Chop That up Even Finer

"The problem with the word 'segmentation' is that it has lost its meaning," says Andy Hasselwander in a recent post at the B2B Marketing Confidential blog. "Like [saying] 'analytics,' saying 'segmentation' can mean virtually anything." To better hone their targeting efforts, B2B marketers need to focus in on creating more "goal-driven detail," he says. In other words, it's time to segment your segmentation.

The best place to begin sharpening your outreach, Hasselwander says, is to set clear business goals. To do so, ask yourself pointed questions such as, Are you primarily trying to grow profit or grow revenue?

Next, he says, it's time to gain "source insight." That means "pulling all the stuff [you] do and can know about customers that would make meeting ... business goals ... easier, and putting them in a giant bin."

Now, you're ready to chop fine. He suggests you segment by:

• Value. How valuable each customer is to you. "[S]egmenting customers by value … has to happen first," he insists.
• Product. What those prioritized customers want and need from your product or service. This is sometimes called "needs-based segmentation," notes Hasselwander.
• Creative. How customers respond to different visuals, animation, etc. "Some of the cool things going on in biometric research are useful here," he says.
• Promotion. How customers respond to different types of incentives: price points, free shipping, etc.
• Channel. Which customers use which channels, and which they prefer.
• Targeting/Finding. Where to actually find customers wherever they are.

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