Email marketing is the hottest way to build relationships with your avid fans. It’s especially important during the holidays when customers get bombarded with dreadful sales messages. So what can your business do to stand out?

It all starts with email segmentation. By segmenting your email subscribers, you’re creating a personalized experience. It’s an opportunity to send relevant content — like gifts for her or popular holiday items — to each potential buyer.

Email segmentation holds your spot at the cool kids table. Keep reading to learn three ways your brand can use it to stay relevant this holiday season.

1. Sell Excess Inventory to New Shoppers

For online retailers, every dollar counts — and excess inventory becomes costly as it sits in a warehouse collecting dust. But with the help of email segmentation, you can garner newfound attention for your leftover products.

Holiday shoppers scour the internet to find the best gifts for their funny cousins and sweet grandmas. You can make the buying experience easier by delivering recommendations right to their inboxes. And since new shoppers are unfamiliar with your products, you can sell them your excess inventory.

Let’s say you have an overstock of coffee filters. When consumers purchase your coffee makers, you can send an email bundling in multiple filters at a discount price. Customers finish their holiday shopping sooner — and your company takes a few more items off the inventory shelf.

Research also shows that segmented email campaigns earn 100.95% more clicks than non-segmented campaigns. You’ll gain more brand relevancy as email subscribers click to visit your online store.

2. Boost Average Order Value for Customers

For some businesses, holiday shopping brings in the largest revenue for the fiscal year. So it’s no secret that you desire a marketing technique that ensures an uptick in sales.

Andrew Raso, cofounder and director of Online Marketing Gurus, suggests using “customer expense history to determine which customers are likely to buy more expensive items and which are more interested in affordable, low-dollar items.” You can then send targeted emails featuring products slightly above each subscriber’s price range to increase average order value. And if they clicked through to those items, you can include retargeted ads within your email newsletters and across the web to keep those products top of mind.

You could also send emails offering discounts on a minimum purchase amount or cross-selling complementary items in abandoned shopping carts. Providing a free shipping threshold — like on all orders over $65, for example — also entices customers to buy more.

3. Reward Loyal Buyers with Promotions

Everyone deserves a little appreciation, especially your loyal buyers who continue to purchase your products. Celebrate your die-hard advocates and recurring patrons by sending customized holiday email campaigns.

Segmenting your list based on buyer behavior gives your business the flexibility to target who you deem to be a true fan. These behaviors can range from customers who purchased more than three times in a month to buyers who referred at least four people to your brand.

Then it’s up to your team to deliver worthwhile rewards — beyond household trinkets — to honor their loyalty. Reward devoted customers in your brand community with things like free swag bags, tickets to exclusive events, and product discounts. (For example, women’s footwear retailer Aerosoles sent its VIP list a promo code for a week-long sales event.)

4. Extend Reach and Frequency of Your Campaign

Some of your customers may be loyal, but let’s keep it real – are they opening all your emails, all the time? Expect that your customers may be overwhelmed with a lot of advertising and promotions from both your direct and indirect competitors.

Email segments can also be used to extend the reach and frequency of your campaign. Average email open rates are only 15%, but by leveraging people-based marketing, you can find those same customers you’ve sent emails to on Facebook, Google search, YouTube, or in third-party email newsletters. This can increase your reach amongst that segment by 40% or more, depending on the health of your CRM data.

Email segmentation is the key strategy for achieving brand relevancy and boosting your seasonal sales. To learn more about the role email plays during the holiday season, listen to our latest podcast episode here.