Learn from your peers | Advanced Segmentation Audits: Ensuring Precision and Performance in Marketo Engage

[achiu]

Last updated: November 25, 2024

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Hi Marketo Engage Community,

How do you know whether your marketing campaigns resonate with the right audience? If you can't answer this with confidence, it's time to audit your segmentation to ensure your marketing efforts are on target.

Please join me and @Darshil_Shah1 on-demand to understand the importance of segment audits and learn best practices for maintaining Segmentation performance. We will discuss strategies and tips for keeping your segmentation aligned with customer behaviors, data updates, and business changes.

Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about: 

• Understanding and reviewing Segmentation is essential to staying aligned with customer behaviors and avoiding common pitfalls like over-segmentation, stale segments, and misaligned rules. 

• Editing and updating Segmentations with best practices to maintain an efficient, compliant, and high-performing segmentation strategy. 

• Monitoring and enhancing performance through campaign reports to ensure your marketing efforts are always on target. 

Webinar Details

• Duration: 30 minutes live presentation + 15 minutes Q&A 

• Experience Level: Advanced (>3 months of experience using Marketo Engage) 
• Roles: Administrators, Marketing Technology, Marketing Operations, Campaign Operations 

Watch on-demand

Download the slides

We've also worked with @Darshil_Shah1 and Adobe Markeo Engage Product Managers to provide feedback on the questions left by the live webinar attendees. Read on to get your answers and post more questions for peer discussions!  

