How to Segment Your Audience

By now, most companies understand the importance of defining a niche audience and marketing towards that group with targeted advertisements. But oftentimes, your audience is not simply comprised of one like-minded group of people. Instead, it includes several different types of consumers with overlapping interests. Segment your customers to more effectively appeal to the individuals within your over-arching target demo!

Break Down the Audience

When it comes to defining your target market, you’ve probably already done the heavy lifting by determining exactly who belongs within your niche. Why not take it one step further? Figure out how to break up your audience into smaller segments based on age, interest, lifestyle, or location. Then, create a group of personas meant to represent each new segment. These fictional personas can help your team keep the characteristics of each subdivision in the forefront of their minds at all times.

For example, say you’re selling insulated coolers. Your audience can most easily be defined as frequently on-the-go consumers who need a place to store food and beverages. But within that niche, different demographics may reveal themselves. Tailgating sports fans, outdoorsy adventurers, and moms out-and-about with young children could all benefit from this product. Don’t forget to look for patterns within your audience that can help you further divide!

Separate Your Campaigns

As demonstrated in the above example, each segment possesses numerous qualities and lifestyles despite one common interest. Therefore, a single marketing campaign is unlikely to appeal to the entire group. Once you have a clear understanding of who you’re targeting, start building out various strategies. Remember to align your creative, copy, and promotions with the interests of those you’d like to attract. Moms may respond best to a mailer that features a happy child eating lunch in the park thanks to the aforementioned cooler. But sports fans are more likely to buy if your product is pictured at a college football game. Build out as many campaigns as there are segments. Then, watch as your success rate climbs through the roof.

Automate Your Marketing

How does your marketing team go about keeping information on each group organized? Use automated marketing for quick and easy segmentation. Online platforms like HubSpot compile stats, data, and patterns regarding each demographic — simplifying your strategy in the process. Plus, these systems can separate users right off the bat by giving customers the opportunity to place themselves into the group they most identify with.

Here’s how it works: when asking consumers to subscribe for newsletter updates, include extra, informative fields within the sign up form itself. Based on how users answer these fields, your system can sort contacts into digital lists that represent each particular group. Maybe active 18-25 year olds go into an “Adventurous” list, while women who identify as mothers go into a “Moms” list. These online subdivisions help your company send the right direct mail promotions to the right people, enhance email open rates, and increase overall brand engagement.

Connect with customers on a deeper level by segmenting your audience! Customers respond more positively when their interests align with your marketing efforts. Ready to implement your new strategy? Contact our experts for more tips and tricks that’ll help you achieve your marketing goals.