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How to effectively segment your audience for account-based marketing

November 18, 2023 | Jimit Mehta

Welcome to our article on how to effectively segment your audience for account-based marketing! If you're looking to make the most of your marketing efforts, targeting specific accounts and individuals within those accounts can be a highly effective strategy. But to do so successfully, you need to have a clear understanding of who your ideal customers are and how to segment them. In this article, we'll explore the importance of audience segmentation in account-based marketing and provide tips and best practices for effectively segmenting your audience. Whether you're just getting started with account-based marketing or looking to fine-tune your strategy, this article will provide valuable insights and actionable steps to help you achieve your marketing goals.

Why segmentation is important in account-based marketing

Segmentation is the process of dividing a larger audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or traits. In the context of account-based marketing, segmentation is important because it allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to specific accounts and individuals within those accounts, rather than trying to appeal to a broad, undifferentiated audience.

By segmenting your audience, you can create more personalized and relevant marketing campaigns that are more likely to resonate with your target accounts and personas. This can help you to build stronger relationships with those customers and ultimately drive more conversions and revenue.

Segmentation also allows you to more effectively allocate your marketing resources and budget by focusing on the most valuable and promising accounts and personas. This can help you to optimize your return on investment and maximize the impact of your marketing efforts.

Overall, segmentation is a key aspect of successful account-based marketing and can help you to achieve better results and drive more value for your business.

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Identifying your target accounts and personas

Identifying your target accounts and personas is a crucial step in the process of segmenting your audience for account-based marketing. Your target accounts are the specific companies or organizations that you want to target with your marketing efforts, while your personas are the specific individuals within those accounts who are most likely to be interested in your products or services.

To identify your target accounts and personas, you will need to gather and analyze data on your current customers and prospects. This can include demographic information such as industry, company size, and location, as well as firmographic data such as revenue, growth rate, and decision-making structure. You can also gather data on customer behaviors and engagement, such as website activity, email open rates, and social media interactions.

By analyzing this data, you can identify patterns and trends that will help you to better understand your ideal customers and the types of accounts and personas that are most likely to be interested in your products or services. You can then use this information to create detailed buyer personas that represent your ideal customers and help you to more effectively target your marketing efforts.

Once you have identified your target accounts and personas, you can use this information to create targeted marketing campaigns and messaging that speaks directly to the needs and interests of these individuals. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your target audience and drive more conversions and revenue.

Gathering and analyzing customer data

Gathering and analyzing customer data is an essential step in the process of segmenting your audience for account-based marketing. By collecting and analyzing data on your current customers and prospects, you can gain a better understanding of their needs, preferences, and behaviors, which can help you to create more personalized and relevant marketing campaigns.

There are many different types of data that you can gather and analyze when it comes to customer segmentation, including demographic data, firmographic data, and behavioral data. Demographic data includes information such as age, gender, income, and education level, while firmographic data includes information such as industry, company size, and location. Behavioral data includes information such as website activity, email open rates, and social media interactions.

There are a variety of tools and technologies that you can use to gather and analyze customer data, including marketing automation software, CRM systems, and data analytics platforms. These tools can help you to collect, organize, and analyze data from a variety of sources, including your website, email campaigns, social media channels, and more.

By gathering and analyzing customer data, you can better understand your target audience and create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your customers and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.

Segmenting your audience by demographics

Segmenting your audience by demographics is a common and effective way to divide your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or traits. Demographic data includes information such as age, gender, income, and education level, and can be useful for identifying common characteristics and interests among different segments of your audience.

To segment your audience by demographics, you will need to gather and analyze data on your current customers and prospects. This can include information such as age, gender, income, education level, and other demographic data points. You can then use this information to create demographic profiles of your target audience and identify common characteristics or trends among different segments.

For example, you might find that your products or services are particularly popular among young professionals with high incomes and advanced degrees, or that your audience is primarily composed of middle-aged parents with moderate incomes. By segmenting your audience based on demographic data, you can create more targeted and relevant marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of these different segments.

Demographic segmentation can be particularly useful for account-based marketing, as it allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to specific accounts and personas based on their demographic characteristics. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your target audience and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.

Segmenting by behavior and engagement

Segmenting your audience by behavior and engagement is a way to divide your audience into smaller groups based on how they interact with your business and your marketing efforts. This type of segmentation can be particularly useful for account-based marketing, as it allows you to target specific accounts and personas based on their level of engagement with your brand.

To segment your audience by behavior and engagement, you will need to gather and analyze data on how your customers and prospects interact with your business. This can include information such as website activity, email open rates, social media interactions, and other measures of engagement.

By analyzing this data, you can identify patterns and trends that will help you to better understand the behavior and engagement levels of different segments of your audience. For example, you might find that some of your customers are highly engaged with your brand, visiting your website frequently and interacting with your social media accounts, while others are less engaged, only occasionally visiting your website or engaging with your marketing efforts.

By segmenting your audience based on behavior and engagement, you can create more targeted and relevant marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of your most engaged customers and accounts. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your target audience and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.

Segmenting by firmographics

Segmenting your audience by firmographics is a way to divide your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or traits related to the companies or organizations they work for. Firmographic data includes information such as industry, company size, and location, and can be useful for identifying common characteristics and interests among different segments of your audience.

To segment your audience by firmographics, you will need to gather and analyze data on your current customers and prospects, including information such as industry, company size, location, and other firmographic data points. You can then use this information to create firmographic profiles of your target audience and identify common characteristics or trends among different segments.

