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What is Needs-Based Segmentation?

JANUARY 21, 2025

Needs-based segmentation divides your audience into groups based on characteristics or behaviors, allowing you to tailor your messaging, products, and services to meet specific needs.

Unlike segmenting by personal traits (demographic), location (geographic), lifestyle (psychographic), or habits (behavioral), needs-based segmentation requires in-depth research into the problems and desires that lead customers to engage with your brand.

The result?

Loyal customer relationships.
Improved product development.
Increased market efficiency.
Stronger competitive positioning.

These are the 4 most common needs-based segments:

Productivity-focused segment: Customers that value efficiency, time savings, and seamless workflows, seeking tools like automation or cross-platform solutions to streamline operations.
Cost-conscious segment: Customers that prioritize affordability, discounts, flexible pricing, and essential features that maximize value.
Quality-oriented segment: This group includes premium buyers who value superior quality, reliability, and exceptional performance, often at higher price points.
Innovation-seeking segment: These early adopters and tech-savvy customers seek groundbreaking technologies, unique features, and fresh ideas.

Check out Instapage’s complete guide to start implementing needs-based segmentation.

7 Key Trends in Email Marketing

JANUARY 20, 2025

These are the critical shifts defining email marketing in 2025—and how to navigate them.

Privacy-proofing for long-term compliance. To safeguard your programs, collect zero-party data via preference centers or polls, use double opt-in (DOI) and re-permission campaigns, remove Personally Identifiable Information (PII) where possible, adopt Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), and stay updated on privacy laws and ensure compliance with AI tools.
Generative AI for efficiency and content creation. Use it to generate subject lines, images, and videos and streamline production cycles for faster email deployment.
Lifecycle email automation. Build robust automation while monitoring for errors like broken links to maintain brand trust.
Rethinking analytics and data management. Metrics like open rates are less reliable post-Apple MPP. Shift focus to unique click-through rates, conversion rates, and ROI.
Email newsletters for retention. They build trust, strengthen relationships, and keep customers engaged. Deliver value through consistent, creative, and personalized content.
Interactivity in emails. Use CSS-based interactivity like polls, sentiment trackers, or scratch-offs.
Enhanced segmentation and collaboration. Move beyond basic segmentation (by engagement level) to advanced personalization tied to lifecycle stages. Align with sales or customer success teams to refine strategies and close retention gaps.

Check out the full guide by Litmus.

TikTok Housekeeping

JANUARY 19, 2025

Here’s how to download your TikTok data:

Tap Profile at the bottom of the app.
Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then Settings and privacy.
Tap Account.
Tap Download your data.
Select information to download and file format.
Tap Request data. You’ll be notified in the app when your file is ready for download, which could take a few days.

Here’s how to save videos:

A. Go to the video you’d like to download, tap the Share button, then save video.

B. Use the Chrome extension TikTok Video Downloader to download videos on your computer.

C. Use an app like SaveTok, TikDown, TokSave, TikSave, or TikPro.

D. Take screen recordings of videos… if you have the time.

What To Know About RedNote

JANUARY 15, 2025

ICYMI, the TikTok party has moved to RedNote, with U.S. users driving the Chinese app to #1 in the App Store this week.

But is RedNote a sustainable, 1:1 solution to a world without the FYP? Not quite.

Here’s what to know:

RedNote is not “China’s TikTok.” It’s more like a combination of Pinterest and Instagram with short-form videos. Douyin, TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, is a separate app.
RedNote is still run by its creators. It was founded in 2013 by Miranda Qu Fang and Charlwin Mao, who still lead the company as president and CEO. Originally a PDF shopping guide, it evolved into a $17 billion social media and e-commerce platform.
RedNote has a massive and engaged user base. It boasts 300 million users, primarily young women, making it a significant player in the social media space. High-profile investors like Tencent, Alibaba, and GGV Capital have backed the company, with IPO discussions underway.
RedNote is experiencing rapid U.S. growth amid TikTok ban concerns. In just two days, over 700,000 U.S. users have joined RedNote, increasing downloads by more than 200% year-over-year.
RedNote is subject to Chinese data laws. Like TikTok, RedNote is governed by Chinese data regulations. The app collects user data, such as IP addresses, browsing habits, and locations, which can be shared with third parties or authorities.

Read the full post at Fast Company.

How Marketers Are Navigating New Tech

JANUARY 13, 2025

Mediaocean surveyed nearly 700 marketing professionals to compile its 2025 H1 Advertising Outlook Report.

