A good marketer knows that simply reaching your audience isn’t enough.
If you want to stand out and cut through the noise, then you’ve got to make sure the right message is delivered to the right people, at the right time.
And that’s where segmentation, targeting, and positioning (STP) come in, friend. These are critical strategies for any marketer looking to create the kind of personalized content that delights, engages, and converts.
But STP isn’t just about data. You also need the right set of tools to help you identify your audience, target them with laser precision, and position your brand as the ultimate solution to their needs.
So, what are the best tools for segmentation, targeting, and positioning?
We’re glad you asked!
In today’s blog, we’re going to explore some of the best tools out there for mastering your STP game and equip you with everything you need to know to get your message noticed and maximize your impact!
Let’s get started!
What is Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning?
Segmentation, targeting, and positioning is a marketing framework that is used to identify and reach the most relevant customers for your brand while creating and delivering the most effective message to win them over.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
Segmentation
Segmentation is when you divide a broader market into smaller, more defined segments based on shared characteristics, like demographics, behavior, or geographic location.
The goal with segmentation is to identify distinct groups within a larger audience that have specific needs or preferences that you can tweak your marketing strategies to better meet.
Example: A skincare brand might segment its market into groups like teenagers, adults with sensitive skin, and older folks looking for anti-aging products.
Targeting
Once your market has been segmented, you can then target a segment to focus on.
The idea is to adjust your marketing efforts toward the most promising or profitable segments that best align with your brand's offerings (or to market certain products to the segment they’d most benefit). This makes sure that your messaging and campaigns are relevant to each segment, ultimately improving your engagement and conversion rates.
Example: The same skincare brand may choose to target adults with sensitive skin because their market data shows that this segment may have a higher potential for engagement and conversion.
Positioning
After deciding which segments to target, positioning involves creating a unique message and brand image that best resonates with your target audience.
This step is crucial because it will define how your brand or product will be perceived in the minds of your consumers compared to your competitors. Effective positioning should highlight your key benefits and the differentiators that make your brand stand out and encourage a stronger customer relationship.
Example: The skincare brand might position itself as the go-to solution for those with sensitive skin and really emphasize its use of gentle, hypoallergenic ingredients in its ads and messaging.
Together, STP is a marketer’s best friend for understanding their audiences, tailoring their messaging, and creating the kind of marketing campaigns that succeed!
The Best STP Tools for Marketers
The following STP tools will help you break down your audience into the most meaningful segments, allowing you to identify the most profitable groups, and position your brand in a way that resonates best with your target audience.
Below, we’ve highlighted the top tools to guide you through each stage of the STP process to help you reach the right people with the right message!
Top Tools for Marketing Segmentation
The foundation of any successful marketing strategy starts with segmentation!
Check out the following tools to help you analyze and define the key segments of your target audience.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that helps marketers understand how their users are interacting with their websites.
By analyzing data like user demographics, interests, and behavior, you can start to break down your audience into specific segments. Google Analytics offers insights into key metrics like bounce rates, session duration, and conversion paths, letting you identify the most profitable customer segments.
How to Use Google Analytics
- Set up Google Analytics on your website by adding a tracking code to your pages.
- Go to the Audience tab to explore predefined segments like age, gender, and location.
- Use custom segments to group users based on behaviors such as visited pages, completed goals, or specific events (like signing up for a newsletter).
- Analyze these segments to see which groups are engaging the most with your content and where you can improve conversion rates.
HubSpot
HubSpot is a CRM platform that lets you segment your contacts based on their stage in the buyer’s journey, engagement with your content, and other factors like industry or company size.
This segmentation allows for more personalized marketing, to make sure that the right message reaches the right audience at exactly the right time.
How to Use HubSpot
- In HubSpot, go to the Contacts section and use the List Tool to create segmented contact lists based on criteria like form submissions, email opens, or website activity.
- Use HubSpot’s dynamic lists to automatically update based on user activity.
- Automate personalized email marketing campaigns using these segmented lists to nurture leads based on their position in the sales funnel.
Sprout Social
Social Social is a social media management tool that allows marketers to segment audiences by tracking engagement, mentions, and sentiment around your brand.
These metrics help identify your most engaged audience segments so that you can tailor your content to those specific groups on your social media channels.
How to Use Sprout Social
- Use the Social Listening feature in Sprout Social to monitor how different audience segments engage with your brand, based on hashtags, keywords, and mentions.
- Segment your audience based on engagement data from different platforms, such as likes, comments, and shares.
- Create targeted social media campaigns aimed at highly engaged segments or use reporting insights to identify which content resonates most with specific groups.
Best Tools for Effective Targeting
Now that your audience is segmented, it’s time to target!
Here are some of the best tools to help your brand zero in on the segments that best align with your products and services.
Meta Ads Manager
Meta Ads Manager lets marketers create highly targeted ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
It offers detailed targeting options that let you focus in on audience segments based on things like age, location, interests, behavior, and even custom audiences from your website traffic or email lists.
How to Use Meta Ads Manager
- In Meta Ads Manager, set up an ad campaign and choose the Audience section to define who sees your ads.
- Use Custom Audiences to target people who have already interacted with your website or app.