#	QA Text	Responses
1	Dashil - if you have larger databases (10Mil contacts), will performance be impacted if we edit the Segmentation?	Yes, editing Segmentations in large databases can impact performance as Marketo Engage will need to reprocess the entire Segmentation. To minimize the impact, consider the following things: 1. Schedule Segmentation updates during off-peak hours. 2. Avoid frequent edits unless absolutely necessary. 3. Optimize your Segmentation criteria (e.g., remove unnecessary filters from the Segmentation)
2	What's the best way to ensure the Default Segment is not the largest?	1. Regularly audit and refine your Segment definitions to ensure contacts are categorized into more meaningful Segments. 2. Prioritize specific, clearly defined rules for non-default Segments so fewer contacts fall into the default Segment. 3. Use a "catch-all" category only when it truly represents an edge case or undefined group.
3	We used to have inferred country in our Segments, but I feel that is useless now since hybrid work is common.  Is it ever good to use inferred anything?	Darshil answered this live but here's a recap in writing: Inferred data has become less reliable with the rise of hybrid work and VPN usage. However, it can still be useful in these scenarios: 1. Geo-targeting for specific campaigns where inferred location accuracy is less critical. 2. Supplementing incomplete or missing data fields when combined with other validation. Also, if you aren't collecting Country/Region on your form fills, then please do so. This will help you segment based on the actual Country values supplied by people instead of relying on the Inferred Country values.
4	What are the top examples of Segmentations that you recommend using?	1. Geographic Segments: Region or country (if data is verified). 2. Demographic Segments: Industry, job title, or seniority. 3. Lifecycle Stages: Leads vs. customers vs. churned accounts. 4. Language Preferences: Based on mailing language or web preferences. This can be created based on the Country's values, too. 5. Level of Interest: Likelihood to purchase or engage (engagement-based Segmentation) 6. Persona-based Segmentation (if you have your persona defined).
5	What if we have multiple fields in our Segments and some fields are in conflict? i.e. Language segment: segment is looking for more than 3 fields in our case. What if somebody is having mailing language as English, web language as Spanish and spoken language as Swedish; and the segment is looking for all different fields with the "Any" function. Will this person be included in English, Swedish or Spanish?	If conflicting fields (e.g., mailing language as English, web language as Spanish, spoken language as Swedish) are used with "Any" logic, the person can fall into multiple Segments. Marketo Engage will typically resolve conflicts based on the Order of the Segments (i.e., A person will qualify for the first matching segment in the order defined). Check out this Experience League documentation for specifics: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/personalization/segmentation-a... Use "Most Used" or "Primary" fields in Segments to avoid conflicts.
6	In your opinion Darshil, what are the most useful Segments you have created?	Purchase Readiness Segments: Based on behavioral intent signals. Industry-Specific Segments: Tailored messaging for different verticals. Event Engagement Segments: Tracking attendees, no-shows, and repeat participants. Language Segments: To personalize the language in emails and landing pages based on their preferred language (or Country)
7	If you unapprove the obsolete Segments, what happens to Dynamic Content related usage?	If a Segmentation is unapproved, Dynamic content reliant on that Segmentation defaults to the default content. Darshil recommends reviewing all assets using the Segmentation before unapproving it. Update rules or move them to a new Segmentation if necessary.
8	Please confirm: Max 20 segments per Instance and max. 100 values per Segment.	Yes, that's correct. Ensuring efficient use of Segmentations to stay within these limits by: Consolidating segments when possible. While you can create up to 100 segments using standard fields, using other types of filters can increase the complexity, and your Segmentation might fail to be approved. Some examples are Custom Fields, Member of List, Lead Owner Fields, and Revenue Stages.
9	What would be some great examples for Segmentation?	Same recommendations as row #5.
10	When updating the content for each Segment within an email, do all of the Segments need to be updated with specific content, or will the Sefault content be used?	If specific content isn't added to all Segments, they will display the default content. It’s best to always double-check and test each Segment for personalized content and thoughtfully use default content as a fallback.
11	Is it possible to set Segmentations up so that a record can be associated with more than one Segment? For example, a specific type of service as well as a country?	No, a record can only belong to one Segment within a single Segmentation. For overlapping criteria, use separate Segments (e.g., one for the service type and one for the country). Use Smart Lists for more flexible multi-dimensional grouping.
12	I have heard about a leveler Segment (splitting up your database into Segments based on engagement—e.g., most likely to engage, unengaged, not likely to engage). Do you have any opinions on this Segment?	Absolutely. Engagement level Segments (e.g., "Most Likely to Engage," "Unengaged") help: 1. Prioritize outreach to high-potential contacts. 2. Design re-engagement campaigns for the unengaged. 3. Tailor messaging based on the conversion likelihood. Be cognizant of the engagement measures you're using in your Segmentations. High-velocity activities like email sends/opens/web visits are purged from the Database on a rolling 90-day period. I wouldn't create Segmentations based on metrics that could be influenced by non-human agents like bots, privacy scanners, etc. (e.g., email opens, email clicks, etc.)
13	For example, if we're using Region and will not be sent to all of the Regions, will this break or cause any problems with the email deployment and/or default to the default content, thanks	No, skipping regions won’t break the deployment. If a Segment isn't included, contacts in that Segment will receive the default content.
14	Is there an easy way to unapprove Segmentation when it's used by emails?	No, unapproving a Segmentation will flag dependent assets (emails, landing pages) as invalid. Always do: 1. Audit asset dependencies before unapproving. 2. Plan a transition strategy beforehand to avoid any technical surprises (e.g., Marketo Engage does not allow you to do it) or, even worse, risk sending the dynamic content you don't know/aren't sure of post unapproving Segmentations.
15	Do Segmentations integrate with CJA?	The Marketo Engage Product team confirmed that there is no integration between Marketo Engage and CJA or the Adobe Experience Platform Segmentation service. The Marketo Engage Source Connector pulls data from Marketo Engage into CDP. Once your Marketo Engage data is in CDP, you could report on it using CJA.
16	Is nested "if" statements a good way to build Segments?	You can't use the Member of Smart list filter in Segments; however, by nesting, you mean relying on the order of the Segments for Segment membership, then I'd be cautious and double-check the criteria as they could be confusing and difficult to update/maintain over the period as your data in your Database changes.
17	If we need a pretty targeted audience, would it be better to use a complicated Segment or a Smart List? Which is better in terms of system load and avoiding the campaign execution delay?	To keep it simple, for targeted audiences: 1. Use Smart Lists for ad-hoc queries to avoid Segmentation delays. 2. Use Segments for repeat use cases or where dynamic content is applied.
18	Do archived Segmentations count against the Segmentation limit?	Segmentations, once unapproved, don't count towards the limit. So you can un-approve and archive the obsolete Segmentations.
19	What kind of documentation do you find most helpful for Segmentations?	Darshil recommends creating the following documentation: 1. Clear naming conventions for Segmentation and Segments. This could also be part of the Marketo Engage standard naming convention document. 2. Description of use cases for each Segmentation. 3. Mapping of dependencies (emails, landing pages, etc.), including velocity references, if any.
20	Do you find it difficult to transition from using Smart Lists for everything to using Segmentations? I want to transition my team from using Smart Lists for everything to Segmentations.	The transition can be challenging but is manageable by: 1. Starting with frequently used Smart Lists that match Segmentation criteria. 2. Gradually replacing repetitive Smart Lists with permanent Segments. 3. Providing training and clear documentation for team adoption. Creating, testing, managing, and approving Segmentations is a bit more complex than Smart Lists, but for the right use cases and the advantage they have over Smart Lists, it's definitely worth it (e.g., Segmentations support dynamic content in emails and landing pages, you can use Segment membership in Velocity Script, Segment change activities are logged in the Activity Log, etc.). Refer to the webinar presentation for the key differences between Smart Lists and Segmentation.

