The logic of workflows and segments

Understanding the logic behind workflows and segmentation in marketing automation systems can be crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of your marketing strategy. In this blog post, we will explore the basic concepts behind the "If, then, else" logic in workflows and the "and, or" and "All, any" logic in segmentation, and we will use simple examples to help you gain a better understanding.

Workflows and "If, then, else" logic: An introduction

A workflow in a marketing automation system is a series of predefined steps or actions that a contact goes through. The logic of a workflow is often based on the "If, then, else" principle, which means that the system performs certain actions based on specific conditions. Let's take an example to explain this:

Example: You have an e-commerce site and want to send a welcome email to new customers. The workflow could look like this:

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If: A new contact is added to the system.

Then: Send a welcome email.

Else: Do nothing.

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In this scenario, the "If" condition is that a new contact is added to the system. If this condition is true (i.e. if a new contact has actually been added), the action specified in the "Then" part is performed, namely sending a welcome email. If the condition is not met, the workflow proceeds to the "Else" part, where nothing is done.

Segmentation and 'And, or' and 'All, any' logic: An overview

Segmentation is the process of dividing your contact list into smaller groups based on specific criteria. To do this, you often use "and, or" or "All, any" logic to define your criteria in your segments. Let's explore these concepts with an example:

Example: You have a contact list and want to create a segment for people interested in both sports cars and luxury travel. The segment could be defined with the following logic:

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"All" logic: All conditions must be met.

And: The person is interested in sports cars.

And: The person is interested in luxury travel.

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In this case, both conditions must be true for a contact to be included in the segment. The person must be interested in both sports cars and luxury travel.

Alternatively, you can use "any" logic to create a segment where only one of the conditions is met:

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"Any" logic: at least one of the conditions must be met.

Or: The person is interested in sports cars.

Or: The person is interested in luxury travel.

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In this case, only one of the conditions needs to be true for a contact to be included in the segment. The person could be interested in either sports cars or luxury travel.

It is also possible to combine "All and Any" and "And and Or" to build more complex segments.

Summary

In marketing automation systems, the logic of workflows and segmentation is central to targeting your messages and campaigns to the right audiences. The "If, then, else" workflow logic helps you define what actions to take based on specific conditions, while the "and, or" and "All, any" segmentation logic helps you create audiences based on different criteria.

By mastering these logical principles, you can increase the precision and effectiveness of your marketing strategy and deliver more relevant content to your customers.