This is the second in a 4 blog sequence all about Segmentation and making it work in Mailchimp – you can jump to the next blog by clicking here or read the previous one by clicking here.

Let’s get one thing straight: segmentation isn’t just a marketing buzzword. It’s the foundation of relevance. And relevance is what gets your emails opened, read, and clicked—instead of binned.

But here’s the thing most people miss.

It’s not enough to say you’re segmenting.

It’s not enough to want to be relevant.

You’ve actually got to build your system in a way that supports smart segmentation from the get-go. And that starts with two questions:

1. How should I prctically use Mailchimp to segment?

2. Where and how should I collect segmentation info in the first place?

Let’s tackle both—because if you want Mailchimp to do the heavy lifting, this is the bit you can’t afford to fudge.

1. Use Groups (Not Tags) for Segmentation That Sticks

We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Tags are for tracking. Groups are for preferences.

Yes, tags are flexible. Yes, you can add them automatically. But if you want your subscribers to manage their own preferences—which is what smart segmentation is really about—then groups are your best mate.

Groups:

• Appear in your signup forms.

• Can be updated by your subscribers (e.g. via a preference centre).

• Are visible and editable by the user.

• Make it easy to say, “Tell us what you’re interested in,” and actually act on the response.

Tags, on the other hand, are great for stuff like:

• Tracking how someone signed up (e.g. “Lead Magnet – PDF Guide”).

• Marking behavioural triggers (e.g. “Clicked Pricing Page”).

• Internal automations.

But they’re invisible to the subscriber. And if you want to give people control over what they receive (and avoid a GDPR migraine later), groups are the way to go.

2. Capture Segmentation Data at the Point of Entry (Always)

This is the bit so many people get wrong. They say segmentation is important—but then build a signup form with nothing but an email address field.

Here’s the harsh truth:

If your forms don’t ask segmentation questions, your database will never be segmented.

Every entry point into your list—pop-ups, embedded forms, landing pages—should be pulling double duty:

1. Capturing the contact.

2. Capturing at least one segmentation preference.

It doesn’t have to be a massive drop-down or a 10-part quiz. One simple tick-box group field is enough to start.

Think: “What type of emails do you want from us?”

• News & Tips

• Special Offers

• Event Invites

Or:

“Tell us what you’re most interested in…”

• Marketing Strategy

• Email Design

• Automation & Funnels

Or even better – segment based on how you can be relevant to them:

“Describe your situation to us…

• We’ve just started on our journey

• We’ve been doing it for a while, but still have a few questions

• We think we’ve got it sussed, but need help here and there

If you don’t ask this when they sign up, chances are you’ll never get the chance again. Asking someone to segment themselves after they’ve joined? Yeah, good luck with that (we’ll cover this properly in the next blog).

So if you’re building a funnel, launching a lead magnet, or just reviewing your site forms—make sure your segmentation fields are built in from day one.

3. Naming Conventions

One thing that also needs to be covered is the practical stuff of the names you actually use for your groups – because if you are using them to create dynamic content (more on that soon), they need to be named easily.

So, although you want to have a response that’s easy for them to understand (e.g. “we’ve just started on our journey”), ideally you don’t actually want that for the name you use in Mailchimp – which should probably be “beginner”.

The challenge is that if you are using basic Mailchimp forms (such as an embedded or hosted form), the name you pick is what’s shown – and thus not ideal if it’s a bit… convoluted!

This is a big reason to use a specific form tool to capture information… these tools (e.g. Gravity Forms, Jotform) allow you to use names in the form, and then when it’s submiited, they data is moved to Mailchimp and put in the right group.

Just something you need to be aware of when it comes to forms and capturing all types of data.

One More Thing: Be Consistent

Choose your group structure early and stick to it. Don’t change group names every month or build a new group for every lead magnet. Your segmentation structure should be consistent across:

• Signup forms

• Welcome emails

• Preference centres

• Campaign filters

The more consistent you are, the easier it’ll be to use segments effectively—and the less likely you are to end up in Mailchimp spaghetti.

In Summary:

• Use groups if you want subscribers to tell you their preferences.

• Tags are great for behind-the-scenes tracking, not front-facing choices.

• Every form needs to ask a segmentation question.

• If you don’t build segmentation into your capture process, you’ll always be playing catch-up.

Segmentation isn’t hard—but it does require a bit of forethought. And it all starts here.

Next up, we’ll look at what to do with that massive unsegmented list you’ve already got sitting in Mailchimp…

Until then—build smart, ask early, and always segment with purpose.

This is the second in a 4 blog sequence all about Segmentation and making it work in Mailchimp – you can jump to the next blog by clicking here or read the previous one by clicking here.