[achiu]

How do you know whether your marketing campaigns resonate with the right audience? If you can't answer this with confidence, it's time to audit your segmentation to ensure your marketing efforts are on target.

Please join me and @Darshil_Shah1 on-demand to understand the importance of segment audits and learn best practices for maintaining Segmentation performance. We will discuss strategies and tips for keeping your segmentation aligned with customer behaviors, data updates, and business changes.

Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about: 

• Understanding and reviewing Segmentation is essential to staying aligned with customer behaviors and avoiding common pitfalls like over-segmentation, stale segments, and misaligned rules. 

• Editing and updating Segmentations with best practices to maintain an efficient, compliant, and high-performing segmentation strategy. 

• Monitoring and enhancing performance through campaign reports to ensure your marketing efforts are always on target. 

Webinar Details

• Duration: 30 minutes live presentation + 15 minutes Q&A 

• Experience Level: Advanced (>3 months of experience using Marketo Engage) 
• Roles: Administrators, Marketing Technology, Marketing Operations, Campaign Operations 

Watch on-demand

Download the slides

We've also worked with @Darshil_Shah1 and Adobe Markeo Engage Product Managers to provide feedback on the questions left by the live webinar attendees. Read on to get your answers and post more questions for peer discussions!  

#	QA Text	Responses
1	Dashil - if you have larger databases (10Mil contacts), will performance be impacted if we edit the Segmentation?	Yes, editing Segmentations in large databases can impact performance as Marketo Engage will need to reprocess the entire Segmentation. To minimize the impact, consider the following things: 1. Schedule Segmentation updates during off-peak hours. 2. Avoid frequent edits unless absolutely necessary. 3. Optimize your Segmentation criteria (e.g., remove unnecessary filters from the Segmentation)
2	What's the best way to ensure the Default Segment is not the largest?	1. Regularly audit and refine your Segment definitions to ensure contacts are categorized into more meaningful Segments. 2. Prioritize specific, clearly defined rules for non-default Segments so fewer contacts fall into the default Segment. 3. Use a "catch-all" category only when it truly represents an edge case or undefined group.
3	We used to have inferred country in our Segments, but I feel that is useless now since hybrid work is common.  Is it ever good to use inferred anything?	Darshil answered this live but here's a recap in writing: Inferred data has become less reliable with the rise of hybrid work and VPN usage. However, it can still be useful in these scenarios: 1. Geo-targeting for specific campaigns where inferred location accuracy is less critical. 2. Supplementing incomplete or missing data fields when combined with other validation. Also, if you aren't collecting Country/Region on your form fills, then please do so. This will help you segment based on the actual Country values supplied by people instead of relying on the Inferred Country values.
4	What are the top examples of Segmentations that you recommend using?	1. Geographic Segments: Region or country (if data is verified). 2. Demographic Segments: Industry, job title, or seniority. 3. Lifecycle Stages: Leads vs. customers vs. churned accounts. 4. Language Preferences: Based on mailing language or web preferences. This can be created based on the Country's values, too. 5. Level of Interest: Likelihood to purchase or engage (engagement-based Segmentation) 6. Persona-based Segmentation (if you have your persona defined).
5	What if we have multiple fields in our Segments and some fields are in conflict? i.e. Language segment: segment is looking for more than 3 fields in our case. What if somebody is having mailing language as English, web language as Spanish and spoken language as Swedish; and the segment is looking for all different fields with the "Any" function. Will this person be included in English, Swedish or Spanish?	If conflicting fields (e.g., mailing language as English, web language as Spanish, spoken language as Swedish) are used with "Any" logic, the person can fall into multiple Segments. Marketo Engage will typically resolve conflicts based on the Order of the Segments (i.e., A person will qualify for the first matching segment in the order defined). Check out this Experience League documentation for specifics: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/personalization/segmentation-a... Use "Most Used" or "Primary" fields in Segments to avoid conflicts.
6	In your opinion Darshil, what are the most useful Segments you have created?	Purchase Readiness Segments: Based on behavioral intent signals. Industry-Specific Segments: Tailored messaging for different verticals. Event Engagement Segments: Tracking attendees, no-shows, and repeat participants. Language Segments: To personalize the language in emails and landing pages based on their preferred language (or Country)
7	If you unapprove the obsolete Segments, what happens to Dynamic Content related usage?	If a Segmentation is unapproved, Dynamic content reliant on that Segmentation defaults to the default content. Darshil recommends reviewing all assets using the Segmentation before unapproving it. Update rules or move them to a new Segmentation if necessary.
