How to create and optimize audience segments in Nrich for better targeting

If you’re using N.rich to run B2B ads, you already know that great targeting can make or break your campaigns. But let’s be honest: “audience segmentation” sounds a lot fancier than it is. At the end of the day, it’s about getting your ads in front of the right people—and not wasting money on the wrong ones.

This guide is for marketers, demand gen folks, and growth hackers who want practical steps to set up and actually improve audience segments in N.rich, not just check a box because someone said “ABM” in a meeting. Let’s cut through the noise.

1. Understand What N.rich Audience Segments Actually Are

First things first: N.rich (read more here) is an ABM ad platform with a lot of bells and whistles, but its audience segmentation is pretty straightforward. You build segments mostly by company (account) and intent data—not by individual job titles or interests like on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Key things you can segment by:

  • Company lists: Upload a CSV, paste in your target accounts, or connect your CRM.
  • Firmographics: Industry, company size, revenue, geography. The usual suspects.
  • Technographic data: What tools and platforms a company uses (if available).
  • Intent signals: Companies showing interest in topics you care about, based on third-party data.

What you can’t do:
You can’t get super granular with individual user-level targeting. No “show this ad to Sarah in HR at Acme Corp.” This is B2B, not Instagram.

2. Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Audience Segment in N.rich

Let’s walk through setting up a segment that actually makes sense—not just ticking boxes.

Step 1: Get Your Target Account List Ready

Don’t just dump your entire CRM here. Focus on accounts that are a good fit and have some buying intent.

  • Use your ICP: Who are your best customers? Start there.
  • Tighten the list: 100-500 accounts is a sweet spot for most B2B campaigns. Too broad, and you’ll waste budget; too narrow, and you won’t get enough data.

Pro tip: If you don’t have a good list, start with firmographic filters (industry, size, location) to build one inside N.rich.

Step 2: Upload or Build Your Segment

  • Go to the Audience tab in N.rich.
  • Click Create New Segment.
  • Choose how you want to build your segment:
  • Upload a CSV: Most accurate if you already have a list.
  • Firmographic filters: Good for testing or if you’re starting from scratch.
  • Intent signals: Filter by companies showing relevant buying behavior.

What to watch out for:
If you’re using intent data, double-check how fresh and reliable it is. “Intent” often just means someone at the company read a blog post. Don’t put all your eggs in this basket.

Step 3: Exclude the Wrong Accounts

This is the step most people skip. Don’t.

  • Current customers: No need to spend ad dollars here (unless you’re upselling).
  • Competitors: Obvious, but you’d be surprised.
  • Bad-fit companies: Accounts that are too small, too big, or outside your ICP.

How:
Use the “Exclude” function in the segment builder. Upload a list or use filters.

Step 4: Save, Name, and Document Your Segment

Name it something you’ll recognize in a month. Seriously—don’t call it “Segment 1.”

  • Be specific: “US SaaS, 100-500 employees, showing CRM intent, Q2 2024”
  • Document logic: If your team changes, they’ll thank you.

3. Optimizing Segments: What Works (And What Doesn’t)

Creating a segment is step one. Optimizing it is where the magic happens—or doesn’t.

What Actually Works

  • Regularly refresh intent data
    Intent signals get stale fast. If you’re using them, update your segments every month.

  • Test different firmographics
    Don’t assume your original filters are perfect. Try tweaking company size, industry, or region and see what happens to engagement and CTR.

  • Layer in technographics (if available)
    Target companies using specific tools your product integrates with. This is gold for SaaS.

  • Monitor frequency and reach
    If you’re hitting the same accounts too often, you’ll get ignored. Too little, and nobody remembers you.

What Usually Doesn’t Work

  • Over-segmenting
    Chopping your audience into tiny slices (“SaaS companies, 251-300 employees, in Ohio who use HubSpot”) almost always leads to tiny reach and weak results.

  • Relying only on intent data
    Intent is a hint, not a guarantee. Some companies flag as “in-market” but never buy.

  • Ignoring exclusions
    Sending ads to your own employees, existing customers, or competitors is a waste.

What to Ignore (Mostly)

  • Job titles and individual targeting
    N.rich isn’t built for this. Don’t try to hack it—just accept the limitation.

  • Lookalike audiences
    If you’re coming from Facebook/LinkedIn, you might miss this, but B2B lookalikes in N.rich are rarely as effective as in consumer platforms.

4. Measuring Segment Performance—and When to Change Things

Don’t just “set and forget” your segments. Here’s how to tell if they’re working.

What to Track

  • Impressions and reach: Are you getting enough eyeballs on your ads in the right companies?
  • Click-through rate (CTR): Higher is usually better, but don’t obsess—B2B CTRs are always low.
  • Engagement by account: Which companies are actually interacting with your ads?
  • Pipeline impact: Are your sales or demo requests coming from targeted accounts?

When to Tweak or Rebuild

  • Low engagement: If nobody’s clicking or visiting your site, your segment might be off.
  • High spend, low ROI: You’re probably too broad or hitting the wrong accounts.
  • Sales feedback: If reps are saying “these leads are junk,” listen and adjust.

How to adjust:

  • Tighten or loosen filters (industry, size, geography)
  • Swap out intent topics
  • Update your exclusion lists

5. Pro Tips and Honest Advice

  • Start simple, then get fancy.
    Get one segment working before you try to run six at once. Complexity rarely helps.

  • Talk to your sales team.
    They know which accounts matter and which are a waste of time. Use their intel.

  • Don’t chase every shiny feature.
    Fancy dashboards and “AI-powered” suggestions are nice, but 90% of your results come from just building a solid segment and monitoring it.

  • Document everything.
    You’ll thank yourself later when you’re wondering why you excluded half of Europe.

Keep It Simple—And Iterate

Audience segmentation in N.rich isn’t rocket science. Start with a clear list, test your filters, and pay attention to what actually works. Don’t get lost in the weeds or obsess over the latest trend. Small, thoughtful tweaks beat sweeping overhauls every time.

If something feels off, step back, simplify, and try again. You’ll get better results—and fewer headaches.