Introduction
The way you segment is the key to engagement
Have you sat with a set of accounts, numbering say 1000, thinking of ways and means to start targeting them? Engaging with them about your product, hoping that at least some of them should get back, magically, and say yes?
At the same time, think of the challenges – these are a diverse set of accounts, each having unique needs, behaviors and buying cycles. Their level of maturity, propensity to adopt your product, and even their buyer groups would be dissimilar.
So how do you target them? Surely, we start with the similarities - in the traditional B2B world, we would start grouping them into geography, industry vertical, demography and so on. Another hope we would hold for is that the message we craft basis this segmentation would appeal to some/majority among the segment basis the similarity they hold among themselves.
Yet, the differences and divergences can potentially mean that every account is unique and will need a strategy designed JUST for it.
That turns the traditional segmentation on its head, where the differences matter more than the similarities. This is where AI comes in, helping businesses break down their broad set of accounts into highly specific micro-segments, delivering targeted messages and strategies that resonate deeply with each group.
The Problem: One-size-fits-all segmentation does not work anymore
By nature, similarity-based account segmentation variables like industry, company size, or geography etc. is static. This allows and even perpetuates broad categorization, leading to identification of personas, and centricity of communication basis those personas. However, today’s buyers are more diverse and sophisticated, with expectations for personalized communication that speaks directly to their unique pain points and needs.
Deep AI-led account research, on the other hand, helps highlight the differences—allowing organizations to execute personalized strategies that engage each account based on its unique characteristics.
Let us take a recent example we experienced with one of our customers at Tapistro. We were given a list of some thousand accounts, with the static segmentation already in place. The business problem – the marketing team was not too keen on running their existing campaign because they realized that it was too cookie-cutter in approach.
By leveraging AI, we helped them sift through public data across multiple sources –something that is innately dynamic, to identify a set of ‘current’ accounts in specific geos which were apt for outreach – a new segment was created to which the campaign was dramatically more personalized!
Avoiding the pitfalls of static segmentation
Some usual ways we know campaigns can flounder are,
Generic Messaging: Broad segmentation results in generic messaging that fails to resonate with specific decision-makers or personas within a target account.
Missed Opportunities: Without deeper segmentation, businesses miss the opportunity to target accounts at the right buying stage or with the right product fit.
Inefficient Resource Allocation: Marketing and sales teams waste time and resources targeting accounts with low conversion potential because they lack the data to prioritize high-intent prospects.
As businesses expand their engagement to include multi-channel, cross-channel efforts, dynamic segmentation becomes essential. This is where AI steps in, offering more granular, actionable insights.
How Tapistro’s AI-Powered segmentation transforms engagement
Tapistro’s AI-driven platform allows you to go beyond basic categories and develop micro-segments using a range of dynamic data points, including:
- Industry-specific behavior from news, events, 3rd part data
- Online behavior – tracked and anonymous
- Buying group movements, say job changes
- Multi- sourced intent signals
- Engagement history
By analyzing these variables, Tapistro creates dynamic, highly targeted segments that allow you to personalize your engagement more effectively, resulting in:
1. Multi-Dimensional Segmentation
With Tapistro, you can segment your accounts across multiple dimensions, offering far more precision than traditional methods. Instead of grouping accounts by static factors like industry or size, Tapistro considers multiple criteria at once. For example, you can segment accounts and persons based on:
- Industry: Tailor your messaging to industry-specific challenges and needs.
- Buying Stage: Identify where the account is in the buying journey—awareness, consideration, or decision.
- Personas: Engage decision-makers and influencers based on their role and impact in the buying process.
This approach allows you to develop more focused, effective outreach strategies that speak directly to the unique circumstances of each account.
2. Real-Time Intent Data Analysis
Tapistro integrates with leading website visitor identification tools like RB2B, Factors.ai, Clearbit and others to capture browser activity, even if anonymous. Similarly, Tapistro can bring in intent from other sources, for example LinkedIn and G2, and thus can help you build actionable journeys around
- The content your prospects are consuming
- Their level of engagement with your brand
By analyzing intent signals from various sources—like website activity, third-party data, and social media—Tapistro can segment accounts based on their readiness to buy. This helps you prioritize high-intent accounts and focus your efforts on prospects most likely to convert.
3. Dynamic Segmentation for Ongoing Optimization
Continuous tracking of various data points helps in creating a dynamic segment. The platform continuously updates these segments based on new data and real-time insights, ensuring accounts are always categorized in the most relevant way. This dynamic approach offers you several key benefits:
- Adapting to Changing Behavior: As an account moves through the buying journey or shifts focus, Tapistro updates the segment to ensure your messaging remains relevant.
- Optimizing Resource Allocation: Tapistro prioritizes high-intent, high-value accounts, ensuring that you focus your resources where they will have the greatest impact.
For instance, if an account initially shows interest in your product but later disengages, Tapistro can reclassify it into a “nurture” segment until new engagement signals emerge.
4. Micro-Segmentation for Hyper-Personalization
Tapistro allows you to create micro-segments that enable hyper-personalized messaging. Instead of sending generic emails to broad groups, Tapistro enables you to craft tailored messages that address the specific needs and challenges of each micro-segment.
For example, you can create micro-segments based on:
- Industry and Persona: Accounts in the manufacturing industry, where decision-makers are in the consideration stage.
- Product Affinity and Intent: Accounts actively engaging with your content and showing interest in specific product features.
- Buying Stage and Engagement History: Accounts that have interacted with your sales team but have returned to the research phase, signaling a need for re-engagement.
By targeting these micro-segments with personalized messages, you increase engagement and improve conversion rates.
5. Scaling Personalization Across Channels
Tapistro’s AI-powered segmentation also enables you to scale personalized outreach across multiple channels. Whether you are engaging through email, social media, or direct sales outreach, Tapistro ensures that each channel delivers consistent, relevant messaging tailored to the account’s segment.
For example, if an account is in the decision-making stage, Tapistro ensures that both your email marketing and sales teams deliver aligned, relevant messaging designed to close the deal.
Conclusion: The Future of B2B Engagement is AI-Driven Segmentation
In today’s competitive B2B landscape, static segmentation strategies are no longer sufficient. Tapistro’s AI-powered segmentation offers you a smarter, more dynamic way to engage prospects, enabling you to deliver hyper-personalized messages at scale. By breaking down large account sets into micro-segments and continuously refining them with real-time data, Tapistro helps you engage with the right accounts at the right time, leading to better conversions and more efficient use of resources.
Source: People Vectors by Vecteezy