8	Please confirm: Max 20 segments per Instance and max. 100 values per Segment.	Yes, that's correct. Ensuring efficient use of Segmentations to stay within these limits by: Consolidating segments when possible. While you can create up to 100 segments using standard fields, using other types of filters can increase the complexity, and your Segmentation might fail to be approved. Some examples are Custom Fields, Member of List, Lead Owner Fields, and Revenue Stages.
9	What would be some great examples for Segmentation?	Same recommendations as row #5.
10	When updating the content for each Segment within an email, do all of the Segments need to be updated with specific content, or will the Sefault content be used?	If specific content isn't added to all Segments, they will display the default content. It’s best to always double-check and test each Segment for personalized content and thoughtfully use default content as a fallback.
11	Is it possible to set Segmentations up so that a record can be associated with more than one Segment? For example, a specific type of service as well as a country?	No, a record can only belong to one Segment within a single Segmentation. For overlapping criteria, use separate Segments (e.g., one for the service type and one for the country). Use Smart Lists for more flexible multi-dimensional grouping.
12	I have heard about a leveler Segment (splitting up your database into Segments based on engagement—e.g., most likely to engage, unengaged, not likely to engage). Do you have any opinions on this Segment?	Absolutely. Engagement level Segments (e.g., "Most Likely to Engage," "Unengaged") help: 1. Prioritize outreach to high-potential contacts. 2. Design re-engagement campaigns for the unengaged. 3. Tailor messaging based on the conversion likelihood. Be cognizant of the engagement measures you're using in your Segmentations. High-velocity activities like email sends/opens/web visits are purged from the Database on a rolling 90-day period. I wouldn't create Segmentations based on metrics that could be influenced by non-human agents like bots, privacy scanners, etc. (e.g., email opens, email clicks, etc.)
13	For example, if we're using Region and will not be sent to all of the Regions, will this break or cause any problems with the email deployment and/or default to the default content, thanks	No, skipping regions won’t break the deployment. If a Segment isn't included, contacts in that Segment will receive the default content.
14	Is there an easy way to unapprove Segmentation when it's used by emails?	No, unapproving a Segmentation will flag dependent assets (emails, landing pages) as invalid. Always do: 1. Audit asset dependencies before unapproving. 2. Plan a transition strategy beforehand to avoid any technical surprises (e.g., Marketo Engage does not allow you to do it) or, even worse, risk sending the dynamic content you don't know/aren't sure of post unapproving Segmentations.
15	Do Segmentations integrate with CJA?	The Marketo Engage Product team confirmed that there is no integration between Marketo Engage and CJA or the Adobe Experience Platform Segmentation service. The Marketo Engage Source Connector pulls data from Marketo Engage into CDP. Once your Marketo Engage data is in CDP, you could report on it using CJA.
16	Is nested "if" statements a good way to build Segments?	You can't use the Member of Smart list filter in Segments; however, by nesting, you mean relying on the order of the Segments for Segment membership, then I'd be cautious and double-check the criteria as they could be confusing and difficult to update/maintain over the period as your data in your Database changes.
17	If we need a pretty targeted audience, would it be better to use a complicated Segment or a Smart List? Which is better in terms of system load and avoiding the campaign execution delay?	To keep it simple, for targeted audiences: 1. Use Smart Lists for ad-hoc queries to avoid Segmentation delays. 2. Use Segments for repeat use cases or where dynamic content is applied.
18	Do archived Segmentations count against the Segmentation limit?	Segmentations, once unapproved, don't count towards the limit. So you can un-approve and archive the obsolete Segmentations.
19	What kind of documentation do you find most helpful for Segmentations?	Darshil recommends creating the following documentation: 1. Clear naming conventions for Segmentation and Segments. This could also be part of the Marketo Engage standard naming convention document. 2. Description of use cases for each Segmentation. 3. Mapping of dependencies (emails, landing pages, etc.), including velocity references, if any.
20	Do you find it difficult to transition from using Smart Lists for everything to using Segmentations? I want to transition my team from using Smart Lists for everything to Segmentations.	The transition can be challenging but is manageable by: 1. Starting with frequently used Smart Lists that match Segmentation criteria. 2. Gradually replacing repetitive Smart Lists with permanent Segments. 3. Providing training and clear documentation for team adoption. Creating, testing, managing, and approving Segmentations is a bit more complex than Smart Lists, but for the right use cases and the advantage they have over Smart Lists, it's definitely worth it (e.g., Segmentations support dynamic content in emails and landing pages, you can use Segment membership in Velocity Script, Segment change activities are logged in the Activity Log, etc.). Refer to the webinar presentation for the key differences between Smart Lists and Segmentation.

