If you're running B2B campaigns and tired of generic blasts that go nowhere, you're in the right place. Segmenting your audience isn't some buzzword—it's how you actually get responses. This guide is for marketers, founders, or anyone who wants to use Twain to target the right companies and contacts, without wasting budget or time.
Let’s get practical about how to segment B2B audiences in Twain for marketing that actually hits.
Why B2B Segmentation Matters (and Where Most Go Wrong)
Most B2B marketing flops because it assumes all companies care about the same things. They don’t. Segmenting is about grouping people and companies with shared traits, needs, or pains—so your outreach actually sounds like you did your homework.
Here’s what happens if you skip segmentation: - Your emails get ignored (or marked as spam). - Your “personalized” ads look like everyone else’s. - Sales says the leads are bad, and… they’re right.
The good news? Twain gives you a lot of ways to slice and dice your audience. But some options are more useful than others. Let’s get into how to do it, step by step.
Step 1: Get Clear on Your Real Segmentation Goals
Before you even open Twain, answer this: What are you hoping to achieve with segmentation? Don’t just say “better targeting.” Be specific.
Examples: - Increase demo bookings from software companies with 50–200 employees. - Nurture dormant leads from last year in healthcare. - Find decision-makers in manufacturing who opened your last newsletter.
Pro Tip:
Don’t chase every possible segment just because Twain lets you. Start with 1–3 segments that actually matter for your business goals.
Step 2: Gather and Clean Your Data
Twain can’t read your mind—or fill in missing data magically. Garbage in, garbage out still applies.
Here’s what you need: - Company data: Industry, size, location, revenue, technologies used. - Contact data: Job titles, seniority, engagement (are they opening your emails?), purchase history. - Behavioral data: Website visits, content downloads, previous campaign interactions.
What works:
- Syncing Twain with your CRM or email tool (if it integrates without breaking).
- Importing clean CSVs—double-check for duplicate or outdated data.
What doesn’t:
- Blindly trusting third-party enrichment tools. They’re hit or miss.
- Segmenting on bad or incomplete data. You’ll just end up with junk segments.
Step 3: Decide on Your Segmentation Criteria
Twain offers a ton of filters. Some are useful; some are just noise. Focus on what actually predicts interest or buying behavior.
The classics: - Firmographic: Industry, company size, revenue, geography. - Role-based: Department, title, seniority. - Technographic: What software/tools do they use? - Stage: Where are they in your funnel? (Demo booked, cold lead, churned customer, etc.)
Advanced (use only if you have reliable data): - Intent signals: Recent website visits, whitepaper downloads. - Past engagement: Opened/clicked your last campaign, attended a webinar.
What to ignore (most of the time): - Vanity filters, like “number of LinkedIn followers.” It rarely moves the needle. - Over-segmentation. If a segment is smaller than 40–50 companies/contacts, you’ll spend more time than it’s worth.
Step 4: Build Segments in Twain
Now, the part where you actually use Twain’s segmentation tool. Here’s how to do it without making a mess:
- Log in and go to Audience Segmentation.
- Pick your data source. If you’re syncing with a CRM, pick that; otherwise, upload your CSV.
- Set up your filters. Start with broad criteria (e.g., “Industry: SaaS,” “Employees: 50–200”).
- Layer in additional filters as needed. For example, add “Job Title contains ‘VP’ or ‘Director’” if you want decision-makers.
- Name your segment clearly. “SaaS-50-200-US-VP” is better than “Segment 3.”
- Preview the segment. Twain should show you a sample—spot-check. Are there weird outliers or irrelevant companies?
- Save the segment. Don’t forget to hit save (yes, it’s obvious, but you’d be surprised).
Pro Tip:
Don’t go filter-crazy. You want segments big enough to run a campaign, but targeted enough that your message will still be relevant.
Step 5: Test and Refine Your Segments
No segment is perfect on the first try. The fastest way to improve is to run a small campaign, then check who actually engages.
How to test: - Send a short, targeted email or ad to each segment. - Track open rates, clicks, replies, or meetings booked. - See if the companies/people who respond actually fit your target persona.
If it flops, ask: - Did you go too broad or too narrow? - Is your data stale? - Did you include a filter that doesn’t actually matter (like company location, when you sell remotely anyway)?
What works:
- Iterating quickly. Adjust filters, re-run, and retest.
- Combining behavioral data (like recent activity) with firmographics.
What doesn’t:
- Sticking with a segment just because you spent time on it.
- Ignoring the results because “marketing says it should work.”
Step 6: Use Segments for Targeted Marketing (and Avoid Common Mistakes)
Once you’ve got useful segments, here’s what to actually do:
- Personalize your outreach. Don’t just drop the company name. Reference something meaningful to the segment (industry pain, tech stack, etc.).
- Match campaigns to segment needs. For example, don’t send a beginner’s guide to CTOs at mature tech companies.
- Monitor results by segment. If one segment is crushing it, double down. If another is a dud, pause and rethink.
Common mistakes to skip: - Sending the same message to all segments. You’re wasting the whole point of segmenting. - Overcomplicating. If you have more segments than you can actually run campaigns for, you’ve gone off the rails. - Forgetting to update segments as your data changes. B2B data ages fast.
Step 7: Keep Your Segments Alive
Segmentation isn’t a one-and-done thing—especially in B2B, where companies change fast.
- Set a reminder to review segments monthly or quarterly.
- Update data sources. Sync Twain with your CRM regularly.
- Prune dead segments. If nobody’s responding, delete or merge them.
Pro Tip:
Less is more. A few well-maintained, high-performing segments beat a graveyard of forgotten lists.
What Actually Works? (Honest Takeaways)
- Start simple. One or two high-quality segments are plenty to begin with.
- Use data you trust. Don’t get seduced by fancy filters unless you know the data is solid.
- Iterate fast. Segments are hypotheses, not gospel. Test, tweak, repeat.
Ignore the hype about “AI-powered micro-segmentation” unless you really have the volume and data for it. For most B2B teams, clear segments and relevant messages will outperform the latest fad, every time.
Bottom Line
Segmentation in Twain is only as useful as the thought and effort you put into it. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Start with clear goals, keep it simple, and refine as you go. The best segments are the ones you actually use.
Now get out there and build segments that make sense for your business—not just because someone said you should.