Customer Segmentation: How to Make Your Marketing More Successful

The categorization techniques and methodology will vary based on the individual needs of your business. When you have a proper customer segmentation process in place, it can help keep your CRM systems organized and allow you to curtail your marketing strategy more effectively.

What are customer segments?

For those wondering what customer segments are, the ultimate use of segments is designed to help categorize and organize customers, clients, and prospects into various groups.

When wondering how to segment customers, you should consider a strategy that will be based on the needs of your business and various characteristics of your organization.

In many cases, when you are selling to other businesses, some of the factors that can be used when you are trying to create new customer segments will include the size of the businesses you are targeting, the location of the company, the industry that they operate in, number of employees, and whether the company has purchased similar products in the past.

If you are trying to sell directly to individuals, coming up with other similar characteristics to help organize your sales efforts will also be advantageous.

Benefits of customer segmentation

Using a customer segmentation strategy is very important and beneficial for any business. There are various benefits of customer segmentation. In particular, that can make it a good strategy for your organization.

Targeted marketing strategies with market segmentation

One of the advantages of segmenting your customers is that you can have more targeted marketing strategies. When it comes to finding a business or individual customer, no two situations are the same.

Due to this, you will want to have a strategy that is more curtailed to meet your customer needs. When segmenting your customer base the right way, you will be able to provide a more targeted marketing approach, which can improve the chances of conversion to sales.

Improved customer loyalty retention

While using a customer segmentation strategy can help to find new business, it can also be used to help retain existing clients as well. It tends to be much easier and more affordable to retain an existing client than it is to go out and find a new one.

However, there are still strategies that need to be followed to ensure you are able to retain the customers. When you segment your customers during the marketing process, it can help to improve your overall retention. The use of segmentation can also help improve your existing relationships and customer loyalty with your customer base.

Identify and build a brand with your customer base

Having a recognizable brand and image is important for any business. When you are looking to build a brand, starting with a proper segmentation process is very important. When you have segmentation strategies in place and a more curtailed marketing approach, it will make your brand appear less generic and can improve your reputation with these clients.

Customer segmentation reduces costs

One of the advantages of using a customer segmentation strategy is that it can make it a more efficient way for you to find new clients and retain existing ones.

Due to this, you will not have to spend as much money on marketing, which can help improve your bottom line overall. For larger organizations, it could also lead to a reduction in overhead costs as you will be able to use a CRM program that will incorporate these segments into target client lists for individuals that are responsible for sales and marketing.

Types of different customer segments

There are clear advantages that come with having a customer segmentation strategy. However, it continues to be very important that you know how to properly segment your customers. There are various ways that you can complete a segmentation strategy to make it as effective as possible:

Customer segmentation for B2B and B2C

One of the most important steps that you need to follow is to first identify whether they are a business or individual customers. Many organizations will target both groups, but the way that you go about selling to each is quite different.

Due to this, first segmenting your customer base down into these different market segments or groups is an important step and can help to make your process more efficient as you take a lead or client through the full customer journey.

Segment customers based on demographics

One of the ways that a business can help to segment its customer base is by using demographic information. This can be a good strategy whether you are selling to businesses or individual consumers. Some forms of demographics to focus on for businesses include the location of the business, size of the company, annual revenue, and other relevant data.

When selling to an individual, it would be a good idea to find important demographic information that is relevant to your business and target customers. This will help you go through the process of identifying who your target audience is and then curtail a business plan accordingly.

Segment customers by spending

While demographic information is important, you can get an even more clear and more focused way to segment your clients and leads if you segment based on spending.

When segmenting customers based on spending, you will look to find a customer base and leads that have completed purchases and sales of similar products in the past.

You can also incorporate customers that have purchased products that would be good ancillary additions to what you are selling. Doing this will help you find clients that are already knowledgeable about what you are selling, which could make the process more efficient for you in the future.

How do you segment customers?

Once you have decided that customer segmentation is an ideal strategy for you and your business and have determined appropriate segments for your business, you need to find a way to properly segment these businesses and individuals.

As this type of information is not always readily available, there are various strategies and tools that you can use to get the information you need to know that your segments are accurate.

Social media data analysis

Today, one of the most effective tools that you can use is social media data. Most consumers today have some form of an online presence.

When someone is active on social media, they will share information about themselves and will be active with certain groups or follow certain businesses and individuals. You can then use this available data to better segment your target customers into accurate groups.

Website analytics

The use of website analytics is also a good way to get quality information. Based on where a consumer will spend their time online, you can make a conclusion about how interested they will be in your products and services. Based on customer data and how someone spends their time, it can then be a good tool to use when moving forward.

Surveys to improve customer relationships

At times, it can be difficult to get the information that you need from social media and website analytic programs.

However, the use of surveys could make this process more efficient for you. When you do use a surveying program moving forward, it could provide you with direct answers to any questions that you may have.

This can help you get a clear picture of how likely a certain target group would be to purchase your product or service, which can make it a very efficient way to collect data.

Creating content for your customer segments

Following a customer segmentation strategy is always a good idea for businesses that are trying to maximize their marketing efforts.

When combined with a quality CRM program, it can help make your business more efficient and you will create a more targeted strategy.

For those that are looking to establish a customer segmentation program or wonder what CRM is, working with Mailchimp can be a great option. Mailchimp continues to be a leading provider of marketing services that can include helping you create a customized CRM plan.