Audience creation options

This article describes how to create an Adobe Experience Cloud audience.

Description description

Environment

Adobe Audience Manager

Issue/Symptoms

This article describes how to create an Adobe Experience Cloud audience and gives general advice for common use cases.

Resolution resolution

When deciding how to create an audience, consider the following questions:

  • What is the overall comfort level and experience with the interface?
  • What is the intended use of the audience?
  • What are the timing and portability requirements for this audience?

After considering the above, determine which of the following questions you’re asking:

  • Is  the person…
  • Did  the person just…
  • Has  the person recently…

The following table provides guidelines on where the audience is created based on the above question.

Target
AAM/Audience
Analytics
IS  the person…
Did  the person just…
Has  the person recently…

A. Solution audiences

Solution audiences are still the quickest way to action upon profile data.

If you are asking questions like, “Is the person a new or returning visitor?” or “Is the person using a mobile device?”, creating your audience inside the solution gives you the fastest way to action on this data.

B. Real-time audiences (Audience Library / Audience Manager)

A real-time audience can be created in either the Audience Library interface or the Audience Manager interface (assuming you have access to Adobe Audience Manager).

These audiences are best used to answer questions around “Did the person just…”.

Example questions that real-time audiences are best used to answer could be, “Did the person add something to their cart?” or “Did the person finish an application form?”.

AUDIENCE LIBRARY

Audience Library audiences are best for:

  • Audiences based on eVars, Props, or events for next page targeting scenarios
  • Combinations of audiences shared from different solutions (composite audiences)

Note: Composite audience latency is equal to the latency of the slowest audiences used in the composite audience.

AUDIENCE MANAGER

Audience Manager audiences are best for

  • Combinations of first-, second-, and third-party signals

    • CRM data
    • Partner data
    • Matching services
  • External syndication (sending audiences outside the Experience Cloud)

  • Algorithmic modeling

Note: When using third-party data with Audience Manager, some scenarios can let you action on the first page instead of the following page. To learn more, contact your Adobe representative.

C. Historical audiences (Analytics shared segment)

Since historical audiences are subject to a 24-48 hour latency starting at the time of qualification, they are best used to answer questions around recent behavior.

If there are asking questions like, “Has the person recently abandoned my site?” or “Has the person searched or viewed a product within the last few days?”, historical audiences is the best option.

ANALYTICS

Analytics shared audiences are best for:

  • Advanced segmentation or optimization for returning or infrequent visitors

  • Audiences that are not time sensitive (up to a 48-hour delay)

  • Audiences requiring conditions that other solutions either can’t do or are more difficult to do

    • Post-processing variables
    • Processing rule based
    • Complex pathing based

Summary

An overview of the pros and cons, latency conditions, user attributes eligibility, and limits are outlined in the table below:

Audience Creation Options

Adobe Target
Experience Cloud Audiences
Adobe Audience Manager
Adobe Analytics
Pros
Immediate response, familiar workflow for Target users
Easiest way to use Analytics variables directly from the page
External syndication, advanced segmentation, look-a-like audiences, cross-device profile merging
Advanced segmentation, A4T reporting audiences
Cons
Can require profile scripting
Limited segmentation capability
Can require page code updates if still running DIL
Data export/ingestion to Experience Cloud is slow
Audience Becomes Actionable
Immediate
Next Page
Next Page
4-8 hour delay
User Attributes
Yes
No
No, but can load CRM data for similar effect
Yes
Hard Limits
Destinations limited to Adobe Target and AEM
Destinations limited to Target, AMO, and Campaign
Limited to 20 active audiences

Audience Creation Timing

Adobe Target
Experience Cloud Audiences
Adobe Audience Manager
Adobe Analytics
Geosegmentation
First page
Next page
Next page
4-8 hours
Mobile Carrier
Coming soon
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
API/Web Service
Implementation required
Next page
Next page
4-8 hours
Browser
First page
Next page
Next page
4-8 hours
Operating System
First page
Next page
Next page
4-8 hours
Mobile Device
Built-in
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Responsive Design
Built-in
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Offline Data (CRM)
Limits on sources
No limitations
Offline Data (Classifications)
4-8 hours
New/Return Visitors
First page
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Number of Visits
First page
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Marketing Channels
First page
Pathing
Profile Script
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Recency/Frequency
Built-in, next page
4-8 hours
Category Affinity
Built-in, first page
If value in a variable or context data
If value in a variable or context data
4-8 hours
Authenticated user attributes
Limits on sources
No limitations
Multi-sourced audiences
Composite Audiences

This article does not cover every use case and is meant to give general guidance for creating Experience Cloud audiences.

If you have questions about any of this content or Experience Cloud audiences in general, visit the Experience League Community Forums.

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