Making your emails more relevant is the key to 2009 email marketing.  The way you sign up new subscribers can be altered to try and take on board there preferences and enable you to send them emails they want to receive.

But what about those already on the list?  Trying to get them to change their details will always be an uphill struggle.  A great way to do this is through passive segmentation.

As I’ve used them before, let’s use H&M as a working example.  Now they currently don’t do this, but if they did, they could quite easily send some targeted, relevant emails to their huge list.

They send through a generalised email which talks about the sale that is currently on.  Within the email they set out clear buttons which segment their company.  Something along the lines of:

Male

Female

Childrens Clothing

Sale Stock

Just by separating their list to this extent has given them the tools to send emails that will more then likely appeal to their audience more, which in turns sees higher opens and conversions.  To point out H&M’s current method, here is an email I received a little while back.  

Just so you know, I’m neither 8 nor am I a parent.  As you can see, this is virtually like trying to deep sea fish with a rifle.  Couple that with how easily subscribers can be turned off from emails with irrelevant content and you can see that H&M aren’t doing as well as they really could be.

Now relate this example to the list you’re using.  If you think you can clearly split your products into different groups, then it is definitely worth passively segmenting your list.