Top Marketing Automation Tools for User Segmentation in SaaS

In today’s tech-driven world, personalization is the key to driving your SaaS product marketing.

75% of customers are keen to buy from brands that provide a personalized experience, and brands actively put efforts into making these experiences happen.

But personalizing experiences for every single buyer is practically not possible due to money and resource constraints.

So how can you continue leveraging personalized marketing without burning holes in your pocket? By using marketing automation SaaS tools to create user segments. 

Marketing automation tools are software platforms that simplify marketing tasks to make them more effective and efficient. These tools can help you create user segments to target a broader audience segment with personalized marketing strategies.

But how can you choose the right marketing automation tool for user segmentation? This article tells you about all that, along with a list of top tools to choose from. 

How to select marketing automation tools for user segmentation?

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of marketing automation tools for small businesses that claim to deliver the exact results you are looking for. 

To choose the right user segmentation tool among them, you need to keep the following factors in mind:

Ease of use and accessibility

When choosing an automation tool, you need to choose one with an easy-to-use interface. The tool can have the best features or an affordable price. But if the user interface is too complex, it will simply be an added task for your marketing team.

To determine the ease of use of the automation tool, you can consider these questions:

• How quickly can you complete a simple task? 

Say you are creating a new buyer persona. The new tool should make your existing process easier. If it involves more steps or has features that are difficult to access, then any marketing task will become more complex.

• Does the tool have easily accessible instructions?

Some tools provide information snippets under each new feature. These can decrease the learning curve and make the onboarding process smoother.

• Is it too technical?

Most marketing automation SaaS tools require some amount of technical knowledge for operation. But if the tool is complex enough to need a specialized operator, then it is too technical to simplify your marketing tasks.

Integration with SaaS platforms

As a SaaS company, you might already have some automation tools in place for other processes. To ensure that all processes run seamlessly, the new user segmentation tool should be integrable with your existing platforms.

For example, you might want to utilize customer details from your sales platform to create user segments for email marketing. An easily integrable automation tool will seamlessly extract data from the relevant software, making the process quicker. 

While most tools integrate well with major SaaS platforms, they may not be compatible with some, especially if the tools are custom-made. In such cases, you need to ensure that the new software works seamlessly with integration tools.

Customization options

Automation tools are built keeping a broader business perspective in mind. That means they cannot be one hundred percent compatible with your marketing strategy and workflow automation process in general. However, most tools have options for customized templates and features.  

The tools either provide customization options within their interface or have easily modifiable codes for users to create their own features. If you are unsure of the customizability of the product, you can look for tools with an open API.

Tools with an open API have publicly available coding interfaces. These interfaces enable developers to add custom code segments to create features required for your business.

While closed API tools offer some degree of customization, the options are usually limited and involve much more hassle.

Price and affordability

Tools for user segmentation are designed to convert more leads through marketing. In the long run, these tools should considerably reduce your customer acquisition cost including the cost of the tool itself and the CPA (Cost Per Action), which is a critical metric in evaluating the efficiency of your marketing campaigns. 

By effectively segmenting your users, you can target them more accurately, leading to higher conversion rates and a lower CPA. This is because personalized marketing strategies, enabled by these segmentation tools, tend to resonate more with potential customers, making them more likely to take the desired action, whether it’s signing up for a trial, making a purchase, or any other key performance indicator for your SaaS product.

User segmentation tools usually work on multi-tiered subscriptions, with the price varying depending on the features offered. To determine the right subscription, you should first understand what your business requires.

• What goals are a priority, and which subscription covers them all?
• Is a monthly, annual, or pay-as-you-go model more economical?
• Can you create a custom package depending on your requirements?

While some packages may appear value-packed, they may not be aligned with your business goals. For example, if you don’t require user segmentation for social media marketing, then a subscription covering it won’t be useful for your business.

It is essential to choose a tool and a package that works for your current business requirements.

Analytics and reporting capabilities

Continuous analysis of metrics such as clickthrough rates, purchases, and website visits is essential when running personalized marketing campaigns. 

In fact, businesses that use data analytics in marketing are 19 times more likely to be profitable. 

To leverage this, the user segmentation tool should have inbuilt analytical features that give a clear view of these metrics and also identify areas for improvement.

For example, if you run an A/B testing campaign by targeting four different user segments, an analysis report at the end of the campaign helps you determine the most effective strategy.

You can check for analytical capabilities by looking for dashboards, custom reports, and metric-tracking features. 

Quick and easy-to-read statistical reports are also a plus if you need to present the reports to stakeholders outside the marketing team.

The above factors help you choose a marketing automation tool suitable for your SaaS product. However, you might still be left with a sea of tools to choose from. 

To help you get started, here’s a list of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses to simplify user segmentation.

Top marketing automation tools for user segmentation in SaaS

While the best tool depends on your requirements, some tools stand out more than others. This list tells you all about the top user segmentation tools and why you should choose them.

1. HubSpot

Hubspot’s List Segmentation tool is designed for personalized email marketing campaigns. From age and deal size to even recent contact, you can create segmented contact lists based on any criteria. The tool is also easily integrable with other marketing platforms, making it an excellent choice for SaaS companies that rely on other technologies.

Why choose Hubspot?

• Filter contacts through time and activity-based segmentation.
• Create hyper-focused user segments using multiple criteria.
• Keep lists always updated with real-time activity tracking.

Pricing

Hubspot’s List Segmentation is a free add-on for Hubspot Marketing Hub starting at $800/month.

