is to define only who should receive an email. Good sending also defines who should not receive the message.
For example, if you send a trial upgrade offer, you may include trial users and exclude people who already upgraded, people who unsubscribed from product updates, and internal test contacts. These exclusions make the email more relevant and reduce avoidable complaints.
What to Do
- Write the include rule in plain language.
- Write the exclude rule in plain language.
- Create or open the segment for the subscribers you want to target.
- Preview the segment and search for a few subscribers who should be included. They should appear in the preview.
- Search for a few subscribers who should be excluded. They should not appear in the preview.
- Use the segment in the broadcast, sequence, or automation only after the preview includes and excludes the expected subscribers.
Note
If the subscriber count is not what you expected, stop and inspect the segment before sending. A wrong count is usually an early warning.