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Create n-Way Rules

Updated

N-Way sampling allows you to segment a list into any number of groupings of contacts. With these groupings you can run separate campaigns testing contact reactions to content, offers, and subject lines.  The resulting n-Way Segmentation Rules look similar to a Standard Segmentation Rule.

The n-Way samples are split either equally or distributed based on some defined proportion, and the segments may be determined using either a linear or random method.   In an example group of 3,000 contacts broken into three segments, a linear, equal separation assigns the first 1,000 contacts to segment 1 by contact ID number, the second 1,000 to segment 2, and the last 1,000 to segment 3.  In a random segment, each contact in the list is assigned to a segment in a random manner.

Samples can be created for the whole list or a segment of the list.  To test an offer to three groups out of a million contact list, select a segmentation that first finds about 100,000 contacts – perhaps those belonging a certain state or matching other criteria. Then, use the n-way wizard to split up that sub-group  three ways.

To Add an N-Way Segmentation Rule

  1. Go to SEGMENTATION > CREATE N-WAY RULES or go to  SEGMENTATION > SEGMENTATION RULES, then click the arrow next to ADD, and select Add N-Way Rule.
    For versions between 9.8.0 and 11.9.0, go to SEGMENTATION > CREATE N-WAY RULE.
    For versions prior to 9.8.0, go to LISTS > SEGMENTATION > CREATE N-WAY RULE.
  2. Select a List.
  3. Enter the Number of Segments to create.
  4. Click NEXT.
  5. Select to segment the entire (Whole) list, a Segment of the list (Sub-list), or a Percentage of the list.
  6. Click NEXT.
  7. Select to Distribute Evenly or to Specify the size of the segments based on a percentage.  The size must equal 100%.
  8. Select a custom field to Apply Pattern.  This field must be of type Number.  If any Contacts have data stored in the custom field you selected, this data will be cleared for all Contacts in your database when the rules are created.  
    If you have not created a custom field yet, enter a Name for a new custom field.  Do not include special characters or spaces in the name.  A new Custom field of type number will be created.
  9. Select the Segmentation Method to choose the contacts for each segment: Linear based on the Subscription date or Randomly.
  10. Select to Create Rules.
  11. Enter a Name for your new rules.  This will be appended with the segment number.
  12. Click SUBMIT.

The custom field will be cleared for every Contact in the realm, then refilled with the new segment value for only the Contacts in the n-Way samples.  Once the contacts are assigned to their segments, the new rules will be created.  To access the new rules, go to SEGMENTATION > SEGMENTATION RULES.

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