Market Positioning vs Segment Positioning

These 2 types of positioning power marketing for Horizontal B2B startups.

Apply them both correctly…

🚀 And you’ll increase the likelihood of carving out a place in your market.

Here is a breakdown of each type

↳ with insights on how to message

Using Notion as an example (see image)

🤑 Market positioning 🤑

What is it?

👉 Your approach to the broader market.

In other words, it’s your strategy to go after multiple segments.

How to message for market positioning?

⚓ Use the most compelling positioning elements as anchors.

These are the elements that best explain who you serve and what you do.

This message acts as a starting point for discovering the other messaging elements.

When in doubt on which anchors to use, maximize for clarity by asking:

“Which combination of elements will help people understand us the most?”

🎯 Segment positioning 🎯

What is it?

👉 Your approach to a more narrow market

In other words, your strategy to go after a specific market segment.

How to message for segment positioning?

🔗 Combine all the messaging elements to tell an end-to-end story

These messages are your most complete value propositions.

You’re trying to get a a prospect to say…

“Wow, that’s my exact situation and problem — this might be for me”

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Remember, you’ll need to use both types of positioning and messaging to carve out your place in the market.

💡 For early stage startups (seed & series A)…

Apply your market positioning & messaging to be an initial signal as you uncover the other elements for specific segments.

And once you find a segment with alignment to your product & messaging…

📈 You’ll activate scalable growth.