- Refine your targeting using Lookalike Audiences, where Meta finds users similar to your existing customers.
- Monitor your ads’ performance through detailed reports and adjust the targeting based on engagement metrics like CTR (click-through rate) and conversions.
Google Ads
Google Ads allows marketers to run targeted campaigns across the vast landscape that is Google Search, YouTube, and the Google Display Network.
Target your audience based on demographics, interest, and in-market segments, which help you target those who are actively searching for products or services similar to yours.
How to Use Google Ads
- Create a Search or Display campaign in Google Ads and select the keywords or topics relevant to your business.
- Use audience targeting to narrow down who sees your ads based on interests, behaviors, or life events (like moving or starting a new job).
- Use retargeting ads to reach users who have already visited your site but didn’t convert.
- Track your campaign’s success through Google Analytics integration and optimize based on performance data, such as impressions, conversions, and cost-per-click.
LinkedIn Campaign Manager
LinkedIn Campaign Manager offers plenty of targeting options, especially if you’re a B2B marketer.
It allows you to reach professional audiences based on things like job title, industry, company size, skills, and more, making it a great choice for targeting design-makers and professionals in specific industries.
How to Use LinkedIn Campaign Manager
- Set up a campaign in LinkedIn Campaign Manager and choose from LinkedIn’s unique targeting options, such as job function, seniority, or company size to reach relevant business professionals.
- Utilize Matched Audiences to target people who have interacted with your content or use retargeting based on website visits.
- Leverage Sponsored Content or Message Ads to directly engage with your target audience in their LinkedIn feed or inbox.
- Analyze your results using LinkedIn’s robust analytics tools, focusing on key metrics like engagement rate, CTR, and lead generation.
Powerful Tools for Positioning Your Brand
Your audience is segmented and targeted and now it’s time to show them that your brand is the ultimate choice for their needs.
Here are the top tools to help you build a strong brand identity and create a message that resonates loud and clear with your audience!
Canva
Canva is a popular and user-friendly design tool that lets marketers, business owners, and teams create visually stunning content without needing additional software or advanced design skills.
Social media graphics, presentations, branding material, you name it, Canva makes it easy to design professional assets to boost your brand identity!
How to Use Canva for Brand Positioning
- Create consistent branded visuals by using your brand colors, fonts, and logos in all your designs.
- Use Canva’s templates for presentations, social posts, and ads to save time and still get a high-quality, professional look.
- Collaborate with other team members by sharing designs directly within the platform for real-time feedback and editing.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is a powerful tool for designing and prototyping digital products.
It allows marketers and designers to create interactive wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for websites, apps, and other digital products to make sure that your brand’s digital presence is user-friendly and provides a positive experience.
How to Use Adobe XD for Brand Positioning
- Use Adobe XD to design user experiences that reflect your brand’s personality by creating custom digital interfaces that align with your visual identity.
- Use its many prototyping tools to create interactive demos of your website or app and test the user experience before launching.
- Collaborate with other team members by sharing designs for feedback and iteration, to make sure that the final product resonates with your audience.
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform that helps your brand keep up a consistent and strong presence on multiple social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.
With features for scheduling posts, tracking engagement, and monitoring conversions, Hootsuite makes it easy to manage and optimize your brand’s messaging.
How to Use Hootsuite for Brand Positioning
- Schedule content across all your social platforms in advance to ensure consistent brand messaging and visibility.
- Use social listening tools to monitor conversations and engage with your audience in real time, to keep your messaging relevant and impactful.
- Analyze the performance of your posts to see which content resonates most with your audience, adjusting your strategy based on engagement metrics.
Unbounce
Unbounce is a landing page builder that makes it easy for marketers to create high-converting, high-performing landing pages without having to rely on developers.
It has drag-and-drop functionality and A/B testing features as well, to make sure that your design, messaging, and offers are connecting with your target market in the right way.
How to Use Unbounce for Brand Positioning
- Build custom landing pages tailored to specific campaigns, using templates and drag-and-drop features to maintain brand consistency.
- Use A/B testing to experiment with different headlines, calls-to-action, and page layouts to see what resonates most with your audience.
- Track conversions and performance metrics to ensure your landing pages are not only visually appealing but also driving the results you need.
Designity: A Marketer’s Best Friend for Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning
If you’re looking for another tool to make your segmentation, targeting, and positioning strategies even more accessible, then we saved the best for last.
Did you know that Designity is made up of the top 3% of all of the talented applicants who apply each month? That means that our creative community is made up of the best of the best in fields like digital marketing, market research, graphic design, copywriting, SEO, social media marketing, and more — all of the experts you need to help you build a winning strategy, segment your customer base, and create the effective marketing assets you need to hit their pain points, address their needs, and position your brand as the ultimate solution for them.
And with a dedicated Creative Director in your corner — a design and marketing expert — you’ll have all of the guidance and insight you need to build effective customer targeting strategies and create the winning content you need to resonate with your audience.
So, if you’re ready to start building more effective marketing plans and encouraging more brand loyalty, then why not book your demo call today? We’ll get you started with your two-week, no-obligation trial so you can test-drive our services and see for yourself why Designity is the only creative and marketing partner your brand needs!
Are you ready to boost your next marketing campaign?