For example, you might find that your products or services are particularly popular among tech startups in Silicon Valley, or that your audience is primarily composed of mid-sized manufacturing companies in the Midwest. By segmenting your audience based on firmographic data, you can create more targeted and relevant marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of these different segments.

Firmographic segmentation can be particularly useful for account-based marketing, as it allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to specific accounts and personas based on the characteristics of the companies they work for. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your target audience and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.

Segmenting by customer journey stage

Segmenting your audience by customer journey stage is a way to divide your audience into smaller groups based on where they are in the process of considering, evaluating, and purchasing your products or services. Customer journey stage segmentation can be particularly useful for account-based marketing, as it allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to specific accounts and personas based on their current needs and interests.

There are typically several stages in the customer journey, including awareness, consideration, decision, and loyalty. During the awareness stage, your audience is just starting to become aware of your brand and may be searching for information on products or services like yours. During the consideration stage, they are actively considering different options and evaluating which products or services might be the best fit for them. During the decision stage, they are ready to make a purchase and are deciding which specific product or service to buy. And during the loyalty stage, they are happy customers who may be open to purchasing additional products or services from you or referring others to your business.

To segment your audience by customer journey stage, you will need to gather and analyze data on how your customers and prospects are interacting with your business. This can include information such as website activity, email open rates, social media interactions, and other measures of engagement. By analyzing this data, you can identify patterns and trends that will help you to better understand the customer journey stage of different segments of your audience.

By segmenting your audience based on customer journey stage, you can create more targeted and relevant marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of your audience at each stage of the customer journey. This can help you to build stronger relationships with your target audience and drive more conversions and revenue for your business.

Using technology and tools for audience segmentation

Using technology and tools for audience segmentation is a way to efficiently and effectively gather, organize, and analyze data on your current customers and prospects in order to segment your audience for account-based marketing. There are a variety of tools and technologies available that can help you to collect, organize, and analyze customer data, including marketing automation software, CRM systems, and data analytics platforms.

Marketing automation software is designed to help businesses automate and streamline their marketing efforts, including audience segmentation. These systems typically include features such as email marketing, lead generation, and customer segmentation, which can help you to more easily target and engage with your audience.

CRM systems are designed to help businesses manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle. These systems often include features such as contact management, sales tracking, and customer segmentation, which can help you to more effectively manage and engage with your target accounts and personas.

Data analytics platforms are designed to help businesses collect, organize, and analyze data from a variety of sources, including websites, social media channels, and email campaigns. These systems can help you to gain insights into your audience's behaviors and preferences, which can be useful for segmenting your audience and creating more targeted and relevant marketing campaigns.

Overall, using technology and tools for audience segmentation can help you to more efficiently and effectively gather and analyze customer data, allowing you to create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns that drive conversions and revenue for your business.

Best practices for segmentation in account-based marketing

There are several best practices that you can follow to ensure that you are effectively segmenting your audience for account-based marketing:

  1. Define your target audience: Clearly define your target accounts and personas, and gather data on their characteristics, needs, and behaviors in order to create detailed buyer personas.

  2. Gather and analyze customer data: Use a variety of tools and technologies, such as marketing automation software, CRM systems, and data analytics platforms, to gather and analyze customer data from a variety of sources.

  3. Use multiple segmentation criteria: Don't rely on just one criterion, such as demographics, to segment your audience. Instead, use multiple criteria, such as firmographics, behavior and engagement, and customer journey stage, to create more nuanced and targeted segments.

  4. Test and refine your segments: Once you have created your segments, test and refine them by analyzing the results of your marketing campaigns and adjusting your segmentation criteria as needed.

  5. Personalize your marketing efforts: Use the insights you gain from segmentation to create personalized and relevant marketing campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of your target accounts and personas.

  6. Monitor and measure your results: Regularly track and measure the performance of your marketing campaigns and adjust your segmentation strategy as needed based on the results you see.

By following these best practices, you can effectively segment your audience for account-based marketing and create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns that drive conversions and revenue for your business.

Measuring the success of your segmentation strategy

Measuring the success of your segmentation strategy is an important step in ensuring that your marketing efforts are effective and driving the desired results. There are several key metrics that you can use to measure the success of your segmentation strategy, including:

  1. Conversion rates: Track the number of conversions that you are getting from different segments of your audience, and compare the conversion rates of your targeted marketing campaigns to those of your broader marketing efforts.

  2. Revenue: Track the revenue that you are generating from different segments of your audience, and compare the revenue generated by your targeted marketing campaigns to those of your broader marketing efforts.

  3. Customer engagement: Monitor metrics such as website activity, email open rates, and social media interactions to see how engaged different segments of your audience are with your marketing efforts.

  4. Customer satisfaction: Use surveys and other tools to measure customer satisfaction and gather feedback from different segments of your audience.

By tracking and analyzing these metrics, you can gain insights into which segments of your audience are most valuable and responsive to your marketing efforts, and adjust your segmentation strategy accordingly. This can help you to optimize your return on investment and maximize the impact of your marketing efforts.

Summary

Segmentation is an essential aspect of successful account-based marketing, as it allows businesses to tailor their marketing efforts to specific accounts and individuals within those accounts. To effectively segment your audience, you should first identify your target accounts and personas, and gather and analyze data on their characteristics, needs, and behaviors. You can then use this information to segment your audience by demographics, behavior and engagement, firmographics, customer journey stage, or other criteria.

To ensure that your segmentation strategy is effective, you should regularly test and refine your segments, personalize your marketing efforts, and monitor and measure your results. By following these best practices, you can create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns that drive conversions and revenue for your business.

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