A few days back we snuck out the release of the brand new segments functionality in MailBuild. This new feature makes it easy for your clients to send much more targeted emails to their subscribers.

Segments work by building rules around the types of subscribers you'd like to target. These rules are based around the data you store on each subscriber, such as email address, interests, amount spent, etc and also campaign activity, such as opening a past campaign. For example, if you have the data, it's easy to create a segment of all your female customers in Chicago who clicked the link to your online store in the last newsletter you sent.

Your segments can be as simple or as complex as you like, and they're a breeze for you and your clients to build with our step-by-step wizard. Once you or your clients create a segment, it will be available in the Define Recipients screen when sending your next newsletter. Here's a quick overview of the process.

1. Head into your list and click "Manage Segments"

Click on the Manage Subscribers tab, then select the list you'd like to create a segment for. Next, click the Manage segments link under List Options.

2. Click to create a new segment

Click on the Create a new segment link on the right hand side.

3. Name the segment

Give the segment a recognizable name that describes the types of subscribers it will include.

4. Create your first rule

Create your first rule by selecting the type of rule you want to create and click the Create Rule button. If you have created custom fields for this list, or have previously sent a campaign to it, you will be able to create rules based on these elements too.

5. Add the rest of your rules for the segment

Based on the type of rule you create, you'll be presented with different options, such as greater than, equals, is provided and contains. If you've already sent a campaign to this list, you'll also have options based on past campaign behaviour, such as opening a recent newsletter or clicking a certain link.

6. Send targeted emails just to that segment

Once you save your segment, it will be available in Step 3 of the Create/Send process. Just like sending to a complete subscriber list, you can select the checkbox next to your segment, and send the campaign just to those subscribers that meet the criteria you set for that segment.

Enjoy! If you have any feedback or suggestions on how we can continue to improve the segments functionality, we'd love to hear it.