What is Behavioral Segmentation? Benefits, Types, And Examples

Ammar Mazhar
Ammar Mazhar

Last updated on

March 11, 2024

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and noticed that some people were ordering the most expensive items on the menu while others opted for the cheaper options? Or have you ever wondered why some people are more likely to buy a product when it's on sale while others are willing to pay full price? The answer lies in behavioral segmentation.

For understanding, imagine you are the owner of a pizza restaurant. Some customers consistently order the priciest pizza on the menu, while others always choose the cheapest. Suppose you categorize your customers based on their purchasing patterns. 

In that case, those who order the priciest pizza are willing to spend more on high-quality ingredients than those who order the cheapest pizza, who are more concerned with cost than quality. With this information, you could design marketing campaigns specifically aimed at each group's hobbies and preferences.

In this article, we'll look more closely at behavioral segmentation and how it can be applied to developing successful marketing plans. We'll look at how businesses use behavioral segmentation to understand their consumers better and increase their bottom line, from data analysis to develop targeted campaigns.

What is behavioral segmentation?

Behavioral segmentation is a marketing strategy that involves dividing customers into groups based on their behaviors, such as their purchasing habits, brand loyalty, and attitudes toward products. By understanding these behaviors, companies can create targeted marketing campaigns more likely to resonate with their intended audience.

Behavioral segmentation can be applied in business by analyzing customer data such as purchase history, product preferences, and demographics. This information can be used to create targeted marketing campaigns that appeal to specific groups of customers. 

Behavioral segmentation can be used in the digital world by examining consumer information gathered through online channels like social media, email marketing, and website analytics. According to each person's tastes and interests, this information can be used to create personalized content, advertisements, and promotions.

To effectively segment customers based on their behaviors, it's crucial to determine the pertinent behaviors to segment on, use trustworthy data sources, and regularly review and update the segmentation strategy. Additionally, confirming that the segmentation conforms with privacy laws and regulations and is ethical is critical.

Why is behavioral segmentation so important?

In marketing segmentation, behavioral segmentation is essential because it enables organizations to examine customer behavior and spot trends in their purchasing patterns. This data enables businesses to target their marketing initiatives specifically towards specific customers, regardless of whether they are frequent or infrequent product consumers.

Businesses can design targeted ads that are more likely to engage customers and increase sales by studying the behavior patterns of their customer base. Moreover, businesses can leverage email automation alongside behavioral segmentation, with the help of tools such as Mailmunch, to target customers effectively.

 Businesses run the risk of treating every consumer the same, regardless of how they shop or what they enjoy.

Infographic: Why is behavioral segmentation important?

1. Helps in identifying engaged customers

Behavioral segmentation is a powerful tool that can help businesses identify engaged customers and increase lifetime value. Businesses can uncover insightful information about their customer base and produce predictive behavioral segments that can provide helpful answers to essential marketing concerns by analyzing consumer behavior. 

For instance, a shoe business might employ behavioral market segmentation to find customers who have previously bought expensive shoes intended to be worn for a long time.

The business may ensure customers interact with their brand for extended periods by targeting this particular group with a loyalty program or email marketing campaign emphasizing shoe care and maintenance.

2. Improves the accuracy of your messaging

Behavioral segmentation enables companies to develop customized marketing efforts that resonate with their customers' particular demands and interests, thereby enhancing the quality and accuracy of communications. 

To target customers more inclined to make purchases, you can use recurring personal occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries, to construct usage-based behavioral segments. The eCommerce store may boost conversion rates and expand its customer base by giving these customers personalized messages and offers.

3. Provides personalized experiences

By enabling businesses to customize their messaging and services to each customer's unique behavior patterns, behavioral segmentation aids in delivering customers a personalized experience. 

Businesses can gain essential insights into their customer base by studying consumer behavior and developing purchase-predictive behavioral segments, which can be used to uncover advantages sought in segmentation and adjust marketing efforts.

 For instance, a merchant might utilize behavioral segmentation to find customers who frequently buy athletic equipment and then target them with special offers and recommendations based on their preferences.

4. Helps in building brand loyalty

Businesses can boost client fulfillment and lifetime value by employing customer data to identify devoted consumers and the best behavioral segmentation strategies for them.

Starbucks was able to identify customers who were most likely to become loyal customers and target its marketing efforts by studying customer behavior such as buy frequency and order size. Starbucks was able to boost customer loyalty and raise client happiness as a result.

5. Makes retargeting easy

Consider that you own a sneaker store and want to retarget customers who have expressed interest in purchasing running shoes. You can target customers who have repeatedly browsed your running shoe selection or added running shoes to their shopping carts but abandoned the process by using behavioral segmentation. 

This strategy prevents you from spending time and money on consumers who might not even be interested in running shoes by ensuring that you are retargeting those who are most likely to convert.

