How to improve targeting with advanced segmentation

Overview

Segments are dynamic groupings of contacts that can be used to target content based on contacts' profile information, preferences, and behavior, which can be used as inclusion or exclusion logic when building audiences for campaigns!

Read on to learn about advanced techniques for segmenting your audience.

Engagement activity

Engagement activity includes contacts' open or click behavior.

Engaged contacts and unengaged contacts need different types of outreach, and Segments are a great way to keep up with your audience's engagement patterns.

Important: Avoid mixing segments with vastly different engagement timeframes (such as combining 3-month and 18-month activity segments) as this creates an overly broad audience that includes less engaged contacts. This can negatively impact your deliverability, as email providers like Gmail filter messages based on engagement metrics and may classify emails to mixed audiences as spam. Keep your segment criteria consistent and focused on similar engagement levels for optimal campaign performance.

See the Engagement & Activity section of Segment Options and Operators for detailed descriptions of each available option.

Engaged contacts

A Segment of recently engaged contacts is vital to your sending cadence and is your first line of defense if you start to experience deliverability hiccups.

Engaged contacts are more likely to open and click your emails which shows inbox providers that your audience is healthy and engaged.

This segment will pull contacts who clicked a link in an email or SMS Campaign, OR opened an email campaign, OR subscribed to your audience in the past X days.

Most merchants will do well with the following segments at 30, 60, and 90 day intervals. If your business runs more seasonally, adjust the timeframe as needed.

1. Activity > Clicked > Recent > 30 > Days, OR

2. Activity > Opened > Recent > 30 > Days, OR

3. Contact Properties > Subscription Date > in the last > 30 > Days

Unengaged contacts

A Segment of unengaged contacts can be used as an exclusion for campaigns during a deliverability hiccup, or part of a careful re-engagement strategy. Unengaged contacts are less likely to open or click your emails which can be detrimental to your sending reputation.

This segment will pull contacts who have not opened an email or clicked a link in an email or SMS in the past X days and have not subscribed to your audience in the past X days. Adjust the timeframe as needed for your business.

1. Activity > Did Not Click > Recent > 30 > Days, OR

2. Activity > Did Not Open > Recent > 30 > Days, OR

3. Contact Properties > Subscription Date > not in the last > 30 > Days

Purchase activity

Contacts' purchase data is segmented by your eCommerce integration.

Contacts who have made purchases (purchasers) may benefit from content inviting them to try new products or giving them information on how to use your products, while contacts who have never purchased (non-purchasers) may benefit from content that includes special promotions or other incentives to make a purchase.

Purchasers - All time

This segment pulls all contacts who have ever completed an order in your eCommerce store.

1. eCommerce integration > Order > Fulfilled (or the order status your store uses to indicate a completed order) > Exists

Purchasers - In the last

This segment pulls contacts who have made a purchase in the last 30 days.

1. eCommerce integration > Order > Fulfilled (or the order status your store uses to indicate a completed order) > Order Date > in the last > 30 > Days

Non-Purchasers - All time

This segment pulls all contacts who have never completed an order in your eCommerce store.

1. eCommerce integration > Order > Fulfilled (or the order status your store uses to indicate a completed order) > Does not exist

Non-Purchasers - In the last

This segment pulls contacts who have not made a purchase in the last X days.

1. eCommerce integration > Order > Fulfilled (or the order status your store uses to indicate a completed order) > Order Date > not in the last > 30 > Days

Custom field data

This segment will pull contacts whose data for your selected custom fields matches the specifications in step four:

1. Create a new segment

2. Select Contact Properties > Custom Fields

3. Select a Custom Field

4. Set your specifications

   1. Is - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data matches your entry exactly

   2. Not - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data does not match your entry exactly

   3. Contains - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data contains the text in your entry

   4. Starts with - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data starts with the text in your entry

   5. Ends with - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data ends with the text in your entry

   6. Greater than - Contacts appear in the segment if the numerical value stored for that custom field is greater than the numerical value in your entry

   7. Less than - Contacts appear in the segment if the numerical value stored for that custom field is less than the numerical value in your entry

   8. In - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data matches a comma separated value in your entry

   9. Not in - Contacts appear in the segment if their custom field data does not match a comma separated value in your entry

   10. In the last - Contacts appear in the segment if the date in their custom field is in the last X days or months specified by your entry

   11. Not in the last - Contacts appear in the segment if the date in their custom field is not in the last X days or months specified by your entry

   12. Before the last - Contacts appear in the segment if the date in their custom field is before the last X days or months specified by your entry

Tag Data

To create a segment using data stored in tags:

1. Create a new Segment

2. Select Contact Properties

3. Select Has Tag or Does Not Have Tag

4. Select a tag from the options dropdown

5. Select a tag from the values dropdown