#TipTuesday - User Groups - When to Segment

KrisKing · August 13

What is User Segmentation

Segmentation is basically sorting people in a community into groups based on certain criteria that matter to your community. These criteria could be things like title/role, product, industry, or specialization in a particular area.

Segmentation, using Groups, can be crucial in online community to precisely target specific demographics for products, services and use-cases like an Advocate Program or Product Testing. In certain communities, understanding the makeup of members and potential members is essential for attracting and engaging the right audience.

Why Groups?

There are many thoughts on how to best utilize categories, sub-categories, groups and sub-communities that should be taken into consideration but when used properly, Groups allow you to target specific sub-sets of your community members.

Groups are designed to give a smaller subset of your community a self-contained public or private space to have discussions outside the existing Category structure (typically to discuss a more specialized or focused topic).

For instance, when aiming to expand a community, knowing what appeals to potential members is vital.

By categorizing a community based on factors like education and location, segmentation allows you to customize messaging and content to different groups within the community. This targeted approach enhances communication and increases the community's appeal to its diverse audience segments.

Why Should Online Communities Embrace Segmentation?

Personalized User Experience: One of the most significant advantages of segmentation is the ability to deliver personalized experiences. Different segments within a community may have varying interests, goals, and pain points. By understanding these differences, community managers can tailor content, discussions, and features to better meet the specific needs of each group. For example, a photography community might segment its members into amateur photographers seeking tips and professionals discussing advanced techniques.
Targeted Engagement Strategies: Segmentation enables communities to develop targeted engagement strategies. Instead of employing a one-size-fits-all approach to communication and outreach, communities can create customized engagement initiatives for each segment. This could include organizing specialized webinars, hosting exclusive events, or launching targeted campaigns to promote relevant discussions and activities
Improved Member Retention: Personalization and targeted engagement contribute to higher member satisfaction and retention rates. When members feel that a community understands their interests and provides valuable content tailored to their needs, they are more likely to remain active participants. This fosters a sense of loyalty and strengthens the community's sustainability over time.
Enhanced Community Growth: Effective segmentation not only enhances member retention but also attracts new members. When prospective members see that a community offers tailored experiences and valuable resources aligned with their interests, they are more likely to join. This targeted approach to growth ensures that the community attracts individuals who are genuinely interested in contributing and engaging, thereby fostering organic growth.

Creating Groups

Groups can set up as Public, Private and Secret. This provides the ability to target groups to customers, employees and partners to set the specific level of privacy needed for your community.

In Conclusion

It is best to make as much information available to the greater community by using Categories to organize content but if used properly, Groups can provide a great avenue for driving engagement and provided specialized spaces for your customers to seek out and enjoy.

You can read more about groups in our Knowledge Base article here! https://success.vanillaforums.com/kb/articles/70-groups-and-events