--- title: Target marketing segments for mailing campaigns slug: cms-12/docs/target-marketing-segments-for-mailing-campaigns docTags: createdAt: 2026-08-10T15:55:59.000Z --- Personalized mailings can generate powerful KPIs and optimize your conversion rate. A carefully selected target group ensures that your customers receive relevant information at each customer journey stage. To create tailored mailing campaigns, you can use marketing segments from Optimizely Visitor Intelligence as target groups for mailings in Optimizely Campaign's [Smart Campaigns](docId\:V8d_N9OYqjbnFLis0bJUc) and [Marketing Automation](docId\:V8d_N9OYqjbnFLis0bJUc) :::hint{type="danger"} **Warning** **Deprecated** Visitor Intelligence is deprecated and no longer supported. For migration options to [Optimizely Data Platform](docId\:eJ9NFnxBeytWY04EiLqHN) (ODP), contact your sales representative or customer success manager. ::: ## What is a marketing segment? A marketing segment is a collection of user profiles, filtered by criteria such as visits to a specific page on your website or visitors from a specific location. Optimizely Visitor Intelligence tracks website visitor behavior and stores user profiles in a database, from which you can [create a segment](docId\:V8d_N9OYqjbnFLis0bJUc). You can also create a [segment of visitors](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/4413192423053) matching a specific audience in Optimizely CMS. ## Create a marketing segment in Optimizely Visitor Intelligence You can access Optimizely Visitor Intelligence with the product switcher ![Product switcher icon](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/OSOt9svQssctnSdeXg3RX-20260720-145524.png) , or from the Optimizely Campaign menu > **Analytics** > **Optimizely Visitor Intelligence**. ![Segments overview](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/7MtrjjQjENrQqFs8KkWJW-20260720-145524.png "Image: Segments overview") The **Segments** view shows recently created segments and segments labeled as your favorites. You can edit the attributes of a segment from its context menu. You can also click the individual segment to modify its attributes. See [Edit a segment](../../visitor-intelligence-deprecated/optimizely-visitor-intelligence-deprecated/create-a-marketing-segment-deprecated.mdx). If you want to create a segment, you can - [create a segment by filtering visitor profile data](../../visitor-intelligence-deprecated/optimizely-visitor-intelligence-deprecated/create-a-marketing-segment-deprecated.mdx) You can create a segment by filtering visitor activity and historical data. - [create a segment based on filter definition](../../visitor-intelligence-deprecated/optimizely-visitor-intelligence-deprecated/create-a-marketing-segment-deprecated.mdx) Using a filter definition lets you create advanced segments on visitor activity, historical data, and profile data. For example, create a segment based on visitor activity and historical data: - Visitors who have bought specific products during a time range - Users who have opened any campaign email - Visitors with abandoned carts today See also [Work with audiences for personalization and segments](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/4413192423053). ## Use a segment in Smart Campaigns [Smart Campaigns](docId\:R5uUa03fN0LjqmSAh30Ol) is a tool for sending out one-shot campaigns, such as an event invitation or special Christmas offers. Smart Campaigns lets you send messages through email, [print](docId\:HsHI5xOaS4jsptACOxBdU), [Mobile Push](docId:9JKxiG27XeArIxP1whZTj), and [SMS](docId:6BKJrwuLTHsGF0t3j0-rZ) channels. To use Smart Campaigns, open the Optimizely Campaign menu and select **Campaigns** > **Smart Campaigns**. ![Smart Campaign overview](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/MSsUe01alclkm_FcDd_v5-20260720-145524.png "Image: Smart Campaign overview") You can use marketing segments as target groups for new or existing campaigns. To do this, select a campaign in the campaign overview and click **Create…** or **Edit…**. To add a segment to your campaign: 1. Drag the **Segment** node from the left action area to the right working area behind the **Recipient** node. 2. On the **Segment** node, select the marketing segment you want to use as target group. ![Segment node](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/JVSoSsr3Y37Q4oTtIGtCd-20260720-145524.png "Image: Segment node") 3. Edit your campaign as described in [Create and edit a campaign](docId\:Cs9h76oKiBCgyL3ITuBP5). See also [Smart Campaigns nodes](docId\:k_hpwC2i6hpPhMRGk2ozV). ## Use a segment in Marketing Automation [Marketing Automation](docId\:rH-CVuXsKjRWjl4DSmNsl) lets you create multi-step campaigns with action – and event-based mailings, perfectly adapted to a highly diverse set of target groups using fully automated distribution cycles. You can create campaigns based on your customer database and then refine them when the campaign is up and running. To use Marketing Automation, open the Optimizely Campaign menu and select **Campaigns** > **Marketing Automation**. ![Marketing Automation overview](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/KX-QQpHn3Kjr-wvECdyBa-20260720-145524.png "Image: Marketing Automation overview") You can use marketing segments for new or existing campaigns. Select a campaign in the overview and click **Create** or **Edit** to do this. To add a segment to your campaign: 1. Drag the **Advanced** node from the left action area to the working area on the right. 2. On the **Advanced** node, under **Filter by recipients included in all selected Visitor Intelligence segments**, select the segment you want to use to limit the target group further. ![Advanced node](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/hhlZcxnMazu2mFpBMkjnz-20260720-145524.png "Image: Advanced node") :::hint{type="info"} **Note** Only recipients included in the selected marketing segments are passed through the campaign. ::: 3. Edit your campaign as described in [Create and edit a campaign](docId\:Cs9h76oKiBCgyL3ITuBP5). See also [Marketing Automation nodes](docId\:X3ucB0-71DLXK11dD1dXB).