How to create an engaged subscriber segment in Klaviyo?

Effectively segmenting your subscriber base is one of the most powerful strategies to maximize the performance of your email marketing campaigns. Among these segments, the engaged subscriber segment is particularly valuable for optimizing your conversion rates and improving your deliverability. Discover how to identify, create, and leverage an engaged subscriber segment in Klaviyo to radically transform your marketing results.

Why targeting engaged subscribers is essential for your email strategy

Identifying and targeting subscribers who regularly interact with your communications offers numerous strategic advantages for your marketing:

Significant improvement in your email deliverability

Email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook use engagement as a primary factor in determining whether your emails reach the inbox:

• Protecting your sender reputation: Sending to contacts who open and click your emails signals to providers that your content is relevant and desired.
• Reducing spam placement: Emails sent to engaged subscribers are 86% less likely to be marked as spam.
• Decreasing bounce rates: Active contacts generally maintain valid and active email addresses.
• Improving overall deliverability score: Positive engagement with your active segment improves deliverability for your entire list.

Optimizing your campaign performance

Statistics prove that targeting engaged subscribers generates significantly better results:

• Open rates up to 40% higher than on an unsegmented list.
• Click-through rates often multiplied by 3 compared to campaigns sent to your entire base.
• Conversion rates on average 70% higher for offers and promotions.
• 56% reduction in unsubscribes thanks to increased communication relevance.

Optimizing your marketing resources and maximizing ROI

Targeting engaged subscribers also allows you to optimize your investments:

• Reduced sending costs by targeting only contacts likely to respond.
• Decreased time spent on underperforming campaigns.
• More efficient allocation of your marketing budget.
• More precise identification of content and offers that work.

Step-by-step guide: how to create an engaged subscriber segment in Klaviyo

Klaviyo offers powerful tools to precisely identify your most active subscribers. Follow this detailed process to create your first segment of engaged subscribers:

Step 1: Access the segmentation module

1. Log in to your Klaviyo account.
2. In the main menu, click on “Audience”.
3. Select “Lists & Segments” from the dropdown menu.
4. Click on the “Create Segment” button in the top right.

Step 2: Define email engagement criteria

For a basic engaged subscriber segment, configure the following conditions:

1. First engagement condition (recent opens)
   • Select “What someone has done”.
   • Choose “Opened Email”.
   • Define “at least once”.
   • Specify “in the last 30 days”.
2. Add an alternative condition (recent clicks)
   • Click “Add condition” and select “OR”.
   • Select “What someone has done”.
   • Choose “Clicked Email”.
   • Define “at least once”.
   • Specify “in the last 30 days”.

This configuration identifies subscribers who have opened or clicked at least one of your emails in the past month.

Step 3: Enrich your segment with additional engagement indicators (optional)

For more precise segmentation, add these additional criteria:

Recent purchase activity

1. Click “Add condition” and select “OR”.
2. Select “What someone has done”.
3. Choose “Placed Order”.
4. Define “at least once”.
5. Specify “in the last 90 days”.

Website engagement

1. Click “Add condition” and select “OR”.
2. Select “What someone has done”.
3. Choose from these options:
   • “Visited Site”.
   • “Viewed Product”.
   • “Added to Cart”.
4. Define “at least once”.
5. Specify “in the last 60 days”.

Step 4: Exclude problematic contacts (optional but recommended)

To further refine your segment, exclude contacts that could harm your performance:

1. Click “Add condition” and select “AND”.
2. Select “What someone has (or hasn't) done”.
3. Choose “Marked as Spam”.
4. Define “zero times”.
5. Specify “all time”.

Step 5: Finalize and save your segment

1. Give your segment a descriptive name (example: "Engaged Subscribers - 30/60/90 days").
2. Add a description detailing the criteria used for future understanding.
3. Click “Create Segment” to finalize the operation.

Advanced strategies to leverage your engaged subscriber segment

Once your segment is created, implement these proven tactics to maximize its potential:

Exclusive high-value campaigns

Reward the engagement of your active subscribers with special offers:

• Early access to new products before their official launch.
• VIP offers reserved for members of this privileged segment.
• Exclusive content not available to the rest of your list.
• Invitations to special events like webinars or private sales.