6. Aids decision making

By analyzing customers' historical behavioral patterns, businesses can identify common characteristics and segment customers based on their behavior, such as their buying habits, product usage, and loyalty program engagement. 

This approach helps businesses better understand their customers' needs and preferences and tailor their marketing and product strategies accordingly. Segmenting perhaps is always a great idea to enhance the decision-making power of your business. 

8 Types of behavioral segmentation

1. Segmentation based on purchase behavior

Segmentation based on purchase behavior is a type of behavioral segmentation that involves analyzing customers' purchasing patterns to group them into segments. This approach helps businesses understand their customer's buying habits, including the frequency of purchases, the amount spent, and the types of products or services they purchase. 

By analyzing these patterns, businesses can identify different user statuses, such as first-time buyers, repeat customers, and loyal customers. They can also identify customers likely to respond well to loyalty programs and other incentives. This type of segmentation benefits businesses that want to target specific customer segments with the same benefit or tailor their marketing messages based on psychographic segmentation.

2. Occasion based segmentation

Occasion-based segmentation is referred to as segmentation based on a particular event. For instance, a business selling gifts and accessories online can use occasion-based segmentation to create targeted email marketing campaigns. They can use dynamic email content and email automation to send personalized customer messages based on their occasion-based segment. 

For example, they can send a birthday message with a personalized discount code to customers in the "Birthday" segment or send a promotion for Valentine's Day gifts to customers in the "Valentine's Day" segment. This can be an effective way to improve customer engagement and increase sales for your eCommerce store.

3. Benefit sought segmentation

Benefit sought segmentation is a type of segmentation that categorizes customers based on the specific benefits they seek from a product or service. For instance, a buyer might buy an automobile for various factors, such as comfort, safety, or fuel economy. By comprehending these motives, an automobile maker can design several models that appeal to various customer segments seeking various benefits. 

Benefit-sought segmentation can assist firms in developing more specialized marketing messages that speak to their target market's requirements and motivations. For instance, a company that sells skincare products might develop messaging that emphasizes the particular advantages customers want, like anti-aging, hydration, or sun protection. Customers explicitly looking for those benefits are more likely to respond favorably to this marketing, increasing customer engagement and sales.

4. Segmentation based on customer loyalty

Depending on their level of loyalty, customers can be divided into distinct groups, such as first-time purchasers, frequent buyers, and brand champions. A business can assess customer loyalty using a variety of indicators, including purchase frequency, customer lifetime value, and net promoter score (NPS). 

For example, a company, XYZ, may use customer loyalty segmentation to target its marketing efforts. They may segment their customers into three groups: new customers, repeat customers, and brand advocates. 

New customers would receive marketing messages focusing on building brand awareness and trust, while repeat customers would receive personalized offers and promotions to incentivize them to make additional purchases. Brand advocates, who are highly loyal customers and likely to recommend the company to others, may receive exclusive offers and rewards encouraging them to continue promoting the company to their network.

5. Segmentation based on customer journey

This approach assumes that customers have different needs and behaviors at different stages of the sales funnel. Businesses can create more effective marketing strategies by understanding these stages and tailoring their offerings accordingly. The customer journey is frequently described using the AIDA model, which stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. It divides the client journey into four stages, with a different marketing strategy needed for each stage

Infographic: The AIDA model
  • Attention: This is when customers become aware of a brand or product. Businesses need to grab customers' attention through eye-catching advertising or marketing campaigns.
  • Interest: Once customers know about a brand or product, they must be convinced that it is worth their time and consideration. Businesses must create interest by highlighting their products' or services' features and benefits.
  • Desire: Now that the customers are interested, they must be persuaded to want the product or service. Businesses must create desire by showing how their products or services can solve customers' problems or meet their needs.
  • Action: Finally, customers need to be motivated to act and purchase. Businesses must create a sense of urgency and provide clear calls to action to encourage customers to take the next step.

6. Segmentation based on engagement

Engagement-based segmentation is a behavioral segmentation that groups customers according to their engagement with a product or service. 

Airbnb is one business that employs segmentation based on engagement. Using indicators like booking frequency and host activity, the company divides its clients into groups according to their level of platform engagement. Consumers who use the platform frequently, such as frequent travelers and active hosts, might get personalized recommendations and specials tailored to their interests and requirements. 

For example, if a customer frequently books business travel accommodations through Airbnb, the company may send them personalized recommendations for nearby business centers or coworking spaces. If a customer frequently hosts guests on the platform, the company may offer them incentives and rewards for continuing to provide high-quality hospitality experiences.

