A Study on User Segmentation and Differentiated Operational Strategies for Paid Micro-Short Drama Users Based on K-Means Clustering

With the rapid growth of the paid micro-short drama market, understanding user characteristics and implementing refined operations have become critical for the industry's sustainable development. This study uses a sample of 1,224 micro-short drama users in Tianjin and employs the K-means clustering algorithm for user segmentation. Three distinct user groups were identified: Socially Driven Youth (under 18, with high impulsive payment tendency, and preference for light-hearted themes), Price-Sensitive Seniors (over 56, value cost-effectiveness, prefer simple plots), and Quality-Discerning Professionals (26-35, highly educated and high-income, demand stringent content quality). Based on these user profiles, this paper designs differentiated operational strategies encompassing content, distribution channels, pricing, and promotion for each group. These strategies aim to provide empirical evidence for precision marketing and product development within the micro-short drama market.