Introduction
In today’s highly competitive digital landscape, personalization is key to successful marketing campaigns. Segmentation, the practice of dividing your audience into distinct groups based on shared characteristics, allows for more targeted and effective campaigns. This article explores the various ways segments can be used to enhance your marketing efforts, ensuring that your message reaches the right people at the right time.
What Is Segment Management
Audiences are the specific individuals, referred to as users, or accounts, such as companies and organizations, that qualify to be members of a segment. You can create segments to group audiences according to a set of criteria that you define.
About Audience Segments
A segment is a real-time grouping of users or accounts, based on criteria you define using a set of segment categories and rules. With segments, you can add another layer of personalization to your campaigns, and gain deeper insight into your customers. Segments can even include groups you’ve already defined in your CRM, DMP, or marketing automation platform.
Audiences
You can use audiences for analytics and cross-channel campaign targeting. You can export audiences to use the data in other systems. You can also use audience membership, when a user or account joins a segment or leaves a segment, to trigger events in other systems.
The information that the Personalization system collects about your audiences, along with data from your other systems, is accessible through comprehensive, visual profiles—the Unified Customer Profile and the Unified Account Profile.
Segments
Segments are one of the key components of the Personalization system. A segment is a real-time grouping of users, or accounts, based on criteria you define using a set of segment categories and rules.
When a user interacts with one of your channels, the Personalization system identifies the segments they belong to based on real-time session activity. Because segment updates happen in real-time, membership changes occur immediately. You can analyze segment data in the Personalization system, and you can export segment data using the segment exporter or as a .csv file.
How to Work With Segments and Audiences
When a user interacts with one of your channels, the Personalization system identifies the segments they belong to based on real-time session activity. Because segment updates happen in real-time, membership changes occur immediately.
When you combine segments with unlimited historical behavior, user profile details, and situational data (such as location, weather conditions, and source), you can define even more granular user segments. You can also segment your audiences based on email or ad campaigns, and use the results to adjust user experiences accordingly. You can analyze segment data in the Personalization system, and you can export segment data using the segment exporter or as a CSV file.
How To View Existing Segments
You can view existing segments by selecting from the main navigation. If your dataset is configured to support accounts, you also have the option to select .
Example of Using Segments
Suppose you’re a retailer who wants to target shoppers with less than $100 worth of products in their shopping carts to encourage them to add more products. You can create a segment that targets those users, and then configure your campaign to appear only for users in that segment. Because segment updates occur in real-time, shoppers who accumulate more than $100 in their carts during the same visit are no longer members of the segment. So, Marketing Cloud Personalization doesn’t include them in the campaign, and they don’t see the incentive.
Ways to Use Segments in Campaigns
1. Personalize Campaigns
Personalization is crucial for engaging your audience. By targeting specific segments, you can deliver personalized content that resonates with each group. For example, first-time users can be shown an introductory video about your company, while returning users can receive more advanced content. This tailored approach enhances user experience and boosts engagement.
2. Set Goals and Filters
Segments can help you define specific goals for your campaigns. For instance, you can set a goal for first-time users to connect with an advisor after watching an introductory video. Additionally, segments can be used to set global goals, ensuring a cohesive campaign strategy.
3. Filter Statistics
Analyzing campaign performance is easier with segments. By filtering statistics, you can see how different groups respond to your campaigns. This granular view helps in understanding the effectiveness of your strategies and in making data-driven decisions.
4. Analyze Trends and Engagement
Segments allow for detailed trend analysis. You can track the behavior of specific segments, compare data across multiple segments, and gain insights into user engagement. Tools like Segment Compare enable you to see differences in key metrics and behaviors, helping you refine your campaigns.
5. Analyze Member Details
Each segment user has a Unified Customer Profile, providing detailed behavioral data. This information helps in understanding individual user preferences and tailoring your marketing efforts accordingly.
6. Import or Export Segment Membership
Segments can be easily managed by importing or exporting membership data. Synchronize segments with your CRM to integrate all captured data about leads, contacts, or accounts, enhancing your marketing automation processes.
Summary
Effective segmentation can transform your marketing campaigns by ensuring that your content is relevant and engaging for your audience. Whether you’re aiming to personalize experiences, set specific goals, analyze trends, or qualify campaign and experience effectiveness, using segments strategically can significantly enhance your marketing impact. Start leveraging segmentation today to drive better results and build stronger connections with your audience.
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