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Segment Audiences by Needs: Group Customers Based on What They Actually Care About

TL;DR: What this template does

This template helps you segment your audience based on shared needs, goals, and pain points — derived directly from qualitative feedback.
Upload surveys or interviews and get a set of audience clusters based on real user language.

Why need-based segmentation outperforms job titles

Not all “product managers” want the same thing.

This template helps you group people by their underlying motivation — so you can market to needs, not roles.

Definition: Need-based segmentation is the process of clustering users into meaningful groups based on shared outcomes they’re trying to achieve, not just demographic labels.

How does this template work?

Step 1: Upload Qualitative Data
  • Use interviews, open-ended surveys, or support conversations
  • Accepts text, audio, or video
  • Recommended: 10–20 user inputs across roles or segments
Step 2: Segment Based on Stated Needs
  • AI identifies goals, blockers, and emotional drivers
  • Clusters users by what they’re trying to accomplish
  • Tags themes like speed, control, cost, ease, confidence
Step 3: Output — Need-Based Segments
  • Segment descriptions with pain points, desires, and phrases
  • Quote-backed summaries for each group
  • Downloadable for targeting, copywriting, or roadmap planning

What benefits does this template provide?

BenefitDescriptionImpact
Smarter TargetingMarket based on user intent, not just job functionImprove campaign performance
Product Fit ClarityUnderstand which segments need what featuresPrioritize development wisely
Persona EvolutionExpand static personas into behavior-based onesRefine GTM and onboarding
Messaging PrecisionTailor value props to need statesImprove message-market fit

How do different teams use this template?

Growth Teams — Build audiences around intent and activation potential
Product Teams — Identify segments based on outcomes, not org chart
Brand & Content — Match pain points to language that resonates
Customer Success — Personalize onboarding and success playbooks

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need structured personas already?
Nope. This helps you discover natural segments from the ground up.
Can I run this monthly to update segments?

Yes. Many teams treat this as a live segmentation tracker that evolves with user needs.

How many segments will I get?

Usually 3–5 strong need-based groupings depending on input size and diversity.

What Teams Are Saying

“We restructured our landing pages around needs, not verticals — and conversion jumped. Insight7 showed us what actually drives segmentation.”


— Claudia Skyehart, Client Director, Zoom Marketing

Want to group users by what they need — not just who they are?