What is technographic segmentation? [With examples]

Technographic segmentation refers to segmenting your customers based on a technology or a group of technologies. It is useful because the products a compsny uses indicates something about their strategy, worldview, and business needs. For example, a company using Hubspot is much likelier to invest in inbound marketing, because of the way Hubspot has positioned itself in the market. Conversely, a company using Salesforce might be more traditional and invest mainly in outbound sales.

Read more to learn what is technographic segmentation, what are its benefits and challenges, what are some common examples of technographic segmentation, and how marketing and sales can use it.

What is technographic segmentation?

Technographic segmentation is a marketing strategy that involves dividing customers into groups based on their technology usage and preferences. This type of segmentation can provide valuable insights into the interests and needs of customers, and can inform marketing and sales efforts.

To create technographic segments, businesses can collect data about the technology products and services that customers use, such as the type of devices they own, the software they use, and the online services they subscribe to. This data can be used to create customer segments based on common technology usage patterns, such as smartphone users, software developers, or online shoppers.

Technographic segmentation can be used in combination with other types of segmentation, such as demographic or behavioral segmentation, to provide a more detailed and accurate picture of customers' interests and needs. This data can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns, personalized product recommendations, and tailored customer experiences.

Overall, technographic segmentation can help businesses better understand their customers and create more effective marketing and sales strategies.

Technographics vs firmographics

Technographics and firmographics are two similar but distinct forms of market segmentation. Technographics is the process of grouping consumers or businesses based on their technology usage and adoption, while firmographics is the process of grouping consumers or businesses based on their company characteristics, such as industry, company size, revenue, or geographic location.

Technographics and firmographics can be used together to create a more complete picture of consumers and businesses, and to create more effective marketing and sales strategies. For example, a B2B software company might use both technographics and firmographics to target its marketing and sales efforts towards small to medium-sized businesses in the finance industry that are heavy users of productivity software.

Technographics and firmographics are both useful forms of market segmentation, and each has its own strengths and limitations. By using both technographics and firmographics together, businesses can create more targeted and effective marketing and sales strategies.

The benefits of technographic segmentation

The challenges of technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation can be useful for businesses that want to target their marketing efforts towards specific technology users, but it can also present some challenges.

One challenge of technographic segmentation is that technology usage and adoption can change quickly. For example, a consumer who is an early adopter of new technology products today may not be as interested in adopting new technology in the future, or vice versa. This means that technographic segments can become outdated quickly, and businesses need to regularly update their segmentation strategy to reflect changes in technology usage and adoption.

Another challenge of technographic segmentation is that it can be difficult to collect accurate and up-to-date data on technology usage and adoption. This data is often collected through surveys or other research methods, which can be time-consuming and expensive. Additionally, people may not always accurately report their technology usage, which can make it difficult to create accurate technographic segments.

Examples of technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation can be used in a variety of ways, depending on the specific needs and goals of a business. Here are some examples of how technographic segmentation might be used:

• A software company might use technographic segmentation to identify consumers who are heavy users of specific types of software, such as productivity tools or design software. This could help the company target its marketing efforts towards these consumers, who are likely to be interested in the company's products.
• A consumer electronics company might use technographic segmentation to identify consumers who are early adopters of new technology products. This could help the company target its marketing efforts towards these consumers, who are likely to be interested in the latest and greatest technology products.
• A mobile phone carrier might use technographic segmentation to identify consumers who are heavy users of mobile data. This could help the company target its marketing efforts towards these consumers, who are likely to be interested in the company's data plans and other mobile services.

These are just a few examples of how technographic segmentation can be used. In general, technographic segmentation can be a useful tool for businesses that want to target their marketing efforts towards specific groups of technology users.

Best practices of technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation can be a powerful tool for businesses, but it is important to follow best practices in order to get the most value out of this type of segmentation. Here are some best practices to keep in mind when using technographic segmentation:

• Regularly update your technographic segments: Technology usage and adoption can change quickly, so it is important to regularly update your technographic segments to reflect these changes. This will help ensure that your segments are accurate and relevant, and that your marketing efforts are targeting the right groups of consumers.

