1. #B2BContentEvent
Content Connection Points
Building a Segmentation Strategy &
Communicating with Buyer Profiles
Ruth P. Stevens
ruth@ruthstevens.com
@RuthPStevens
B B
Conference

2. #B2BContentEvent
What
is
a
customer
segment?
A
group
with
similar
wants
and
needs.
– Dis$nct
from
other
segments
(different
segments
have
different
needs)
– Homogeneous
within
the
segment
(common
needs)
– Responds
similarly
to
market
s>mulus
– Stable
enough
to
market
to
– Ac$onable.
Can
be
reached
by
communica>ons
and
distribu>on
channels
– Substan$al
enough
to
be
profitable
2

3. #B2BContentEvent
Why
segment?
• Efficient
use
of
limited
resources.
– Choose
the
most
profitable
groups
to
target
• Develop
effec>ve
marke>ng
strategies.
– Speak
to
customer
needs
in
a
relevant
way
• Monitor
success
and
re-­‐segment
as
needed.
– Con>nuous
improvement
3

4. #B2BContentEvent
The
segmenta>on
process
1. Iden>fying
segments
within
the
target
audience.
2. Selec>ng
target
segments.
3. Crea>ng
product
mix
and
communica>ons
mix
for
each
target
segment.
• Posi$oning
products
to
serve
the
segment
• Profiling
segment
to
develop
impacNul
messaging
4

5. #B2BContentEvent
Segmenta>on
variables
for
B-­‐to-­‐B
from
Bonoma,
Shapiro,
“How
to
Segment
Industrial
Markets,
HBR
• Demographics
• Purchasing
approaches
– industry,
company
size,
– purchasing
func>on,
buyer-­‐
customer
loca>on
seller
rela>onships,
purchasing
• Opera>ng
variables
policies,
purchasing
criteria
– company
technology,
• Situa>onal
factors
product/brand
use
– urgency
of
order,
product
status,
customer
applica>on,
size
of
order
capabili>es
• Buyers’
personal
characteris>cs
– character,
approach

6. #B2BContentEvent
Defining
your
target
customers
for
prospec>ng
Characterize
your
target,
by
key
variables:
– Industry
– Company
size
– Job
>tle/func>on
– Other
(but
make
sure
it’s
ac#onable).
April
26,
2012
6

7. #B2BContentEvent
Understand
the
needs
of
your
target
Sources
of
insight:
• Talk
to
sales
people
and
customer
service
staff
• Primary
research
– Online
– Focus
groups
or
one-­‐on-­‐one
interviews
– Surveys
NEEDS:
Examples
• Advisory
board
• Solve
a
problem
• Gain
recogni>on
• Save
>me,
money
• Increase
produc>vity
April
26,
2012
7

8. #B2BContentEvent
Create
“personas”
• Persona:
A
fic>onal
character
represen>ng
a
target
segment.
– Aka
“profile.”
• Useful
in
cracing
relevant
messaging
and
mo>va>onal
offers.
Meet
Joe.
He's
owner
and
CEO
of
a
growing,
mid-­‐sized
stock
brokerage
company.
Joe
is
a
gregarious
guy,
married,
with
two
children.
His
wife
works,
so
there’s
always
more
to
get
done
in
the
day
than
they
can
handle.
Joe
wears
a
suit
to
the
office,
but
is
actually
more
comfortable
in
casual
clothes.
He
drives
a
roomy
4-­‐
door.
In
the
downturn,
his
company
took
quite
a
hit,
so
he’s
looking
for
ways
to
get
back
on
track
and
run
the
business
more
efficiently,
using
technology.
April
26,
2012
8

9. #B2BContentEvent
Tech
influencer
persona
Meet
Stan.
He's
database
administrator
at
a
large
manufacturing
company
in
suburban
Illinois.
Stan
is
single,
and
lives
in
a
rental
apartment
with
his
two
dogs.
On
weekends,
he
favors
day
hiking
and
watching
his
favorite
sports
teams
on
Internet
television.
He’s
a
gadget-­‐lover,
and
early
adopter
of
consumer
electronics.
He
never
wears
a
suit
to
the
office.
He
drives
a
late-­‐model
SUV.
Stan
appreciates
how
people
in
his
company
are
always
asking
him
for
tech
advice.
His
company
understands
the
value
of
technology
in
gaining
a
compe##ve
manufacturing
edge.
April
26,
2012
9

10. #B2BContentEvent
Talking
their
language
Tech buyer Easy to install. No downtime. End-users won’t
complain. I can look like a hero.
“Spend less.”
Business Easy to use. Will save us time and money. Help
buyer me get the job done. I can look smart.
“Sell more.”

11. #B2BContentEvent
Example:
Relevant
messaging
Tech
buyer
Business
buyer

12. #B2BContentEvent
Strategic
applica>ons
of
content
by
marke>ng
objec>ve
1. Thought
leadership
2. Lead
genera>on
3. Rela>onship
management

13. #B2BContentEvent
Case
study
in
thought
leadership
Maddock
Douglas
in
conversa>on

14. #B2BContentEvent
Blog
is
promoted
by
Twiier

15.
Case
study
in
lead
genera>on #B2BContentEvent
Box
targets
mid-­‐market
business
managers

16. #B2BContentEvent
Case
study
in
rela>onship
management
HP
delivers
dynamic
newsleier
content
Results:
• 18%
overall
traffic
• Open
rate
+
300%
• CTR
+600%

17. #B2BContentEvent
Thank
you
ruth@ruthstevens.com
@RuthPStevens
Visit
MaximizingLeadGenera>on.com
for
a
free
sample
chapter.

18. #B2BContentEvent
Buyers
rely
on
content
more
than
ever
“Very”
or
“extremely”
influen>al
over
final
purchase
decision.
Source:
Eccolo
Media
2011
B2B
Technology
Collateral
Survey

19. #B2BContentEvent
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