[achiu]

How do you know whether your marketing campaigns resonate with the right audience? If you can't answer this with confidence, it's time to audit your segmentation to ensure your marketing efforts are on target.

Please join me and @Darshil_Shah1 on-demand to understand the importance of segment audits and learn best practices for maintaining Segmentation performance. We will discuss strategies and tips for keeping your segmentation aligned with customer behaviors, data updates, and business changes.

Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about: 

• Understanding and reviewing Segmentation is essential to staying aligned with customer behaviors and avoiding common pitfalls like over-segmentation, stale segments, and misaligned rules. 

• Editing and updating Segmentations with best practices to maintain an efficient, compliant, and high-performing segmentation strategy. 

• Monitoring and enhancing performance through campaign reports to ensure your marketing efforts are always on target. 

Webinar Details

• Duration: 30 minutes live presentation + 15 minutes Q&A 

• Experience Level: Advanced (>3 months of experience using Marketo Engage) 
• Roles: Administrators, Marketing Technology, Marketing Operations, Campaign Operations 

Watch on-demand

Download the slides

We've also worked with @Darshil_Shah1 and Adobe Markeo Engage Product Managers to provide feedback on the questions left by the live webinar attendees. Read on to get your answers and post more questions for peer discussions!  

#	QA Text	Responses
1	Dashil - if you have larger databases (10Mil contacts), will performance be impacted if we edit the Segmentation?	Yes, editing Segmentations in large databases can impact performance as Marketo Engage will need to reprocess the entire Segmentation. To minimize the impact, consider the following things: 1. Schedule Segmentation updates during off-peak hours. 2. Avoid frequent edits unless absolutely necessary. 3. Optimize your Segmentation criteria (e.g., remove unnecessary filters from the Segmentation)
2	What's the best way to ensure the Default Segment is not the largest?	1. Regularly audit and refine your Segment definitions to ensure contacts are categorized into more meaningful Segments. 2. Prioritize specific, clearly defined rules for non-default Segments so fewer contacts fall into the default Segment. 3. Use a "catch-all" category only when it truly represents an edge case or undefined group.
3	We used to have inferred country in our Segments, but I feel that is useless now since hybrid work is common.  Is it ever good to use inferred anything?	Darshil answered this live but here's a recap in writing: Inferred data has become less reliable with the rise of hybrid work and VPN usage. However, it can still be useful in these scenarios: 1. Geo-targeting for specific campaigns where inferred location accuracy is less critical. 2. Supplementing incomplete or missing data fields when combined with other validation. Also, if you aren't collecting Country/Region on your form fills, then please do so. This will help you segment based on the actual Country values supplied by people instead of relying on the Inferred Country values.
4	What are the top examples of Segmentations that you recommend using?	1. Geographic Segments: Region or country (if data is verified). 2. Demographic Segments: Industry, job title, or seniority. 3. Lifecycle Stages: Leads vs. customers vs. churned accounts. 4. Language Preferences: Based on mailing language or web preferences. This can be created based on the Country's values, too. 5. Level of Interest: Likelihood to purchase or engage (engagement-based Segmentation) 6. Persona-based Segmentation (if you have your persona defined).
5	What if we have multiple fields in our Segments and some fields are in conflict? i.e. Language segment: segment is looking for more than 3 fields in our case. What if somebody is having mailing language as English, web language as Spanish and spoken language as Swedish; and the segment is looking for all different fields with the "Any" function. Will this person be included in English, Swedish or Spanish?	If conflicting fields (e.g., mailing language as English, web language as Spanish, spoken language as Swedish) are used with "Any" logic, the person can fall into multiple Segments. Marketo Engage will typically resolve conflicts based on the Order of the Segments (i.e., A person will qualify for the first matching segment in the order defined). Check out this Experience League documentation for specifics: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/personalization/segmentation-a... Use "Most Used" or "Primary" fields in Segments to avoid conflicts.
6	In your opinion Darshil, what are the most useful Segments you have created?	Purchase Readiness Segments: Based on behavioral intent signals. Industry-Specific Segments: Tailored messaging for different verticals. Event Engagement Segments: Tracking attendees, no-shows, and repeat participants. Language Segments: To personalize the language in emails and landing pages based on their preferred language (or Country)
7	If you unapprove the obsolete Segments, what happens to Dynamic Content related usage?	If a Segmentation is unapproved, Dynamic content reliant on that Segmentation defaults to the default content. Darshil recommends reviewing all assets using the Segmentation before unapproving it. Update rules or move them to a new Segmentation if necessary.
