Creating segments

How to create meaningful customer segments

Segments are your way to search for customers and cluster them into meaningful groups for insights and targeting.

Let's explore the process of building segments using our Segment Builder.

What is a segment?

A segment is a group of customers defined by some search criteria. Customers can exist in multiple segments depending on their current attribute values. A customer can enter or leave a segment if their attribute values change. This means that your segments are dynamic and live. Segments are defined in the Segment Builder and use attributes as the building blocks. Attributes in your segments can be derived from CRM, ecommerce, email engagement sources, and more.

An example of a segment could be Recent, High-Value Customers. The attributes that make up this customer segment could be anyone who has made an online purchase in the last 6 months and has spent over $100.

What types of attributes can I use?

Lexer attribute types vary and are used differently depending on your use case. In some instances, you’ll want to find all profiles within a certain range of values, others you might want to choose from a specific category. Whatever you’re searching for, there’s an attribute tailored to your needs. To find out more about your attributes, and how to use them, check out our guide on Attributes.

How to build a segment

Building a segment begins in the Attribute Picker, which is your tool for searching the hundreds of attributes you have loaded in your CDP. Once you have found your attribute, click it to add it to your Segment Builder. You can modify your query by placing the attribute into one of three areas:

Once you’ve compiled your segment, hit the Search button and review the attribute aggregations and profiles that have returned. Once you’re happy with your results, click Save as New Segment.

You'll need to provide the following information for your segment before you can save it:

• Name: The display name for your segment in Lexer. We recommend naming your segments after the marketing strategy you're trying to target.
• Category: Keep your segments organized into categories.
• Description: Add a brief description for your colleagues. Make sure the description is meaningful so anyone looking at it will understand what the segment is.
• Color: Coordinate your segments with color.
• Groups: Choose who in your team can access this segment.

Selecting a segment by default will add it to your search every time you open the Segment Builder, and is applied for everyone in your team.

Segments must also belong to at least one group in your team. This allows you to control access to this segment.

Once you save your segment, you can now search for it in the Attribute Picker, and it will appear in the Saved Segments list.

Updating a segment

If you need to update a segment, then the process is simple.

1. Select the segment you wish to update from the Saved Segments tab and add it to the Segment Builder.
2. Then hover over the segment and click the Edit Segment icon.

3. Add your updates to the existing segment.
4. Then click Save Changes, and you're done!

Deleting a segment

If you wish to delete a segment, then the process is as follows:

1. Select the segment you wish to delete from the Saved Segments tab and add it to the Segment Builder.
2. Then hover over the segment and click the Show Segment Details icon.

3. Navigate to the Details tab.
4. Scroll down and then select Delete.

Use cases

The idea of the search structure in the Segment Builder is to create a tiered search. Generally, you’ll have at least one attribute in the Must Have field, and all profiles must have this value. The fields below (Should Have and Not Have) will then create OR queries that will append to or suppress attributes or segments from the profiles pulled in through the Must Have field.

We’ll take you through a few scenarios here to show you how this structure would apply when constructing a query to hone in on your target audience.

1. Active customers who have made a purchase in the last 6 months

• Must have: Customer Record, Last order: date = last 6 months
• Should have: n/a
• Not have: n/a

2. Profiles that have created an account but never made a purchase

• Must have: Customer Record (finds all customers)
• Should have: n/a
• Not have: Orders (excludes anyone with an order value)

3. Profiles who are not customers, have added products to their cart, but did not check out

• Must have: Products Placed in Cart (Lexer Tag)
• Should have: n/a
• Not have: Customer Record (excludes all customers)

Putting your segments to work

Segments are then used to define audiences in Lexer Activate, allowing you to target customers who match a particular segment criteria in marketing and advertising platforms.

But, next steps? Log into your Hub and start building your own segments! If you have any questions, please reach out to your Success Manager, or Lexer Support.