A Simple Audience Segmentation Tool

Purpose

To quickly understand who is engaged, who is drifting, and where attention is best placed — using behaviour rather than assumptions.

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Step 1: Start with observable signals

Ignore intention, enthusiasm, or stated interest. Look only at what people actually do.

Examples of usable signals:

• Opens or reads communications
• Clicks or follows links
• Replies or asks questions
• Attends, buys, or participates
• Returns after an absence

Do not score quality yet. Just note presence or absence.

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Step 2: Place each person in one of three groups

1. Likely

People who show recent, repeated signals.

Typical behaviours:

• Regular engagement
• Timely responses
• Voluntary interaction

Interpretation:
These people are already choosing you. Do not overwork them.

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2. Dormant

People who show past signals, but little or none recently.

Typical behaviours:

• Previously active
• Long gaps
• Passive presence

Interpretation:
They may still care, but something has interrupted momentum.

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3. Risky

People who show minimal or fragile signals.

Typical behaviours:

• One-off engagement
• Inconsistent contact
• Only respond when prompted

Interpretation:
Energy invested here has a high chance of low return.

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Step 3: Match effort to segment

Segment	What to do	What not to do
Likely	Maintain rhythm, offer depth	Over-pitch or pressure
Dormant	One clear re-entry invitation	Multiple follow-ups
Risky	Light-touch presence or pause	Chasing or rescuing

Effort should decrease as risk increases.

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Step 4: Revisit regularly

Segments are not identities.
They are snapshots.

Re-sort:

• after campaigns
• after pauses
• after changes in offer or context

Movement between groups is normal.

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Step 5: Use the insight sparingly

The aim is not to maximise response.
The aim is to allocate attention where it is metabolised.

If everything feels urgent, segmentation is not being used properly.

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Final note

This tool does not predict loyalty, value, or future behaviour.
It only helps decide where to place your next unit of attention.