8	Please confirm: Max 20 segments per Instance and max. 100 values per Segment.	Yes, that's correct. Ensuring efficient use of Segmentations to stay within these limits by: Consolidating segments when possible. While you can create up to 100 segments using standard fields, using other types of filters can increase the complexity, and your Segmentation might fail to be approved. Some examples are Custom Fields, Member of List, Lead Owner Fields, and Revenue Stages.
9	What would be some great examples for Segmentation?	Same recommendations as row #5.
10	When updating the content for each Segment within an email, do all of the Segments need to be updated with specific content, or will the Sefault content be used?	If specific content isn't added to all Segments, they will display the default content. It’s best to always double-check and test each Segment for personalized content and thoughtfully use default content as a fallback.
11	Is it possible to set Segmentations up so that a record can be associated with more than one Segment? For example, a specific type of service as well as a country?	No, a record can only belong to one Segment within a single Segmentation. For overlapping criteria, use separate Segments (e.g., one for the service type and one for the country). Use Smart Lists for more flexible multi-dimensional grouping.
12	I have heard about a leveler Segment (splitting up your database into Segments based on engagement—e.g., most likely to engage, unengaged, not likely to engage). Do you have any opinions on this Segment?	Absolutely. Engagement level Segments (e.g., "Most Likely to Engage," "Unengaged") help: 1. Prioritize outreach to high-potential contacts. 2. Design re-engagement campaigns for the unengaged. 3. Tailor messaging based on the conversion likelihood. Be cognizant of the engagement measures you're using in your Segmentations. High-velocity activities like email sends/opens/web visits are purged from the Database on a rolling 90-day period. I wouldn't create Segmentations based on metrics that could be influenced by non-human agents like bots, privacy scanners, etc. (e.g., email opens, email clicks, etc.)
13	For example, if we're using Region and will not be sent to all of the Regions, will this break or cause any problems with the email deployment and/or default to the default content, thanks	No, skipping regions won’t break the deployment. If a Segment isn't included, contacts in that Segment will receive the default content.
14	Is there an easy way to unapprove Segmentation when it's used by emails?	No, unapproving a Segmentation will flag dependent assets (emails, landing pages) as invalid. Always do: 1. Audit asset dependencies before unapproving. 2. Plan a transition strategy beforehand to avoid any technical surprises (e.g., Marketo Engage does not allow you to do it) or, even worse, risk sending the dynamic content you don't know/aren't sure of post unapproving Segmentations.
15	Do Segmentations integrate with CJA?	The Marketo Engage Product team confirmed that there is no integration between Marketo Engage and CJA or the Adobe Experience Platform Segmentation service. The Marketo Engage Source Connector pulls data from Marketo Engage into CDP. Once your Marketo Engage data is in CDP, you could report on it using CJA.
16	Is nested "if" statements a good way to build Segments?	You can't use the Member of Smart list filter in Segments; however, by nesting, you mean relying on the order of the Segments for Segment membership, then I'd be cautious and double-check the criteria as they could be confusing and difficult to update/maintain over the period as your data in your Database changes.
17	If we need a pretty targeted audience, would it be better to use a complicated Segment or a Smart List? Which is better in terms of system load and avoiding the campaign execution delay?	To keep it simple, for targeted audiences: 1. Use Smart Lists for ad-hoc queries to avoid Segmentation delays. 2. Use Segments for repeat use cases or where dynamic content is applied.
18	Do archived Segmentations count against the Segmentation limit?	Segmentations, once unapproved, don't count towards the limit. So you can un-approve and archive the obsolete Segmentations.
19	What kind of documentation do you find most helpful for Segmentations?	Darshil recommends creating the following documentation: 1. Clear naming conventions for Segmentation and Segments. This could also be part of the Marketo Engage standard naming convention document. 2. Description of use cases for each Segmentation. 3. Mapping of dependencies (emails, landing pages, etc.), including velocity references, if any.
20	Do you find it difficult to transition from using Smart Lists for everything to using Segmentations? I want to transition my team from using Smart Lists for everything to Segmentations.	The transition can be challenging but is manageable by: 1. Starting with frequently used Smart Lists that match Segmentation criteria. 2. Gradually replacing repetitive Smart Lists with permanent Segments. 3. Providing training and clear documentation for team adoption. Creating, testing, managing, and approving Segmentations is a bit more complex than Smart Lists, but for the right use cases and the advantage they have over Smart Lists, it's definitely worth it (e.g., Segmentations support dynamic content in emails and landing pages, you can use Segment membership in Velocity Script, Segment change activities are logged in the Activity Log, etc.). Refer to the webinar presentation for the key differences between Smart Lists and Segmentation.

