---
title: "Workflow: Prepare Your Audience for Marketing Campaigns"
slug: "workflow-prepare-your-audience-for-marketing-campaigns"
updated: 2026-01-14T10:46:08Z
published: 2026-01-14T10:46:08Z
canonical: "docs.mapp.com/workflow-prepare-your-audience-for-marketing-campaigns"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Workflow: Prepare Your Audience for Marketing Campaigns

## Overview

This workflow walks you through the essential steps for preparing your audience — including group creation, data import, and segmentation. It ensures your contact data is structured and ready for campaigns.

![Flowchart illustrating steps to create a group and define attributes for audience segmentation.](https://cdn.document360.io/554b9b98-6720-4d8b-9919-c7b203d72648/Images/Documentation/Flowchart.jpg)

---

## Steps

#### **1. Create a Group**

A group is the container for your contacts. Each group:

- Represents a channel (e.g., email, SMS)
- Defines settings like reply handling and sendout defaults
- Can hold multiple segments

[Create a New Group](/v1/docs/create-a-new-group)

> [!NOTE]
> *You must create at least one group before importing contacts.*

---

#### **2. Define Group Attributes (Optional)**

Add group-level metadata (e.g., campaign names, region, type) that applies to all contacts in the group. Useful for managing dynamic content or reporting.

[Group Attributes](/v1/docs/group-attributes)

---

#### **3. Import Contacts**

Choose the best import method based on your needs:

| Method | Use case |
| --- | --- |
| Manual CSV/XML | One-time imports or small batches |
| Time-Based Import | Recurring imports on a schedule |
| Mapp Connect | Automated sync from external platforms |

[Import Contacts](/v1/docs/jobs-import-contacts) [Set Up: Time-Based Automation](/docs/workflow-prepare-your-audience-for-marketing-campaigns#) [Integrate: Mapp Connect](/docs/workflow-prepare-your-audience-for-marketing-campaigns#)

> [!NOTE]
> *Choose automation if your contact data lives outside of Mapp and needs regular syncing.*

---

#### **4. Build Segments**

Use the **Segmentation Builder** to create audience slices based on:

- Contact profile data
- Engagement behavior (email opens, clicks, etc.)
- Website activity
- Custom attributes or transactional triggers

[Segmentation Builder Basics](/v1/docs/segmentation-builder-basics) [Create a Segment](/v1/docs/create-a-segment)

> [!NOTE]
> *Segments allow you to target specific groups within your larger audience for personalization.*

---

### Result

You now have a structured, segmented audience in place — ready for message personalization and sendout.

Content that adapts based on user data, behavior, or conditions, enabling personalized messaging in Mapp Engage.