Customer Segments: The Missing Ingredient in Your Marketing Mix
Customer segments hold all the secrets your brand is searching for.
Researching them takes time, the necessary questions are complex, and the process will challenge brands in a lot of ways.
But most brands skip this step, which means that you will gain a significant competitive edge by getting to know lots of detais about your customers.
And you already know that there really is no better path to an authentic connection with loyal, paying customers than by delivering content that makes them feel seen.
Customer segments are the groups of people who are seeking the solutions your product solves.
The result of your customer segment research includes:
- Unique, compelling brand language
- Knowedge about your features and benefits
- Ideas to target these groups in your marketing
Get ready to ask a lot of questions.
The questions should not be “Who are we marketing to?” or “What will this look like on Instagram?” Focus your efforts on how your product solves problems for people who are the most likely to spend their money on it.
Questions to ask about your customer segments include:
- At what stage/phase in their process do they reach for a product like yours?
- Are they novices or experts?
- Are they new to your product?
- Where are they finding similar solutions?
- How do we solve problems for them?
- What issues does your product resolve for them?
- What else can take your place?
- What do users like about products or services that can replace yours?
- What do they dislike?
- How does your product improve on what they like and resolve what they dislike about alternative products?
You are going to want to spend some time on these questions; a superficial investigation into a brand’s value will produce superficial results.
It does not benefit any brand to operate on assumptions. A business idea – any business idea – is merely a hypothesis to be tested. At the end of the day, the consumer has the answers brands seek and it is a good idea for brands to invest in surveys and actively seek testimonials and honest reviews looking to answer how they can better serve their customers.
This process takes time and intention and will lead you to the information you need in order to show how you understand your customers’ needs better than any brand on the market.
