If you are a marketer, then you would know that segmenting your audience can help with the planning and execution of a brand’s marketing campaign. Targeting specific audience segments and creating a campaign tailored to them would be much more effective than a campaign that aims to please a broad audience.
Meanwhile, the concept of granular segmentation has also emerged and is changingthe way that brands segment their audiences.
In terms of granularity in audience segmentation, the real question is – how granular is too granular?
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Audience segmentation
Audience segmentation allows marketers to categorise their audience according to a number of different factors. It is worth noting that the most common audience segments are demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioural.
In order for an audience segment to be viable, it must consist of people with similar interests, features, and needs. Additionally, it must also be distinct from other segments. What makes them crucial for marketing purposes is that each segment typically has a common or predictable response to marketing which makes the creation of marketing materials (for that segment) easier and time effective.
A different strategy being made for each segment is an excellent way to capture and hold your audience’s attention.
By segmenting your audience, it can help you better understand your customers, particularly their needs and wants. Knowing this, and applying initiatives to fulfil these demands, can lead to efficient and effective marketing campaigns. Plus, your brand is given a competitive edge against competitors.
Granularity
Now in terms of granularity, it can definitely become overwhelming as you keep peeling back the layers of your audience. With a social listening tool, you have the ability to gain valuable insights into these granular segments, providing you with richer and informative understanding of your audience.
For instance, if one audience segment are customers living in a certain city, you may want to dive deeper and segment this audience into those who live within a specific post code, and for this segment, you may want to segment it again into those who live on a named street.
As you can see, the above example went extremely granular regarding that audience segment. The more granular you go, the more precise and detailed your audience becomes.
On the other hand, whilst it may seem extreme, it comes with numerous advantages – one being that you are able to customise marketing campaigns at a more personal level which can help boost brand loyalty and customer retention.
How granular is too granular?
The level of granularity that you should strive for depends on your business needs. Some brands prefer broader audience segments, whilst others prefer detailed ones for more tailored marketing experiences.
As each layer of granularity is peeled back, audience segments become much more specific and smaller. This may mean that you are missing out on customers who don’t fit the specific criteria.
If you have the capacity to create bespoke marketing strategies for each small audience segment that you have, then you shouldn’t hold back. However, not all businesses have the resources to do this. In this case, the best option would be to stick to more broader segments.