Before you start segmenting and marketing to customers, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Do you want to increase awareness, generate leads, boost conversions, or foster loyalty? Different goals require different segments and messages. For example, if you want to attract new customers, you might segment them based on their pain points and offer solutions. If you want to retain existing customers, you might segment them based on their purchase history and offer incentives. Knowing your goals will help you define your segments and craft your marketing campaigns.
Another common mistake is to segment and market to customers based on irrelevant or outdated criteria. For example, you might assume that all millennials have the same preferences, needs, and behaviors, and ignore other factors that influence their decisions. Or you might use data that is no longer accurate or representative of your audience. To avoid this, you need to use criteria that are relevant to your goals, your products, and your customers. You also need to update your data regularly and validate your assumptions with research and feedback.
One of the challenges of segmenting and marketing to customers is to find the right balance between size and specificity. If your segments are too large, you might miss out on opportunities to tailor your messages and offers to different customer groups. If your segments are too small, you might waste time and money on targeting too many niches and creating too many variations of your campaigns. To avoid this, you need to consider the potential value and profitability of each segment, as well as the resources and costs of reaching them. You also need to test and measure the effectiveness of your segmentation and marketing strategies and adjust them as needed.
Another common pitfall is to segment and market to customers in ways that are inconsistent with your brand identity, values, and voice. For example, you might use a tone or style that does not match your brand personality, or you might make promises or claims that do not align with your brand promise. This can confuse, disappoint, or alienate your customers and damage your reputation. To avoid this, you need to ensure that your segmentation and marketing efforts are aligned with your brand strategy and reflect your unique selling proposition and value proposition.
With our multi-brand/multi-website strategy it was paramount that each site had an authentic and individual tone of voice that was recognisable to the customer and delivered consistently throughout the site and all touch points.
Finally, one of the most common mistakes is to segment and market to customers without communicating the value and benefits of your products or services. For example, you might focus on features or prices, without explaining how they solve your customers' problems or fulfill their desires. Or you might use generic or vague messages, without highlighting what makes your products or services different or better than your competitors'. This can result in low engagement, conversion, and retention rates. To avoid this, you need to communicate value and benefits clearly and convincingly, using emotional triggers, social proof, and calls to action.