You can think of smart audiences as a group of contacts who meet a set of criteria. Identifying these audiences allows you to intelligently target groups with different messaging or campaigns to resonate with those groups based on what you already know about their behavior and interaction with your brand.
Before you can use smart audiences, you must have purchased Advanced Retail Segmentation (ARS) or the advanced segmentation package. Also, ensure that you have conversion tracking turned on. Follow the steps to do so in Enable Conversion Tracking.
What are the available Smart Audiences?
| Purchase Date | Purchase Count | Click Date | Subscribe Date | Open Date |
Customers - Recent | Within last 60 days | 1 or more | -- | -- | -- |
Customers - Active | Within last 60 days | Minimum of 2 | -- | -- | -- |
Customers - Lapsing | 61 - 120 days ago | 1 or more | -- | -- | -- |
Customers - Winback best | Over 90 days ago | Minimum of 3 | -- | -- | -- |
Customers - One Time | All-time | Exactly 1
| -- | -- | -- |
Customers - Two Time | All-time | Exactly 2 | -- | -- | -- |
Customers w/Growth - Recent | Within last 60 days | 1 or more | Within last 30 days | -- | -- |
Customers w/Growth - Active | Within last 60 days | Minimum of 2 | Within last 30 days | -- | -- |
Customers w/Growth - Lapsing | 61 - 120 days ago | 1 or more | Within last 30 days | -- | -- |
Customers w/Growth - Winback best | Over 90 days ago | Minimum of 3 | Within last 30 days | -- | -- |
Non Customers - Recent | -- | -- | -- | Within last 60 days | -- |
Non Customers - Active | -- | -- | -- | Within last 60 days | Within last 60 days |
Non Customers - Lapsing | -- | -- | 61 - 120 days ago | Within last 60 days | 61 - 120 days ago |
Non Customers - Prospect | -- | -- | -- | Any | -- |
Non Customers - Engaged | -- | -- | Within last 30 days | -- | -- |
Non Customers - w/Growth - Recent | -- | -- | Within last 30 days | Within last 60 days | -- |
Non Customers - w/Growth - Active | -- | -- | Within last 30 days | Within last 60 days | Within last 60 days |
Non Customers - w/Growth - Lapsing | -- | -- | Within last 30 days | 61 - 120 days ago | -- |
CUSTOMERS
Recent Customers: has made a purchase in the last 60 days
Active Customers: purchased two or more times, last purchase was in the last 60 days
Lapsing Customers: last order was between 61-120 days ago
Winback Best Customers: purchased at least three times, last order was more than 90 days ago
One-Time Customers: has made a single purchase
Two-Time Customers: has made two purchases
Customers with Growth Potential (Recent): has made a purchase in the last 60 days and clicked in the last 30 days
Customers with Growth Potential (Active): purchased at least three times, last order was in the last 60 days, and clicked in the last 30 days
Customers with Growth Potential (Lapsing): last order was between 61-120 days ago and clicked in the last 30 days
Customers with Growth Potential (Winback best): purchased at least three times, last order more than 90 days ago, and clicked in the last 30 days
NON-CUSTOMERS
Recent Non-Customer: subscribed in the last 60 days and has never purchased
Active Non-Customer: opened or subscribed in the last 60 days and has never purchased
Lapsing Non-Customer: hasn't opened or clicked in 61-120 days, subscribed more than 60 days ago, and has never purchased
Prospect Non-Customer: any contact, never purchased
Engaged Non-Customer: never purchased, has clicked in the last 30 days
Non-Customer with Growth Potential (Recent): subscribed in the last 60 days, has never purchased, and has clicked in the last 30 days
Non-Customer with Growth Potential (Active): opened or subscribed in the last 60 days, has never purchased, and has clicked in the last 30 days
Non-Customer with Growth Potential (Lapsing): subscribed between 61-120 days ago, has never purchased, and has clicked in the last 30 days
Review and Customize Audiences
Navigate to Contacts > Email Contacts Audiences.
View or Customize the settings in the smart audiences to suit your individual business needs by clicking on the underlined Audience Name.
Click Save Defaults.
Strategy examples
1. Active Subscribers / Never Purchased.
What should you do with this group? Simply put: convert them to buyers. Many retailers are disappointed when they look at their total list size and compare that to the number of actual customers on the list. We have identified two audiences of active subscribers with a high probability of conversion-- given the right strategy. This group has received your Welcome Series and potentially received an offer through that campaign. Obviously, that wasn’t enough to get the conversion at that time, so we have to get creative.
💡 Strategy Tip: Test out offers that you don't typically present to your marketing list (gift with purchase, lower free shipping thresholds), test subject lines that call out their behavior “Today’s the Day! and if you have the option- utilize personalization to tailor the products included in the email to match their preferences and aid in new product discovery.
2. One-Time Buyers
This group has potential to become multi-buyers and eventually loyal customers. This group purchases once and only once, but if you convert even just a small percentage of them into multi-buyers, they are exponentially more likely to continue to make additional purchases in the future.
💡 Strategy Tip: Deliver clear content to this group describing the value of continuing to purchase from your brand. Test subject lines that include some of the unique values your brand offers or brings a spotlight to your loyalty program to encourage additional purchases. Use personalization to key off of their recent browsing behavior and recommend similar products. Consider including an incentive with a sense of urgency expiration message. Bottom line: Earn trust and create a sense of immediate value for this group.
3. Lapsed "Best" Customers
You know this group represented a significant portion of revenue at one time, so they are worth the time invested in a targeted campaign to win back their loyalty-- and purchases. Your goal here is to keep these customers loyal to you as a retailer and prevent them from becoming a lapsed buyer.
💡 Strategy Tip: It’s important to express your gratitude to this group through subject lines and content. Give them offers that make them feel special, if you can provide early access to a sale or some other version of exclusivity-do it! Support their experience with personalized content that ties to their previous purchases, like how-to’s, recipes or style guides. Facilitate a conversation between this group of individuals on social media- these are your advocates and it will make them feel good to know there are like minded individuals just like them out there. Use personalization to serve up the perfect products to fit their specific style.
4. Lapsing/At-Risk Subscribers and Purchasers
Because this may represent a large number of shoppers, this group still represents huge growth opportunity. There is a small window of opportunity when it comes to recapturing consumer attention to a level where additional conversions take place.
💡 Strategy Tip: This group of customers deserves a series of emails that monitor how they respond to each message. If they do purchase, remove them from the conversation altogether. If they open or click without the conversion, alter the subject line in the following messages to indicate you’re paying attention. “Didn’t I just see you!” or “We meet again!” Use personalization and merchandising tactics to peak their attention-- things like new arrivals in their preferred brand or top rate products that match their shopping preferences. If you have room to do it, incentivize this group with a special offer that you repeat in every message throughout the series.