• Collect accurate data on technology usage and adoption: To create effective technographic segments, you need to collect accurate data on technology usage and adoption. This can be challenging, so it is important to use reliable research methods and ensure that your data is up-to-date.

• Use technographic segmentation in combination with other forms of segmentation: Technographic segmentation is just one form of segmentation, and it can be most effective when used in combination with other forms of segmentation, such as demographic or behavioral segmentation. This will give you a more complete picture of your target consumers and help you create more effective marketing strategies.

• Test and refine your technographic segments: As with any form of segmentation, it is important to test and refine your technographic segments to ensure that they are effective. This can involve conducting surveys, focus groups, or other research methods to gather feedback and make adjustments to your technographic segments as needed.

Overall, following these best practices can help you get the most value out of technographic segmentation and create more effective marketing strategies.

Pitfalls of technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation can be a useful tool for businesses, but it is important to be aware of the potential pitfalls of this type of segmentation in order to avoid them. Here are some pitfalls to keep in mind when using technographic segmentation:

Relying on outdated technographic segments

As mentioned earlier, technology usage and adoption can change quickly, so it is important to regularly update your technographic segments to reflect these changes. If you rely on outdated technographic segments, you risk targeting the wrong groups of consumers and wasting your marketing efforts.

Using inaccurate data on technology usage and adoption

In order to create effective technographic segments, you need to collect accurate data on technology usage and adoption. If your data is inaccurate or out-of-date, your technographic segments will not be effective and you may miss important opportunities to target the right groups of consumers.

Focusing too heavily on technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation is just one form of segmentation, and it can be most effective when used in combination with other forms of segmentation. If you focus too heavily on technographic segmentation, you may miss out on important insights and opportunities that other forms of segmentation can provide.

Ignoring the potential limitations of technographic segmentation

Technographic segmentation can be a useful tool, but it is important to recognize its limitations. For example, technographic segments may not always accurately reflect the behavior or preferences of consumers, and they may not be applicable to all types of businesses or products.

How to use technographic segmentation for marketing and sales

Technographic segmentation can be useful for businesses that sell products or services to other businesses (B2B) as well as those that sell to consumers (B2C). In the case of B2B, technographic segmentation can be used to group businesses based on their technology usage and adoption, which can be useful for targeting marketing efforts and sales efforts towards specific groups of businesses.

For example, a B2B software company might use technographic segmentation to identify businesses that are heavy users of specific types of software, such as productivity tools or collaboration tools. This could help the company target its marketing and sales efforts towards these businesses, who are likely to be interested in the company's products.

Additionally, a B2B technology services company might use technographic segmentation to identify businesses that are early adopters of new technology products or services. This could help the company target its marketing and sales efforts towards these businesses, who are likely to be interested in the latest and greatest technology products and services.

Additionally, firmographic segmentation can be used in conjuction with website personalization to highlight specific elements, such as integrations, on a website so visitors find the information they need as fast as possible.

Overall, technographic segmentation can be a useful tool for B2B businesses, and the specific data points and segments used for technographic segmentation will depend on the specific needs and goals of the business.

Summary

Technographic segmentation is the process of grouping consumers based on their technology usage and adoption. This type of segmentation can be useful for businesses that want to target their marketing efforts towards specific technology users, but it can also present some challenges.

Some of the challenges of technographic segmentation include the rapid changes in technology usage and adoption, the difficulty of collecting accurate data on technology usage and adoption, and the potential limitations of this type of segmentation.

In order to get the most value out of technographic segmentation, it is important to follow best practices such as regularly updating your technographic segments, collecting accurate data, using technographic segmentation in combination with other forms of segmentation, and testing and refining your technographic segments. It is also important to be aware of the potential pitfalls of technographic segmentation and take steps to avoid them.