7. Segmentation based on satisfaction

Consumers can be divided into groups based on their satisfaction with the goods, services, or overall experience they received from a business. Several elements need to be considered to ensure that customer segmentation based on satisfaction is accurate and meaningful. For example: 

  • An objective, well-designed survey that asks questions that precisely gauge many aspects of the customer experience should be used to gauge customer happiness.
  • Consumer behavior, including past purchases, frequency of interactions, and preferred communication channels, can offer insights into the factors that influence customer happiness and point out areas where it is possible to improve.
  • Customer feedback, such as complaints, suggestions, and reviews, can provide valuable insights into the factors driving customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

This can assist the company in discovering areas for improvement and developing tailored retention strategies based on customer satisfaction that consider the preferences and needs of each customer segment.

8. Segmentation based on user status

Customers with varying demands, interests, and behaviors at various points of the customer journey require various marketing and communication tactics. There are typically four types of user status classifications:

Infographic: Types of user status classifications
  • Non-users: Customers who have yet to use the product or service.
  • Potential users: Customers who have shown interest in the product or service but have yet to purchase or use the product.
  • First-time users: Customers who have made their first purchase or used the product for the first time.
  • Regular users: Customers who have made repeat purchases or continued using the product or service.

A good example of customer segmentation based on user status is a company that sells subscription-based software products. The company may segment its customers based on their user status to create targeted marketing and communication strategies for each segment.

7 Examples of behavioral segmentation for eCommerce stores

1. Cart abandonment 

Cart Abandonment is a type of behavioral segmentation that targets customers who have added items to their cart but still need to complete the checkout process. By sending targeted email campaigns with personalized offers or reminders, eCommerce stores can encourage customers to return and complete their purchases. This example belongs to segmentation based on engagement.

Example of behavioral segmentation based on cart abandonment
Source

2. Browsing behavior

This behavioral segmentation focuses on clients depending on how they use the eCommerce store to browse. eCommerce stores can build tailored email campaigns or product suggestions that suit consumers' tastes by researching the products or categories they are most interested in. This illustration relates to segmentation based on purchasing patterns.

Example of behavioral segmentation based on browsing behavior
Source

3. Repeat purchase behavior

This type of behavioral segmentation targets customers who have made multiple purchases. By offering loyalty programs, VIP perks, or personalized product recommendations, eCommerce stores can incentivize these customers to continue making purchases. This example belongs to segmentation based on customer loyalty.

Example of behavioral segmentation based on repeat purchase behavior

4. Based on occasion

Let's say you work for a company that sells party supplies. You could use behavioral segmentation based on occasions to identify different customer groups based on the events they are likely to purchase supplies for. This is an example of behavioral segmentation for eCommerce stores based on the occasion. 

Example of behavioral segmentation based on occasion
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5. Personalization based on preferences

For new customers, the store may offer a discount on their first purchase or a welcome package that includes personalized recommendations based on their preferences. This can encourage them to make a second purchase and become active customers. 

Whereas, For high-value customers, the store may provide personalized styling advice or offer them exclusive access to premium collections. They may also offer loyalty rewards or a VIP program with special benefits, such as free alterations or invitations to exclusive events. This can help increase their loyalty and encourage them to continue making high-value purchases. This is an example of behavioral segmentation based on user status. 

Example of personalization based on preferences
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6. Customer satisfaction

An online retailer can divide its consumer base into several groups based on their satisfaction with prior purchases. Companies can gauge customer satisfaction levels using data like product ratings, reviews, and customer support contacts. This is a good example of customer segmentation based on customer satisfaction. 

Example of behavioral segmentation based on customer satisfaction
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7. User experience segmentation

A software company wants to improve customer engagement and satisfaction by surveying its customer base. The company can segment its customers based on their response or lack of response to the survey: For example::

  • Responded positively: These customers have responded to the survey and provided positive feedback. The company can segment these customers and target them with personalized messages thanking them for their feedback and offering them exclusive benefits or rewards, such as access to beta releases or priority customer support.
  • Responded negatively: These customers have responded to the survey and provided negative feedback. The company can segment these customers and target them with personalized messages apologizing for any inconvenience caused and offering to address their concerns through improved customer support or product updates.
Example of behavioral segmentation based on user experience segmentation
Source

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, businesses can develop more individualized and successful marketing efforts that connect with their target audience by classifying customers based on their behavior and interests. 

One of the key benefits of behavioral segmentation is that it allows businesses to identify patterns in customer behavior that may not be apparent through other segmentation methods. This can help them make more informed decisions about everything from product development to pricing and promotions.

However, it's important to note that behavioral segmentation is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different businesses will have different needs and goals and may need different segmentation methods to achieve their desired outcomes. 

Even though behavioral segmentation can be a helpful tool, it has specific difficulties. For instance, companies may need to invest in data analysis tools and knowledge to apply this technique effectively because it can be challenging to track and analyze customer behavior precisely.

Author Bio

Ammar Mazhar

A voracious reader and a music lover, Ammar has been writing engaging and informative content for over 3 years for B2B and B2C markets. With a knack for writing SEO-optimized content, Ammar ensures the results speak for themselves.

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