2. Marketo

Marketo, a marketing automation solution by Adobe, allows you to create custom lead generation segments with inbuilt templates. The tool enlists leads using a Smart List with a dedicated segmentation folder to include segments based on role, industry, or geographical area. These customer subgroups are easily accessible through the Marketo interface to use in other marketing processes.

Why choose Marketo?

• Cross-channel segmentation for multiple marketing channels
• Auto-updation of lists as customers move through the sales funnel
• Easy use of segments with other Marketo features

Pricing

Marketo has four different packages with custom pricing depending on database size.

1. Pardot

Pardot, renamed Marketing Cloud Account Engagement by Salesforce, is another marketing tool with excellent segmentation capabilities. Pardot gathers customer data from multiple sources and creates effective user segments. You can leverage these segments for email marketing, social media marketing, or lead qualification – all available within the tool itself.

Why choose Marketo?

• Cross-channel segmentation for multiple marketing channels
• Auto-updation of lists as customers move through the sales funnel
• Easy use of segments with other Marketo features

Pricing

Marketo has four different packages with custom pricing depending on database size.

3. Pardot

Pardot, renamed Marketing Cloud Account Engagement by Salesforce, is another marketing tool with excellent segmentation capabilities. Pardot gathers customer data from multiple sources and creates effective user segments. You can leverage these segments for email marketing, social media marketing, or lead qualification – all available within the tool itself.

Why choose Pardot?

• Custom criteria selection for user segmentation
• Control automation of segments through static and dynamic lists.
• Use tags to create groups and apply filters.

Pricing

Salesforce Pardot’s basic growth package starts at $1250/month for 10,000 contacts.

4. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a dedicated email marketing automation platform that leverages segmentation to improve email engagements. With ActiveCampaign, you can create user segments with lists, tags, and statuses to send targeted emails. You can also create custom criteria fields to build lists specific to your requirements.

Why choose ActiveCampaign?

• Create customer segments based on user actions apart from the usual lists and tags.
• Automate marketing tasks by using prebuilt user segments.
• Create personalized email campaigns for each segment by customizing text, images, and videos.

Pricing

ActiveCampaign has multiple packages, with the basic one starting at $29 a month for a single user.

5. Intercom

Intercom, an automated customer service solution, helps you create quick customer segments through its interface. The tool’s API supports various ways to create and alter segments using different filters, such as tags and custom fields. You can further leverage these segments to improve customer retention and marketing through tools available in the Intercom platform.

Why choose Intercom?

• Create segments to target customers through messaging apps.
• Easily integrate with other marketing tools to leverage segmentation.
• Use chatbots to drive personalized customer engagements and sales.

Pricing

Intercom has three-tiered subscriptions with custom pricing based on the number of users and the number of people reached.

6. Drip

Drip is a marketing automation platform specifically built for ecommerce brands. The platform helps brands streamline their marketing strategies through emails, messaging, and other strategies powered by user segmentation. With Drip, you can build customer-first segments that work for your ecommerce business.

Why choose Drip?

• Intuitive, dedicated platform for ecommerce business owners
• Customer segments created directly using data from ecommerce stores.
• Quick and easy migration from other data management platforms.

Pricing

The basic subscription cost for Drip starts at $39/month and covers 2,500 people. The platform also offers a 14-day free trial and has custom packages for larger requirements.

7. Customer.io

An automated messaging platform, Customer.io is ideal for marketers who want to target customers through personalized texts. You can send emails, messages, notifications, and anything else text-based by personalizing them through the inbuilt segmentation feature. The tool allows user segmentation based on several criteria, such as user activity, demographics, and deal sizes.

Why choose Customer.io?

• Choose between manual and data-driven segments to use existing customer data.
• Find popular segment tags or create your own.
• Export data, including customer segmentation lists and seamlessly integrate with third-party marketing platforms.

Pricing

Customer.io’s Essential package starts at $100 per month for 5000 profiles and also has a 14-day free trial.

8. Scanova QR Code Generator

Scanova QR Code Generator helps you create personalized dynamic QR Codes for both promotional and operational campaigns. They offer multiple QR Code categories so that you can create a QR Code for any case of yours. For example, Website URL, Image, PDF, Wedding, Event, etc.

Cherry on the top is that you can even add design to QR Codes created via Scanova. In addition, they also help you track the print-media campaign’s performance based on QR Code’s scanning activity.

Why choose Scanova?

• Create upto 20+ Types of QR Codes and attract unlimited scans
• GDPR Compliant and ISO Certified
• Scan tracking based on device, location, date, browser, engagement rate, etc.

Pricing

Scanova’s Pricing Plan starts at $9 per month for creating 5 Dynamic QR Codes with a 14-Day Free Trial. They also offer an enterprise plan for creating up to 1,00,000 QR Codes on demand.

If you are still confused about the marketing automation platforms comparison, refer to the below table for an in-depth understanding of features, prices, and other factors.

Comparison of the top marketing automation tools for user segmentation in SaaS

Choose the right SaaS marketing tool for user segmentation

Automating your SaaS product marketing strategy is a step forward to building better customer relationships and boosting profits. And to ensure this, you need to choose the right automation tools that align with your business requirements.

The above list provides an overview of the best marketing automation platforms comparison. But before selecting any tool, determine your business goals, pain points, requirements, and budget. 

This will help you zero in on the platforms that can streamline your marketing strategy while addressing all personalization and segmentation issues.

You can leverage user segmentation by creating content that attracts your customers.