Segmentation Criteria: The Key to Effective Market Research
Market segmentation is the process of dividing a target market into groups of consumers with similar needs and preferences.
By understanding the different segments of their target market, businesses can develop more effective marketing campaigns and achieve their business goals. Refer to my last update on MVS- Minimum Viable Segment.
One of the most important decisions that market researchers need to make is how to segment their target market.
Many different segmentation criteria can be used, such as demographics, psychographics, and behavior.
- Demographic segmentation divides the target market based on factors such as age, gender, income, education, and occupation.
- Psychographic segmentation divides the target market based on factors such as lifestyle, values, and interests.
3. Behavioral segmentation divides the target market based on factors such as purchase history, website usage, and social media activity.
Choosing the right segmentation criteria for your business
The best segmentation criteria for your business will depend on several factors, including your industry, target market, and business goals.
If you are unsure which segmentation criteria to use, you can start by brainstorming a list of all of the factors that are relevant to your business. Then, you can narrow down your list to the criteria that are most important to you and that will be most useful for developing your marketing campaigns.
The MVP is a key factor to consider when deciding on segmentation criteria. The MVP is a product or service that has just enough features to be viable and to validate the business model.
It is important to select segmentation criteria that are relevant to the MVP and that will allow you to learn more about your target market, narrow down to your MVS and how they respond to your product or service.
Using segmentation criteria to develop more effective marketing campaigns
Once you have segmented your target market, and isolated your MVS, you can use this information to develop more effective marketing campaigns. For example, if you are targeting a specific demographic group, you can tailor your marketing messages to appeal to their needs and interests.
You can also use segmentation criteria to target your marketing campaigns more effectively. For example, if you know that a certain segment of your target market is more likely to respond to email marketing, you can focus your email marketing efforts on that segment.
Case studies of businesses that have successfully used segmentation criteria to achieve their business goals
Here are a few examples of businesses that have successfully used segmentation criteria to achieve their business goals:
- Amazon: Amazon uses a variety of segmentation criteria to target its customers with personalized product recommendations.
- Netflix: Netflix uses segmentation criteria to recommend different movies and TV shows to its users based on their viewing history and preferences.
- Spotify: Spotify uses segmentation criteria to recommend different music playlists to its users based on their listening history and preferences.
Conclusion
Market segmentation is a powerful tool that can help businesses to achieve their business goals. By understanding the different segments of their target market, businesses can develop more effective marketing campaigns and reach their target customers more effectively.
If you are not already using segmentation criteria, I encourage you to start doing so today. It is a relatively simple process that can have a big impact on your business results.
About the Author
Omotola Dorcas is a marketing and business development expert with 9+ years of experience in web3, analytics, cloud computing, consulting, and capacity development.
She is the founder of Virtual Domain Agency, a marketing and business development agency supporting African tech businesses to launch, grow, and scale.
Omotola has a proven track record of business growth and expansion. Her passion lies in supporting the private sector and startups within the business ecosystem through strategy and implementation to achieve their business goals.
