When you buy solo ads, you get one thing in abundance: cold leads.
Some will open your emails.
Some will click your links.
Most will need warming up before they ever buy anything.
If you keep blasting the same message to everyone, two things happen:
- Deliverability drops (more emails in spam)
- Click-through rates tank
The solution?
Segmentation. Sending smarter emails to the right people based on their actions.
Why Segmentation Matters for Solo Ad Traffic
Unlike warm organic leads, solo ad traffic usually comes in cold. That means:
- They don’t know you yet
- They’re often on multiple lists
- They’re used to seeing similar affiliate offers
If you send every email to every subscriber, you:
- Waste clicks on unresponsive leads
- Risk higher spam complaints
- Hurt your sender reputation
Segmentation lets you focus on the ones who are paying attention, while still nurturing the rest.
Start With the Data You Have
If you’re promoting affiliate offers, you probably don’t have the buyer list (unless you control the sales page). But you do have valuable engagement data.
Segment #1: Openers
- These are subscribers who opened at least 1 email in the past X days
- They recognize your name in the inbox
Segment #2: Clickers
- Leads who clicked a link in your emails
- They’ve shown interest in your offers
📌 Example in AWeber:
- Create a segment for “Opened any email in the last 30 days”
- Create another for “Clicked any link in the last 30 days”
- Send most broadcasts to clickers + openers only
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t delete inactive leads too quickly—warm them up with re-engagement campaigns before deciding to remove them.
Creating Your Own “Buyer” Segment (Even as an Affiliate)
If you’re promoting someone else’s product, you can still build a buyer segment with the right setup.
1. Bonus Delivery Page Opt-Ins
Instead of linking directly to the affiliate download page, send buyers to your own page to claim a bonus. They opt in again—this time as confirmed buyers.
2. OptinDojo Event Manager Hack
OptinDojo lets you track affiliate conversions and tag those leads inside your autoresponder.
3. Low-Ticket Pre-Offers
Offer a $1–$5 product before sending them to the affiliate main offer. You collect the buyer data yourself.
Sending Smarter Broadcasts
Here’s where segmentation really pays off.
When you send broadcasts:
- Target clickers + openers for high engagement
- Exclude unengaged leads to protect your sender score
- Avoid “spray and pray” sends that drag down results
💡 Extra Unsubscribe Tip:
At the top of your follow-up sequence, add an extra unsubscribe link for people who don’t want your content. This reduces spam complaints dramatically.
👉 If you haven’t yet set up your follow-up sequence properly, check out my step-by-step guide here:
OptinWizard Email List Setup Guide — covers building a 10–12 email sequence that warms up cold leads and sets you up for better segmentation later.
Why This Works
When you send to people who’ve already opened or clicked:
- They’re more likely to engage again
- They may remember you from previous emails
- Your open and click rates go up, which improves deliverability
Next Steps
Segmentation is just one piece of making solo ad traffic work long-term.
If you haven’t yet set up your funnel the right way, start here:
👉 Your First Email List: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
And if you want a complete system to track engagement and tag buyers, grab OptinDojo:
👉 Master Your Email Campaigns with OptinDojo
Have questions or feedback? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
👉 Read the post that came before this: How to Monetize Your Solo Ad List with Low-Ticket Offers and Deep Funnels
👉 Get leads delivered to you: See my Solo Ads offer
Catch you in the next post!