Here are some key findings from the data:

Social media, digital display/video, and CTV are the fastest-growing channels, with 68%, 67%, and 55% of marketers planning to increase spending in these areas, respectively.
Generative AI is the leading consumer trend, surpassing CTV. 63% of marketers identify it as critical.
Automation has become the fastest-growing investment area, with a 17% increase in adoption since mid-2024.
Advertisers are adopting multiple approaches to identity resolution to improve campaign measurement and attribution.
Despite slight improvements, 86% of advertisers report a lack of synchronization between creative and media processes.

Dig into the report to better understand how the industry is adapting to shifting consumer behavior and advancement.

7 Branded Podcast Ideas for Better Engagement

JANUARY 12, 2025

Capturing audience attention while meeting business goals with your branded podcast demands creativity and relevance.

Whether you’re launching a new show or revamping an existing one, adding unique segments can improve engagement, retention, and brand perception.

Here are 7 creative segment ideas to try:

Pro vs. con conversations: Choose a topic, assign roles, and moderate a balanced discussion to showcase diverse perspectives. End with audience participation for added engagement.
Behind-the-scenes: Share raw moments, challenges, and triumphs tied to audience benefits. This builds authenticity and trust by revealing the human side of your brand.
Live episodes: Plan a compelling topic, promote early, and engage with live Q&A to add spontaneity.
Rapid-fire questions: Ask 3-5 quirky, personal questions to guests to lighten the tone and feature guest personalities.
Listener Q&A: Collect questions, group by theme, and mix serious with fun to builds community.
Myth-busting segments: Research myths, back claims with data, and keep explanations relatable.
Favorite tools and resources: Align tools with audience interests and share genuine recommendations to offer real value.

As always, experiment, test, and adapt with feedback. Check out the full post by Quill for more.

Describe Your Enjoyment With Production

JANUARY 8, 2025

What exactly does this mean?

Let’s say you’re a freelancer.

You don’t just “write copy that converts for clients.”

You “enjoy writing copy that converts for clients.”

This simple shift in language was found to boost Facebook ad CTR by 40%, enhance perceived quality, and increase willingness to pay.

No matter what you’re selling, people associate your enjoyment in its production with higher quality and less automation.

If you want to stand out, try it. This strategy is used by only 0.1% of Etsy sellers and 4% of Upwork freelancers.

The 7 Levels of Brand Engagement

JANUARY 7, 2025

Looking to level up your brand from a commodity to a fan favorite?

The first step is understanding where you’re at right now:

Level 0: Your brand isn’t recognizable from other products or services. People are looking for the cheapest or free option.

“I’ll buy this unbranded USB-c cable at the airport.”

Level 1: Your brand has an identity and logo, but it’s hard to recognize within your category. It looks like the cheapest option.

“I’ll buy this water bottle because it’s cheap and I don’t have a preference.”

Level 2: Your brand has a specific look and message that sets expectations.

“This agency looks a bit more creative. I’ll hire them.”

Level 3: Your brand stands out visually in the marketplace. Customers are curious about your brand’s distinctive story and style.

“I saw an epic talk from this tech founder and now I’m interested in their products.”

Level 4: Customers vaguely recognize your brand and are primed to try it.

“I’ve seen a few ads about this online tool. I’ll try it.”

Level 5: When customers think about your category, your brand is top of mind and the first choice in most buying occasions.

“When I need to search, I go to Google.”

Level 6: Customers talk about your brand and get excited about it. They’ll pay extra to get it because it reinforces their identity.

“I love to buy Yeti stuff because it makes me feel outdoorsy.”

Level 7: Customers love your brand. They belong to social groups dedicated to your brand. They go above and beyond to remain loyal to it.

“I missed an entire day of work to get tickets to Taylor Swift.”

Head to Let’s Talk Branding for a deeper dive.

Understanding AI Overviews

JANUARY 6, 2025

Louise Linehan analyzed 300K keywords for Ahrefs to understand what triggers AI Overviews (AIO).

Here’s what she learned:

AI Overviews populate for low volume, long-tail keywords. These have lower traffic potential but display clearer intent and are often question-focused.
AIO keywords have an average keyword difficulty of 12, compared to non-AIO keywords (median 33). Ranking for these typically requires fewer referring domains (13 vs. 41 for non-AIO keywords).
Almost all AIO keywords target informational intent—about 99.2%, while commercial and transactional intents make up less than 10%.
People Also Ask and Featured Snippets are prominent in over 99% of AI SERPs.
Mobile optimization is essential. Mobile traffic dominates AIO queries (81% mobile vs. 19% desktop).

Take a closer look at the Ahrefs blog.