[achiu]

How do you know whether your marketing campaigns resonate with the right audience? If you can't answer this with confidence, it's time to audit your segmentation to ensure your marketing efforts are on target.

Please join me and @Darshil_Shah1 on-demand to understand the importance of segment audits and learn best practices for maintaining Segmentation performance. We will discuss strategies and tips for keeping your segmentation aligned with customer behaviors, data updates, and business changes.

Watch this on-demand webinar to learn about: 

• Understanding and reviewing Segmentation is essential to staying aligned with customer behaviors and avoiding common pitfalls like over-segmentation, stale segments, and misaligned rules. 

• Editing and updating Segmentations with best practices to maintain an efficient, compliant, and high-performing segmentation strategy. 

• Monitoring and enhancing performance through campaign reports to ensure your marketing efforts are always on target. 

Webinar Details

• Duration: 30 minutes live presentation + 15 minutes Q&A 

• Experience Level: Advanced (>3 months of experience using Marketo Engage) 
• Roles: Administrators, Marketing Technology, Marketing Operations, Campaign Operations 

Watch on-demand

Download the slides

We've also worked with @Darshil_Shah1 and Adobe Markeo Engage Product Managers to provide feedback on the questions left by the live webinar attendees. Read on to get your answers and post more questions for peer discussions!  

