Creating Dynamic Recipient Segments for Email Campaigns

What Are Recipient Segments?

Recipient Segments are dynamic groups of contacts you can create and use directly within your email campaigns. Unlike a static contact list, a Segment is built using live filters that check conditions like tags, contact field values, or recent activity. The group of contacts in a Segment updates automatically in real-time based on your criteria, ensuring your campaign is always sent to the most relevant and current audience.

Benefits of Using Segments

Segments allow for highly targeted and automated email marketing. By sending to contacts who meet specific, up-to-the-minute conditions, you can increase engagement and improve campaign performance.

• Dynamic Audiences: Your recipient list refreshes automatically as contact data changes.
• Precise Targeting: Combine multiple filters to reach exactly the right group.
• Time-Saving & Reusable: Create a Segment once and use it across multiple campaigns.
• Improved Deliverability: Easily exclude inactive or unsubscribed contacts to maintain a healthy sender reputation.

How to Build a Segment in an Email Campaign

You create and apply Segments during the setup of an email campaign.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Navigate to Marketing > Emails > Campaigns.
2. Create a new email campaign or click to edit an existing one.
3. In the email builder, click the Send Or Schedule button located at the top right.
4. In the send settings panel, scroll down to the Recipient (To) section.
5. Click the Build Segments button.
6. A builder will open. Here you can add filters using the Add Filter button. You can filter by a wide range of criteria, including Tags, Contact Fields, and pre-built activity segments (like "Contacts Engaged in Last 7 days").
7. Use the Add OR Filter button to create alternative conditions within your Segment logic.
8. Once your filters are set, you can save the Segment for future use or proceed directly to review and send your campaign.

Segments vs. Smart Lists

Your CRM offers two powerful tools for grouping contacts: Smart Lists and Segments. They serve different primary purposes.

• Smart Lists are located in the Contact Manager. They are saved, customizable views of your contacts used for management, analysis, and applying bulk actions. You can manually add contacts to a Smart List via tagging.
• Segments are built and used within the Email Campaign builder. They are designed specifically for dynamically selecting recipients at the moment you send a campaign. Contacts cannot be manually added or removed; inclusion is based solely on the filter logic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reuse a Segment I've created?

Yes. When you save a Segment during campaign setup, it becomes available in the Segment selector for all your future email campaigns.

Do Segments update in real time?

Yes. Segments are dynamic. If a contact's data changes and they no longer meet your filter criteria, they will be automatically removed from the Segment before the next send.

Can I use both AND and OR logic in a Segment?

Yes. The Segment builder allows you to create complex conditions using both types of logic to precisely define your audience.

Can I manually add a specific contact to a Segment?

No. Segments are strictly logic-based. To ensure a contact is included, you must adjust their data (like applying a specific tag) so they match your Segment's filter conditions. For manual grouping, use Tags or a Smart List.

Next Steps and Best Practices

• Reuse and Refine: Leverage your saved Segments across different campaigns to save time and maintain consistency.
• Combine with Automation: Use Workflows to automatically tag contacts when they enter or exit a Segment, or to trigger other automated actions.
• Test and Optimize: Use Segments to run targeted A/B tests within your campaigns, sending different variations to specific audience groups.