Building a Practical Customer Segmentation for ToB Businesses

Building Your ToB Customer Profile: A Focused Approach to Tagging

Many ToB businesses are overwhelmed by complex customer segmentation strategies. This blog post argues for a more focused approach, especially for those starting their journey with private domain marketing.

Let's face it: not all tags are created equal. While many CRM vendors boast about sophisticated tagging systems, remember that simplicity often trumps complexity, particularly when you're just beginning. Overly granular tags can add unnecessary work without providing actionable insights.

Step-by-Step to a Tailored Tag System:

Instead of jumping into intricate tag structures, start with the basics and gradually refine your system based on your specific business needs:

1. Define Your Target Customer:

• Who are you serving? This should be clear from your product development stage and confirmed by leadership.
• Identify key characteristics like industry, company size, job roles within the client organization, and even decision-making influencers (e.g., IT, executives).

Initial Tags:

• Company Industry
• Company Size
• Customer Position
• Customer Level

2. Align with Strategic Objectives:

Once your private domain grows, integrate tags that support your company's strategic goals:

• Geographic Focus: Prioritize regions where you actively operate and target key cities within those areas. This allows you to track performance and tailor marketing efforts.
• Team Size: If your product serves specific departmental teams (e.g., HR), include team size as a tag to measure the potential impact of your solutions.

Additional Tags:

• Company Province
• Company City
• Team Size

3. Enhance with Market Operations Data:

As your private domain matures, incorporate tags that reflect customer engagement and value:

• MDR Tag Group: Based on interactions with clients (e.g., phone calls, emails), categorize them as potential competitors, ecosystem partners, non-target audiences, or target customers with varying readiness levels. This helps analyze the quality of leads generated through various marketing channels.

Remember:

• Don't chase every trendy tag; focus on those that directly impact your business goals.
• Regularly review and refine your tagging system to ensure it remains relevant and valuable.

ToB businesses thrive on data-driven decisions. A well-structured tagging system forms the foundation for effective customer segmentation, targeted marketing campaigns, and ultimately, successful growth.