#	QA Text	Responses
1	Dashil - if you have larger databases (10Mil contacts), will performance be impacted if we edit the Segmentation?	Yes, editing Segmentations in large databases can impact performance as Marketo Engage will need to reprocess the entire Segmentation. To minimize the impact, consider the following things: 1. Schedule Segmentation updates during off-peak hours. 2. Avoid frequent edits unless absolutely necessary. 3. Optimize your Segmentation criteria (e.g., remove unnecessary filters from the Segmentation)
2	What's the best way to ensure the Default Segment is not the largest?	1. Regularly audit and refine your Segment definitions to ensure contacts are categorized into more meaningful Segments. 2. Prioritize specific, clearly defined rules for non-default Segments so fewer contacts fall into the default Segment. 3. Use a "catch-all" category only when it truly represents an edge case or undefined group.
3	We used to have inferred country in our Segments, but I feel that is useless now since hybrid work is common.  Is it ever good to use inferred anything?	Darshil answered this live but here's a recap in writing: Inferred data has become less reliable with the rise of hybrid work and VPN usage. However, it can still be useful in these scenarios: 1. Geo-targeting for specific campaigns where inferred location accuracy is less critical. 2. Supplementing incomplete or missing data fields when combined with other validation. Also, if you aren't collecting Country/Region on your form fills, then please do so. This will help you segment based on the actual Country values supplied by people instead of relying on the Inferred Country values.
4	What are the top examples of Segmentations that you recommend using?	1. Geographic Segments: Region or country (if data is verified). 2. Demographic Segments: Industry, job title, or seniority. 3. Lifecycle Stages: Leads vs. customers vs. churned accounts. 4. Language Preferences: Based on mailing language or web preferences. This can be created based on the Country's values, too. 5. Level of Interest: Likelihood to purchase or engage (engagement-based Segmentation) 6. Persona-based Segmentation (if you have your persona defined).
5	What if we have multiple fields in our Segments and some fields are in conflict? i.e. Language segment: segment is looking for more than 3 fields in our case. What if somebody is having mailing language as English, web language as Spanish and spoken language as Swedish; and the segment is looking for all different fields with the "Any" function. Will this person be included in English, Swedish or Spanish?	If conflicting fields (e.g., mailing language as English, web language as Spanish, spoken language as Swedish) are used with "Any" logic, the person can fall into multiple Segments. Marketo Engage will typically resolve conflicts based on the Order of the Segments (i.e., A person will qualify for the first matching segment in the order defined). Check out this Experience League documentation for specifics: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/personalization/segmentation-a... Use "Most Used" or "Primary" fields in Segments to avoid conflicts.
6	In your opinion Darshil, what are the most useful Segments you have created?	Purchase Readiness Segments: Based on behavioral intent signals. Industry-Specific Segments: Tailored messaging for different verticals. Event Engagement Segments: Tracking attendees, no-shows, and repeat participants. Language Segments: To personalize the language in emails and landing pages based on their preferred language (or Country)
7	If you unapprove the obsolete Segments, what happens to Dynamic Content related usage?	If a Segmentation is unapproved, Dynamic content reliant on that Segmentation defaults to the default content. Darshil recommends reviewing all assets using the Segmentation before unapproving it. Update rules or move them to a new Segmentation if necessary.
8	Please confirm: Max 20 segments per Instance and max. 100 values per Segment.	Yes, that's correct. Ensuring efficient use of Segmentations to stay within these limits by: Consolidating segments when possible. While you can create up to 100 segments using standard fields, using other types of filters can increase the complexity, and your Segmentation might fail to be approved. Some examples are Custom Fields, Member of List, Lead Owner Fields, and Revenue Stages.
9	What would be some great examples for Segmentation?	Same recommendations as row #5.
10	When updating the content for each Segment within an email, do all of the Segments need to be updated with specific content, or will the Sefault content be used?	If specific content isn't added to all Segments, they will display the default content. It’s best to always double-check and test each Segment for personalized content and thoughtfully use default content as a fallback.
11	Is it possible to set Segmentations up so that a record can be associated with more than one Segment? For example, a specific type of service as well as a country?	No, a record can only belong to one Segment within a single Segmentation. For overlapping criteria, use separate Segments (e.g., one for the service type and one for the country). Use Smart Lists for more flexible multi-dimensional grouping.
12	I have heard about a leveler Segment (splitting up your database into Segments based on engagement—e.g., most likely to engage, unengaged, not likely to engage). Do you have any opinions on this Segment?	Absolutely. Engagement level Segments (e.g., "Most Likely to Engage," "Unengaged") help: 1. Prioritize outreach to high-potential contacts. 2. Design re-engagement campaigns for the unengaged. 3. Tailor messaging based on the conversion likelihood. Be cognizant of the engagement measures you're using in your Segmentations. High-velocity activities like email sends/opens/web visits are purged from the Database on a rolling 90-day period. I wouldn't create Segmentations based on metrics that could be influenced by non-human agents like bots, privacy scanners, etc. (e.g., email opens, email clicks, etc.)
13	For example, if we're using Region and will not be sent to all of the Regions, will this break or cause any problems with the email deployment and/or default to the default content, thanks	No, skipping regions won’t break the deployment. If a Segment isn't included, contacts in that Segment will receive the default content.
14	Is there an easy way to unapprove Segmentation when it's used by emails?	No, unapproving a Segmentation will flag dependent assets (emails, landing pages) as invalid. Always do: 1. Audit asset dependencies before unapproving. 2. Plan a transition strategy beforehand to avoid any technical surprises (e.g., Marketo Engage does not allow you to do it) or, even worse, risk sending the dynamic content you don't know/aren't sure of post unapproving Segmentations.
15	Do Segmentations integrate with CJA?	The Marketo Engage Product team confirmed that there is no integration between Marketo Engage and CJA or the Adobe Experience Platform Segmentation service. The Marketo Engage Source Connector pulls data from Marketo Engage into CDP. Once your Marketo Engage data is in CDP, you could report on it using CJA.
16	Is nested "if" statements a good way to build Segments?	You can't use the Member of Smart list filter in Segments; however, by nesting, you mean relying on the order of the Segments for Segment membership, then I'd be cautious and double-check the criteria as they could be confusing and difficult to update/maintain over the period as your data in your Database changes.
17	If we need a pretty targeted audience, would it be better to use a complicated Segment or a Smart List? Which is better in terms of system load and avoiding the campaign execution delay?	To keep it simple, for targeted audiences: 1. Use Smart Lists for ad-hoc queries to avoid Segmentation delays. 2. Use Segments for repeat use cases or where dynamic content is applied.
18	Do archived Segmentations count against the Segmentation limit?	Segmentations, once unapproved, don't count towards the limit. So you can un-approve and archive the obsolete Segmentations.
19	What kind of documentation do you find most helpful for Segmentations?	Darshil recommends creating the following documentation: 1. Clear naming conventions for Segmentation and Segments. This could also be part of the Marketo Engage standard naming convention document. 2. Description of use cases for each Segmentation. 3. Mapping of dependencies (emails, landing pages, etc.), including velocity references, if any.
20	Do you find it difficult to transition from using Smart Lists for everything to using Segmentations? I want to transition my team from using Smart Lists for everything to Segmentations.	The transition can be challenging but is manageable by: 1. Starting with frequently used Smart Lists that match Segmentation criteria. 2. Gradually replacing repetitive Smart Lists with permanent Segments. 3. Providing training and clear documentation for team adoption. Creating, testing, managing, and approving Segmentations is a bit more complex than Smart Lists, but for the right use cases and the advantage they have over Smart Lists, it's definitely worth it (e.g., Segmentations support dynamic content in emails and landing pages, you can use Segment membership in Velocity Script, Segment change activities are logged in the Activity Log, etc.). Refer to the webinar presentation for the key differences between Smart Lists and Segmentation.