Audience Channel design is mostly choosing the right surface for the right population. The configuration is straightforward once the strategy is clear; the strategy is the harder problem.
- Identify the channel mix
For each audience, decide which channels make sense: email only, multi-channel sequence, paid-only retargeting. The decision drives connector setup.
- Configure the relevant connector
Set up the email channel (Marketing Cloud Engagement), the SMS channel (MobileConnect), the ad channel (Meta or Google connector through Advertising Studio or Data Cloud), or the partner channel (Snowflake, S3).
- Map identifiers and consent
For each channel, confirm the identifier mapping (Contact Key for email, hashed email for Meta) and the consent attribute (opt-in flag) the channel needs.
- Set frequency caps
Configure per-channel frequency caps so the audience does not get spammed. Caps should reflect customer-friendly cadence and any regulatory limits.
- Activate and monitor
Publish the audience through the configured channel. Monitor match rate, delivery, engagement, and conversion for the first weeks. Adjust based on what the channel actually returns.
- Consent state differs per channel. A customer opted in to email may have opted out of SMS; honour each channel separately or risk regulatory exposure.
- Identifier mismatches produce zero match. Marketing Cloud Contact Key sent to Meta returns nothing useful; use hashed email.
- Frequency caps prevent audience fatigue. Skipping them trains audiences to ignore the brand.
- Match rate is channel-specific. Email is high; hashed-email on ad platforms is 40 to 70 percent. Plan campaigns for the attrition.