Comments on: Segmentation – Easy Ways to Get Started http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html by April Dunford Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:09:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: aprildunford http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-9671 aprildunford Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:45:08 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-9671 Hi Subraya, My background is definitely more B2B than B2C but in my opinion most of the startups that I've spoken to that have been in the B2C space that have failed have failed because they didn't segment their market. The problem when you are trying to hit everyone is that your message and value proposition gets really watered down. Why? Because people are all different. We don't have identical problems. It's easy to look at a site like YouTube and say a service like that should be marketed at everyone. Today it is but when they started out nobody have ever seen a service like that, there wasn't a lot of content on it and you have to start building traction somewhere. The key to doing that is to look for segments where your value proposition is the strongest - for YouTube they started with film buffs that were filming their own movies. Word of mouth and referrals move around communities. If you have 1,000 users and you have 10 users in each of 100 countries for example, you won't be well known anywhere. If you have 1000 users and they all live in Kansas, I can guarantee you are going to be on the local news and talked about in Kansas. That traction will help you move to the next segment, then the next until you are massive and at that point you can start thinking about marketing to everyone. April Hi Subraya,
My background is definitely more B2B than B2C but in my opinion most of the startups that I’ve spoken to that have been in the B2C space that have failed have failed because they didn’t segment their market. The problem when you are trying to hit everyone is that your message and value proposition gets really watered down. Why? Because people are all different. We don’t have identical problems. It’s easy to look at a site like YouTube and say a service like that should be marketed at everyone. Today it is but when they started out nobody have ever seen a service like that, there wasn’t a lot of content on it and you have to start building traction somewhere. The key to doing that is to look for segments where your value proposition is the strongest – for YouTube they started with film buffs that were filming their own movies.
Word of mouth and referrals move around communities. If you have 1,000 users and you have 10 users in each of 100 countries for example, you won’t be well known anywhere. If you have 1000 users and they all live in Kansas, I can guarantee you are going to be on the local news and talked about in Kansas. That traction will help you move to the next segment, then the next until you are massive and at that point you can start thinking about marketing to everyone.
April

]]> By: Subraya Mallya http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-9660 Subraya Mallya Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:10:35 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-9660 Hi April Great content on your site. Really loving the no-nonsense advice on various aspects of marketing. This post addresses the issues a startup faces but I feel it leans more towards startups that sell into enterprises. At the outset it should not be any different consumer focused companies (B2C) as well but it is - don't you think? The wide range of customers with varying pain points makes it challenging to focus on a narrower niche - I am facing one right now. Would love to hear your thoughts on the same. -Subraya Hi April
Great content on your site. Really loving the no-nonsense advice on various aspects of marketing. This post addresses the issues a startup faces but I feel it leans more towards startups that sell into enterprises. At the outset it should not be any different consumer focused companies (B2C) as well but it is – don’t you think? The wide range of customers with varying pain points makes it challenging to focus on a narrower niche – I am facing one right now. Would love to hear your thoughts on the same.

-Subraya

]]> By: Katrina McKay http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-372 Katrina McKay Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:02:32 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-372 Nice post - I'm totally with you on the importance of segmentation. I especially like the second point. The tech companies I've worked with in the past sometimes have a lot of difficult with this - they see potential in other markets and want marketing to make it seem like their product was designed FOR a different market than they originally had in mind. Nice post – I’m totally with you on the importance of segmentation. I especially like the second point. The tech companies I’ve worked with in the past sometimes have a lot of difficult with this – they see potential in other markets and want marketing to make it seem like their product was designed FOR a different market than they originally had in mind.

]]> By: josh http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-371 josh Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:24:32 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-371 April, I have seen segmentation based on the different customers buying your product (sales perspective). I have also seen it done around how users actually use the product. Would be interested to hear your thoughts on customer usage vs. sales segmentation. Thanks, Josh April,
I have seen segmentation based on the different customers buying your product (sales perspective). I have also seen it done around how users actually use the product.
Would be interested to hear your thoughts on customer usage vs. sales segmentation.
Thanks,
Josh

]]> By: Paul Philp http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-735 Paul Philp Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:11:12 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-735 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Segmentation - the evil step child of technology startups. http://is.gd/hVAq http://is.gd/hVAt</span></span> Segmentation – the evil step child of technology startups. http://is.gd/hVAq http://is.gd/hVAt

]]> By: Verna Kulish http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-736 Verna Kulish Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:49:46 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-736 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">RT Nice read! @aprildunford: Blog post - Segmentation. It's not that hard. http://tinyurl.com/db25do</span></span> RT Nice read! @aprildunford: Blog post – Segmentation. It’s not that hard. http://tinyurl.com/db25do

]]> By: Adam Bullied http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-737 Adam Bullied Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:24:17 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-737 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Check out the great post on segmentation by @aprildunford - http://tinyurl.com/db25do.</span></span> Check out the great post on segmentation by @aprildunford – http://tinyurl.com/db25do.

]]> By: April http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-370 April Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:54:53 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-370 Hi Tom, Thanks for the comment. I'm enjoying your blog too by the way! April Hi Tom,
Thanks for the comment. I’m enjoying your blog too by the way!
April

]]> By: Tom Gibson http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html/comment-page-1#comment-369 Tom Gibson Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:48:33 +0000 http://www.aprildunford.com/http:/www.aprildunford.com/2009/01/segmentation-easy-ways-to-get-started.html#comment-369 Thanks for this April. I think you are spot on in point #1. It's so much better to do BOTH problem and space. Great blog. Tom Thanks for this April.
I think you are spot on in point #1. It’s so much better to do BOTH problem and space.
Great blog. Tom

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