Mando gives you two ways to group contacts, and they behave very differently. Choosing the wrong one is not fatal, but it does mean maintaining by hand something that could have maintained itself.
The difference in one line
A list is people you picked. A segment is a rule that finds people.
A list changes only when someone changes it. A segment is worked out fresh every time you look, so it is always current.
Pick one
If you want toUse | |
Choose exactly who is included | A list |
Keep a group up to date automatically | A segment |
Group people imported from a file | A list |
Reach everyone from a given source | A segment |
Build a one off audience for a campaign | A list |
Have new contacts join the group on their own | A segment |
When a list is the better answer
Use a list when the membership is a judgement rather than a rule. A group of customers you personally consider high value, a set of people who attended an event, everyone from one imported file.
Lists are also the honest choice when you cannot express the group as a filter. If you cannot describe the rule, a segment cannot find it.
When a segment is the better answer
Use a segment when you can describe the group in words that match the available filters, and when you want it to stay current.
Anything you would otherwise rebuild every month is a segment. Everyone added since a date, everyone from a given source, everyone with a phone number.
They work together
These are not competing choices. A segment can use a list as one of its conditions, which gives you the best of both: pick the people by hand, then let a rule narrow them.
For example, a list of event attendees plus a filter for having a phone number gives a segment of attendees you can actually reach on WhatsApp, and it stays accurate as phone numbers are added.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a list into a segment?
Not directly, but you can filter by that list and save the result as a segment.
Can I use both as a broadcast audience?
Yes, a broadcast can go to either.
Which should I start with?
A list, because it is simpler. Move to segments when you notice yourself updating the same list repeatedly.