Enhanced loyalty programs

Transform engagement into long-term loyalty:

• Referral programs encouraging active subscribers to recommend your brand.
• Loyalty point systems with progressive benefits.
• VIP status tiers based on continuous engagement.
• Surprise rewards to maintain interest and curiosity.

Strategic A/B testing and continuous optimization

Use this highly reactive segment to refine your marketing approach:

• Email subject line tests to identify the most effective wording.
• Experimentation with different designs and layouts.
• Evaluation of various offers and promotions to determine the best performing ones.
• Optimization of sending times and days to maximize open rates.

Targeted abandoned cart recovery

Increase your conversion rates with strategic reminders:

• Personalized reminder emails specifically mentioning abandoned products.
• Gradual incentive offers to encourage purchase completion.
• Optimized reminder sequences based on previous behavior.
• Scarcity or urgency messages adapted to demonstrated purchasing preferences.

How to measure and optimize the effectiveness of your engaged subscriber segment

To maximize the performance of your segmentation strategy, track these key metrics:

Essential indicators to monitor

Regularly analyze this data to evaluate and improve your approach:

• Open and click rates compared to your overall list.
• Conversion rates of campaigns sent to this segment.
• Revenue per email generated by engaged subscribers.
• Growth or decrease in segment size over time.
• Unsubscribe rate to identify potential email fatigue issues.

Strategic adjustments based on data

Adapt your approach based on observed performance:

1. Refine the engagement period: Test different time windows (30, 45, 60 days) to find the optimal balance between volume and quality.

2. Adjust inclusion criteria: Strengthen or relax conditions based on results.

3. Personalize sending frequency: Determine the ideal rhythm that maintains engagement without causing fatigue.

4. Diversify your content: Alternate between different types of messages to maintain interest.

Best practices for maintaining and growing your subscribers' engagement

Regular updates to your segment

Since engagement is dynamic, ensure your segment remains relevant:

• Automatically update your segment using Klaviyo's dynamic updating.
• Re-evaluate your criteria quarterly to reflect changes in your audience.
• Create sub-segments based on different levels of engagement for even finer personalization.
• Monitor seasonality which can influence engagement behaviors.

Content strategies to stimulate continuous engagement

Maintain your subscribers' interest with a diversified approach:

• Alternate between transactional and informative content to avoid promotional fatigue.
• Personalize content based on interests demonstrated by previous interactions.
• Create content series that encourage regular opens.
• Integrate interactive elements like polls or quizzes to encourage participation.

Reward and recognition tactics

Value your subscribers' engagement to strengthen it:

• Explicitly thank your subscribers for their loyalty and engagement.
• Solicit their feedback to involve them in the evolution of your offer.
• Create surprise moments with unexpected offers.
• Recognize subscription or purchase anniversaries to personalize the relationship.

Common mistakes to avoid with your engaged subscriber segments

Avoid these pitfalls that could compromise the effectiveness of your strategy:

Over-solicitation and email fatigue

• Don't confuse engagement with unlimited receptiveness: even your most active subscribers have limits.
• Maintain a reasonable sending frequency adapted to your industry and content type.
• Monitor for signs of disengagement such as declining open rates.
• Offer frequency preference options to give your subscribers control.

Lack of offer diversification

• Avoid monotony which can erode the engagement of even the most loyal subscribers.
• Don't always offer the same types of promotions.
• Vary your creative approaches to maintain freshness.
• Regularly test new formats to identify what resonates best.

Neglecting personalization

• Do not send generic content to this valuable segment.
• Use behavioral data to refine your messages.
• Further segment based on specific interests.
• Adapt your communications to different stages of the customer journey.

Conclusion

Creating and leveraging an engaged subscriber segment in Klaviyo is a fundamental strategy for optimizing your marketing performance and maximizing your return on investment. By identifying and precisely targeting contacts who actively interact with your communications, you not only improve your engagement metrics but also strengthen your sender reputation and the overall deliverability of your campaigns.

This quality-over-quantity approach allows you to focus your efforts on subscribers most likely to respond positively to your messages, while avoiding unnecessarily contacting inactive leads. The result is a more effective, profitable, and audience-respectful email strategy.

By following the detailed steps in this guide and implementing the advanced strategies proposed, you now have all the tools necessary to transform your email marketing through the power of intelligent segmentation in Klaviyo.

Don't wait any longer to create your engaged subscriber segment and observe the positive impact on all your marketing performance!