How to Segment Your Email Database in TouchBasePro

In our previous blog, we covered what segmentation is and why it matters. This post walks you through how to build and test segments directly in TouchBasePro.

Before getting started

A few things worth knowing before you create your first segment:

• Segments are built from subscriber data stored in your account. That includes:
  • Data you have imported.
  • Information subscribers submitted through signup forms.
  • System-generated data, like date subscribed or location.
  • Recipient activity data from previously sent emails.
• Subscribers are added to a segment automatically when their profile data matches your segment rules.
• You can create as many segments as you like within a list, but segments are list-specific. A segment cannot span multiple lists.

How to build a segment

To set up a new segment:

1. Click Lists & subscribers.
2. Click the overflow menu (3 dots) to the right of the list you want.
3. Click Add segment.

The segment builder will load.

How to create a segment rule

Click the Define a rule based on menu to choose an attribute for your first rule.

Attributes include

• Subscriber details, Covers email address, name, date subscribed, and location.
• Custom fields, Lists every custom field you have set up for that list.
• Campaign activity, Recipient activity from previously sent campaigns. This option only appears after you have sent at least one campaign to the selected list.
• Journey activity, Recipient activity from previously sent journeys. This option only appears after you have activated a journey for the selected list.

Once you have selected an attribute, apply a condition to create a rule. For example, you could set the attribute "Gender" with the condition "matches exactly" and enter the value "male". The resulting rule is: gender equals male.

Each attribute has its own set of available conditions. Here is another example using Campaign activity > Specific campaign to build a rule:

How to test a new segment

Once you have added all your rules, give the segment a name you will recognise later, then click Save and preview. TouchBasePro will build the segment and show you all active subscribers who match your rules.

The total subscriber count appears on the page, along with a sample of those subscribers.

Before you use a segment in a campaign, check that it contains the subscribers you expect. A few ways to do that:

• Click a sample subscriber's email address to open their subscriber snapshot. Check that their field values and attributes fit the segment rules.
• Use the search tool above the sample list to look up specific people who should be included, based on your rules.
• Click Export segment (next to the search box) to download a CSV of every subscriber in the segment.

If you need help building your segments or have any questions, get in touch with our support team.