Divide and Conquer

Mastering Audience Segmentation and A/B Testing with Osmos

Redefining the “Audience”

What is an audience, anyway?

In my short but dense 10 years of experience, I’ve found that one of the hardest concepts to explain to non-marketer collaborators is that of an “audience.” A common misconception is to equate it to that of a performer—a flawed analogy. Why? Because the communication between a performer and their audience is unidirectional: one performs, the other listens; one sings, the other applauds. In marketing, effective communication acknowledges that the relationship with an audience must be bidirectional. It’s a conversation, not a monologue.

Why “Everyone” Is Never the Answer

Another common misstep is thinking that “everyone” is your target market. That’s just not true. Even if you’re an “everyday” product or service, like McDonald’s or Coke, not everyone is your audience. I get it—you’d like “everyone” to buy your product, but that’s not how it works.

To understand why, let’s flip the perspective. Imagine someone’s trying really hard to sell you a hammer. Sure, a hammer is a useful tool, but maybe you’re just not in the market for one right now. You already have one. You want to research before buying another. Or maybe you don’t need a hammer at all. Now imagine how ridiculous that salesperson looks, desperately pitching a product you clearly don’t want or need. That’s how a brand appears when it tries to sell its product to everyone—irrelevant, pushy, and often downright silly.

  1. Know Your Why: Understanding your audience starts with understanding why your product or service exists. What problem does it solve? For whom? Can you identify specific examples of these people?

  2. Leverage Internal Insights: Talk to your sales team or analyze your existing customers. What patterns emerge? Are there recurring demographics, geographical locations, preferences, or questions?

  3. Study the Competition: Look at how competitors communicate. Who are they targeting? Does it align with your audience, or are there gaps you can exploit?

By following these steps, you might discover you have more than one audience. And that’s perfectly okay.

Tips for Defining Your Audience

The Power of Knowing Your Audience

In my role as Content, Design & Communications Strategist for Osmos—a SaaS HR startup—one of my key responsibilities was managing Google Ads campaigns. Our goal was to promote a payroll platform designed to save HR executives up to 60% of their time. However, in Mexico, payroll management isn’t exclusive to HR executives; accountants and entrepreneurs often handle it too. Suddenly, we were targeting three distinct audiences.

So how do you effectively address such different profiles with the same product?

When in Doubt, A/B Test

One of my favorite tools in digital marketing is A/B testing. If you’re unsure about your audience, or which message or creative works best, let the data guide you.

For Osmos, we started by profiling each audience—HR executives, accountants, and entrepreneurs—defining their needs and pain points. We then tailored our messaging to address their unique challenges. This resulted in three different landing pages, each emphasizing the product features most relevant to that audience.

To amplify the effort, our CEO specialized our sales team—assigning specific executives to cater to each audience profile. This holistic approach ensured everything was tailored and relevant.

The results? We exceeded expectations. Not only did we beat Google’s CPC forecast, achieving a cost-per-click 20% below the industry average, but this strategy also contributed to our impressive market penetration. When I joined Osmos, we were a team of fewer than 20 people. By the time I left, we had grown to nearly 100. Last I checked, the platform was acquired by an HR giant, impressed by its success.

Do the Thinking, Reap the Rewards

So, next time you’re tempted to say “everyone” when asked about your audience, pause. Gather your team for a brainstorming session. Take the time to define who you’re speaking to. While you won’t reach everyone, you’ll reach the right ones—and your ROI will thank you.