If you’re tired of blasting the same generic messages to everyone, you’re in the right place. This guide is for marketers, product folks, or anyone who needs to stop annoying users and start sending messages they actually care about. We’ll walk through how to create segmented user journeys in Airship that actually work—without drowning in buzzwords or endless setup.
Why Segmented User Journeys Matter (And What to Ignore)
Here’s the deal: people ignore irrelevant notifications and emails. Segmentation helps you send the right message, at the right time, to the right crowd. But don’t get lost in the hype—just because you can create a hundred segments doesn’t mean you should. Focus on what’s actionable and measurable.
- What works: Simple, meaningful segments (think: new users, churn risks, high spenders).
- What doesn’t: Over-segmentation, “just because” journeys, or chasing after vanity metrics.
- Ignore: Features you don’t need and anything that sounds like it was made for a Fortune 500 company’s slide deck.
Let’s get practical.
Step 1: Get Your Data in Order
Before you build anything, check your data. Airship only knows what you feed it. If your user data is a mess, your journeys will be too.
What You Need
- User identifiers (like email or device ID)
- Behavioral events (app opens, purchases, etc.)
- Profile attributes (age, location, subscription status)
Pro tip: Start small. If you’re missing fancy data points, stick to basics like sign-up date or last activity.
Importing Data Into Airship
- SDKs: Airship supports mobile and web SDKs. Get these set up first.
- APIs: For custom attributes or events, use their API. It’s well-documented, but don’t overengineer. Start with a few key events.
- CSV uploads: For one-off imports, CSV is your friend. Not elegant, but it works.
Don’t let “perfect” data be the enemy of “good enough to start.”
Step 2: Define Your Segments
This is where most people overthink things. Segments should be obvious and aligned with your actual goals.
Good Segmentation Examples
- New users (last 7 days)
- Dormant users (no activity in 30 days)
- Frequent buyers (3+ purchases in a month)
- Users who abandoned a cart
How to Build Segments in Airship
- Go to the Audience section.
- Create a new segment.
-
Set your conditions. Use profile data, events, or a mix. For example:
- Profile attribute: Signed up after a certain date.
- Event: Completed purchase at least once.
- Combination: Signed up in the last 14 days AND hasn’t made a purchase.
-
Test your segment. Make sure it’s not empty—or everyone. Small mistakes here can mean you’re messaging the wrong people, or no one at all.
Pro tip: Name your segments clearly. “Active_30d” beats “Segment 12” any day.
Step 3: Map Out the User Journey
Don’t start building in Airship yet. Grab a piece of paper, whiteboard, or even a napkin. Sketch the key steps for your journey.
- What’s the trigger? (User signs up, abandons cart, etc.)
- What’s the end goal? (First purchase, app retention, subscription renewal)
- What messages nudge the user along?
Keep it simple: If you can’t draw your journey in three steps, it’s probably too complicated.
Step 4: Build the Journey in Airship
Now you’re ready to use Airship’s Journey Composer. Don’t get lost in the interface—just focus on the basics.
Setting Up a Journey
- Create a new journey. Give it a name you’ll recognize later.
- Select your entry trigger: This is the event or segment that kicks things off. For example: “User enters segment: New Users.”
- Add messages: Choose your channel (push, SMS, email, in-app). Write messages that sound like a human, not a robot.
- Set delays or conditions: Don’t blast users all at once. Add delays between steps, or exit users once they convert.
- Exit conditions: Make sure users don’t get stuck in the journey after they’ve done what you wanted. For example, “Exit if user makes a purchase.”
What to avoid: - Overcomplicated branches. If you need a flowchart to explain your journey, it’s probably too complex. - Too many messages. One or two well-timed nudges usually beat a drip campaign that never ends.
Pro tip: Preview the journey with test users before going live. It’s way easier to catch mistakes when you test on yourself or a colleague.
Step 5: Personalize Your Messages (But Don’t Overdo It)
Personalization is more than just “Hi, {{first_name}}.” But don’t get sucked into endless dynamic content. Focus on what actually matters:
- Reference specific actions (“We noticed you left something in your cart”)
- Recommend relevant next steps or products
- Use plain language. People spot canned marketing copy a mile away.
How to Personalize in Airship
- Use merge tags for names or other attributes.
- Use conditional content blocks for different segments.
- Pull in product details or links if it makes sense.
What not to do: Don’t try to fake 1:1 communication if you don’t have the data. Generic “personalization” feels worse than none at all.
Step 6: Test, Launch, and Watch the Data
No journey is perfect the first time. Run tests before launching to everyone.
Testing Tips
- Use Airship’s preview tools
- Send to internal test accounts
- Check for broken links, typos, and broken logic
Once live, watch the numbers that matter:
- Open and click rates are a start, but don’t obsess.
- Track downstream actions (purchases, sign-ups, uninstalls)
- Kill journeys that don’t move the needle
Ignore: Vanity metrics. If it’s not tied to your business goal, it’s just noise.
Step 7: Iterate and Simplify
After a week or two, see what’s working. Tweak your messages, timing, or segments based on real results. Most journeys need less complexity, not more. If something’s not working, cut it or simplify it.
Remember: It’s better to have a few high-impact journeys than dozens of mediocre ones.
Quick Recap & Next Steps
You don’t need an army or a six-month roadmap to get started. Just:
- Clean up your data.
- Define a few clear segments.
- Map a straightforward journey.
- Build and test in Airship.
- Personalize only where it counts.
- Measure what matters.
- Keep things simple and improve as you go.
Personalized journeys in Airship aren’t magic—they’re just practical, thoughtful messaging. Start simple, ship fast, and tweak as you learn. That’s how you build campaigns users actually want to see.