Firmographic segmentation helps B2B marketers and sales teams understand who their ideal companies are and how to prioritize them. Just as demographics break down populations into meaningful segments, firmographics categorize organizations based on shared attributes.
Common firmographic factors include:
- Industry / Vertical: e.g., healthcare, retail, fintech, SaaS.
- Company Size: Often measured by number of employees or physical locations.
- Revenue / Annual Turnover: Indicates purchasing power and budget potential.
- Geographic Location: Region, country, or territory where the company operates.
- Ownership Structure: Public, private, nonprofit, government.
- Growth Stage or Maturity: Startup, scale-up, enterprise, legacy organization.
- Technology Stack (Technographics): The tools and platforms a company uses (e.g., Salesforce, AWS, Shopify).
- Decision-Making Structure: Centralized vs. decentralized buying processes.
Example: A SaaS company selling marketing automation software defines its target market as mid-sized eCommerce businesses (50–250 employees), generating $5–20M in annual revenue, primarily located in North America, and using Shopify and Klaviyo. With this firmographic profile, they can build targeted LinkedIn campaigns, tailor sales outreach, and prioritize accounts that closely match their ideal customer profile (ICP).
Firmographic data is typically sourced from CRM records, B2B data platforms, LinkedIn, industry reports, or company websites. When combined with technographic, intent, and behavioral data, firmographics allow for highly precise ABM (Account-Based Marketing) and lead scoring strategies.