What it means
Audience segmentation is the process of identifying subgroups within an audience in order to deliver more personalized and meaningful messaging to cultivate stronger connections. The subgroups can be based on demographics such as geographic location, gender identity, age, ethnicity, income, or level of formal education. Subgroups can also be based on behavior, such as types of past purchases or attendance of particular types of events, or psychographics, such as personality types, values, attitudes, and beliefs.
How it’s used
Audience segmentation allows a museum to focus the message when communicating with a particular audience on those things that are most relevant and important to that group. Segmentation helps exhibitions, interpretation, and programming teams to tailor offerings and the message about those offerings based on our understanding of the needs of the intended audience.
Why it matters
Segmentation ultimately improves the effectiveness of museum marketing, communications, and audience engagement, enhancing the museum’s capacity to shift perception, grow audiences, increase participation, and through these things, expand the museum’s opportunities to serve the public.
Notes
This definition was adapted from Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/audience-segmentation/.
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