The Pursuit Of Personalization: How AI Is Empowering Segmentation Strategies

One of AI’s big promises when it comes to revolutionizing marketing is its impact on personalization. 

And as Litmus points out in its State of Email 2025 report, personalization “goes beyond first names.”

In terms of what segmentation strategies are working in their company’s email marketing strategy, more than a quarter (26%) of the marketers surveyed said interest-based segmentation such as preferences and topics of interest was most effective. The next highest segmentations were based on engagement (19%), the lifecycle stage (18%), and then demographics (15%).

(Source: Litmus)

“Segmentation is an accessible way to personalize emails,” the report says, finding that segmentation was the most-effective personalization strategy for marketers, over content tailored to preferences and personalized email subject lines. “Companies with less budget to allocate toward email are most likely to find basic segmentation effective, while companies with more budget report that sophisticated personalization, such as dynamic content, works best for them.”

As for AI’s place in email marketing, it can probably be expected that the largest portion of marketers (25%) found genAI tools to be the most impactful AI use, but 12% pointed to segmenting audiences based on behavior and preferences. Only personalizing email content, analyzing campaign performance, and optimizing send times received a larger percentage.

“70% say that up to half of their email marketing operations will be AI-driven by the end of 2026, while another 18% predict that 50-75% of their email marketing will be AI-driven,” says the report. “Today’s marketing leaders today need to deliver high-performing campaigns that meet rapidly evolving customer expectations — often while strapped for resources. They need tools that automate routine tasks, freeing their teams to innovate and respond swiftly to customer needs in an increasingly complex landscape.”

For more information about how to improve your email deliverability, download A Beginner’s Guide to Email Marketing by Mirabel’s Marketing Manager: