Why make life difficult?

Let me ask you something.

When you shop for groceries online… do you search for everything from scratch every single time?

Milk. Bread. Coffee. Pasta. That one snack you insist is “for the kids”.

Of course you don’t.

The first time you order, you wander around the site adding everything one by one. It takes a while, but eventually the basket fills up.

But after a few orders something changes and you stop searching.

Instead you click “Previous Orders” or open a saved list, and suddenly the whole process takes two minutes instead of twenty. The items are already there waiting for you.

No hunting around. No rebuilding the basket.

Just select and go.

Now here’s the funny thing…

When it comes to sending emails in Mailchimp, many people are still doing the digital equivalent of wandering around the supermarket looking for pasta every week.

Every time they send an email, they rebuild the who they send to.

They search tags, apply engagement filters, select groups, and slowly recreate the same segment they used last time.

Then they do it again the next time they send a campaign.

When actually Mailchimp gives you a much easier option.

You can simply create and save the segment in advance.

Build it once. Use it again and again.

We call these Send Segments.

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What Are Send Segments?

First, a quick clarification.

This isn’t a new Mailchimp feature… and there’s no special button labelled “Send Segments”.

What we’re talking about is simply saved segments, something Mailchimp has had for years.

But we give them a clear purpose.

At Chimp Answers we use the term Send Segment to describe segments that exist specifically for sending campaigns regularly.

Not temporary filters or segments created for analysis.

These are pre-built audiences you know you’ll send emails to again and again.

Think of them as your ready-to-go email audiences, all within your main audience.

Build them once… Name them clearly….Use them whenever you send a campaign.

Simple.

But incredibly useful.

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The Segmentation Problem Most People Have

Many Mailchimp users actually do a decent job collecting data.

They add tags, create groups, track where subscribers came from, and monitor engagement with their emails.

All good practice.

But then when it comes time to send a campaign… they ignore all of that and send the same email to everyone… which kinda defeats the whole point of collecting the data.

Segmentation only becomes powerful when you use it.

Send Segments remove the friction. Instead of rebuilding filters every time you send a campaign, the audiences already exist.

And when segmentation is easy to use, you naturally start using it more often.

Which drives to more relevant emails.

And better results.

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Why Send Segments Matter

Creating and using your own Send Segments has some very practical benefits.

First, they save time. Instead of rebuilding audience filters every time you send an email, you simply select a segment that already exists.

Second, they reduce mistakes. Manually recreating segments each time increases the chance of forgetting a rule or including the wrong contacts.

But perhaps most importantly, they encourage better targeting.

When the segments are already there, it’s much easier to choose the most relevant audience for each campaign instead of defaulting to “send to everyone”.

More relevance means more engagement.

And that’s where email marketing starts to work properly.

Now you might be thinking:

“Surely rebuilding the segment each time only takes a minute or two.”

And you’d be right.

But here’s the thing… marketing systems aren’t usually broken because something takes a long time.

They break because lots of small, slightly annoying tasks pile up.

Rebuilding segments… Double-checking filters… Making sure the right tags are included.

None of these take long individually, but together they add friction. And friction is the enemy of consistency.

The easier something is to do, the more likely it is to actually happen (this is a Chimp Answers Motto’s).

Which is why Send Segments work so well.

They remove the little bits of effort that make targeting feel like a chore.

Instead of rebuilding audiences every time you send an email, you just pick the one you need and move on with your day.

Even a moderately lazy chimp can manage that.

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The Secret Sauce: Naming Them Properly

This is where the system really gels.

When creating these segments, you need to use a clear naming convention.

We recommend prefixing them with:

Send Segment – [Description]

For example:
• Send Segment – Active Subscribers
• Send Segment – Customers
• Send Segment – Highly Engaged
• Send Segment – Webinar Leads
• Send Segment – New Subscribers (30 Days)

This makes it instantly obvious which segments are designed for sending campaigns (and which aren’t… we’re big on naming conventions for everything here – just keeps it tidy, obvious and saves you time)

Without a naming convention, your segment list can quickly become cluttered with random filters created months ago and never used again (go look at your account now – I bet you’ve got them!)

But when everything you need to send starts with “Send Segment –” you know it’s intended for sending campaigns, your key audiences stand out straight away.

A small change… but a very helpful one.

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Examples of Useful Send Segments

If you’re not sure where to begin, here are some common examples.

Engagement Segments

Send Segment – Highly Engaged
Send Segment – Opened Last 5 Campaigns
Send Segment – Clicked in Last 30 Days

Customer Segments

Send Segment – Customers
Send Segment – Repeat Customers
Send Segment – High Value Customers

Lead Source Segments

Send Segment – Webinar Attendees
Send Segment – Lead Magnet Downloads
Send Segment – Event Registrations

Lifecycle Segments

Send Segment – New Subscribers (30 Days)
Send Segment – Prospects
Send Segment – Customers

Re-engagement Segments

Send Segment – No Opens 90 Days
Send Segment – Cold Subscribers

If it’s a group of contacts you send to regularly, it probably deserves its own Send Segment.

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How to Create a Send Segment

Creating a Send Segment is pretty straightforward as all you’re doing is using filters to identify the people… and then saving it.

1. Go to your Audience
2. Open the Segments section
3. Click ‘Create Segment’
4. Create your filter to identify the subscribers you want in this segment

These rules might be based on tags, groups, engagement activity, or signup sources—whatever data you already collect in your audience.

Once you’ve created the segment, simply save it and give it a clear name using the Send Segment – prefix.

From that point on, it will always be available when creating campaigns.

Instead of rebuilding the filters each time, you just select the segment and carry on.

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Final Thoughts

Segmentation is one of the biggest advantages email marketing has over other marketing channels.

You can organise your audience, track behaviour, and send emails that are far more relevant than a generic broadcast message.

But that only works if you actually use the data you collect.

Send Segments make that much easier.

They save time, reduce mistakes, and make targeted emailing a natural part of your workflow.

And the best part?

You’re not learning a new feature.

You’re simply using a feature Mailchimp has had all along… in a smarter way.