Persona

If your content is not tailored with your target audience in mind, it will not appeal to their needs. And then it will not work as you want!
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How Do You Create a Persona?

Nearly 60% of marketers agree that creating content is one of their top lead nurturing strategy challenges. If your content isn't personalized with your target audience in mind, it won't appeal to their needs. You could struggle to generate leads and conversions as a result.

 

Crafting a buyer persona can help. With buyer personas, you can generate content with each consumer in mind.

 

You'll have an easier time personalizing your content and connecting with your audience.

 

What is a buyer persona, exactly, and how can you make one? Keep reading to find out!

 

With this guide to personas, you can start connecting with customers and attracting more people to your business. Read on to learn more!

 

 

What is a Buyer Persona?

 

First, it helps to understand a little more about what buyer personas are.

 

Buyer personas are detailed descriptions of your ideal customers based on demographics and psychographics. When creating a persona, it helps to imagine a real person. You can research how people behave and shop to craft each persona.

 

Once you craft a persona, you'll have a deeper understanding of who your customers are. You'll determine their interests, pain points, and behaviors. You can also research their goals, interests, and demographic information.

 

Then, you can craft a digital marketing strategy with each distinct consumer in mind.

 

Each consumer within your target audience is unique. They have their own reasons for wanting your product or service.

 

By crafting a persona, you can learn about each consumer individually. Then, you can appeal to their distinct wants and needs.

 

Otherwise, you'll use a broad message within your marketing tactics. Your inbound marketing strategy might fail to draw people in as a result. Consumers might think you don't understand them as individuals.

 

 

Benefits of Using Buyer Personas for Marketing

 

Why use personas?

 

Almost 75% of customers get frustrated when content doesn't suit their interests. Another 63% expect personalization as a standard of care. Meanwhile, almost 50% won't spend time with branded content that doesn't suit their interests.

 

In fact, over 52% will switch brands if you don't personalize your communications. You could lose business as a result. 

 

Today, consumers expect personalized content. In fact, 73% of customers expect companies to understand their needs.

 

About 90% of marketers report measurable lift after personalizing content. It could deliver five to eight times the ROI on your marketing spend.

 

With buyer personas, you'll have an easier time personalizing your content. You can use buyer personas in every digital marketing strategy to connect with customers. They'll see you understand their needs and choose your business above the rest.

 

Still on the fence? Here are three reasons you need to start using buyer personas right away.

 

 

1. Consider the Customer's POV

Understanding your target audience by creating a buyer persona strategy can optimize your marketing tactics. You can consider the customer's point of view before creating marketing messages.

 

Your customers are real people. If you don't keep that in mind, you should struggle to connect with your audience. Instead, you can create content and posts that engage your customers.

 

Buyer personas can also help you understand the customer's priorities. You can make marketing decisions with their priorities in mind. 

 

What goals are your customer's setting? What problems are they experiencing? Creating buyer personas can help you understand their point of view.

 

Then, you can create a marketing strategy to ensure they meet their goals.

 

By understanding the customer's point of view, you'll more likely build a relationship with them. Then, you can generate brand loyalty and trust. Loyal customers will stick around long-term, improving your retention rate.

 

Your ROI will improve as a result. 

 

 

2. Precise Targeting

Are you creating pay-per-click (PPC) ads as part of your digital marketing strategy? Digital marketing tools like PPC platforms let you use precise targeting. You can choose who your ads will appear in front of based on demographics and keywords.

 

Buying personas can help you target your customers more effectively.

 

You can determine who your ads will appear in front of based on demographics. Then, you can write ads that speak to those customers. You'll no longer have to waste time and money on the wrong consumers.

 

Instead, your ideal customers will click on your ads and convert. Your conversion rate and ROI will improve as a result. 

 

 

3. Improve Your ROI

About 90% of marketers say personalization contributes to their company's profitability. By creating personas, you can better personalize your marketing tactics and ad language. 

 

You can determine what type of content will best speak to your audience. Then, you can ensure that content appears on the right social channels. 

 

Once people start seeing your content, you can gather data. Data will help you make more informed decisions in the future. You can update your marketing strategy to optimize campaigns for success. 

 

Then, your ROI will improve, ensuring long-term business growth.  

 

 

How to Create a Buyer Persona

Now that you know why you need buyer personas, let's start strategizing! Here are the five steps you need to learn how to create a persona.

 

 

1. Complete Thorough Research

In order to develop an accurate persona, you need real data. Working off assumptions could impact your digital marketing campaigns. Instead, you need to compile research.

 

You can gather information from your Google Analytics platform or social media analytics. Consider using your customer database, too. Gather information about your customers':

  • Interests
  • Age
  • Location
  • Challenges
  • Stage of life
  • Spending pattern and powers
  • Education
  • Career/job title
  • Pain points
  • Communication methods
  • Language
  • Household income
  • Marital status

 

If you don't have Google Analytics to work from, create a customer survey. 

 

Check out your competitors, too. Who are they targeting? What social media platforms are they using to reach customers?

 

Once you gather this information, you can start segmenting your audience.

 

 

2. Know Their Pain Points

Take the time to learn about the customer's pain points, too.

 

What problems do your customers experience each day? Where do they go for solutions?

 

What are their goals? What barriers do they face when trying to accomplish their goals?

 

You can use social listening to gather this information. Otherwise, schedule one-on-one interviews with your customers. Show your customers you care about their needs.

 

Consider their experience with your product or service, too. Why do they love your products? What problems are they still experiencing?

 

Understanding their pain points can help you find ways to improve your customer experience. You can provide customers with the solutions they need. Then, they'll learn to rely on you whenever they need help.

 

 

3. Understand Their Goals

Once you understand the customers' pain points, learn more about their goals. What goals do they want to achieve?

 

Are their goals professional or personal? It usually varies based on your product or service.

 

Consider the customer's end game. What motivates them to achieve that goal?

 

In some cases, their goals will relate to the distinct solutions you provide. You might recognize your customers have other goals, though. Understand their goals to determine which benefits or features of your products they care about.

 

The customer's goals can inform the approach you'll take with your digital marketing strategy.

 

Talk to your customers to learn more about their goals. How are they using your product? What end goal does your product help them achieve?

 

What features are missing that could help them achieve more goals?

 

This information can help you make improvements in the future.

 

 

4. Determine How You'll Help

Once you understand the customer's pain points and goals, you can find new ways to help your customers. 

 

Try to understand your product or service from the customer's point of view. How do you make their life easier or better?

 

Summarize how you plan to help your customers in one sentence. Determine their main purchasing barriers and how you can help them. Then, consider where your customers are in the buying journey.

 

Are customers trying to learn more about your product or service? What's holding them back? Are they looking for product demos or customer reviews?

 

You can use this data to improve your inbound marketing strategy in the future.

 

 

5. Craft Your Personas

Once you gather this data, consider how you want to group your customers together. What common characteristics do certain groups share?

 

How does their distinct point of view segment that customer from others?

 

For example, you might realize a mother of three has a distinct experience compared to an 18-year-old male. They might have separate goals and needs.

 

What should a user persona consist of? When developing your persona, make sure to think of them as a real person. Create a template that includes their:

  • Name
  • Job title
  • Age
  • Location
  • Career
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Pain points and challenges
  • Objections
  • Goals and motivations
  • Biggest fears

 

What online channels do they use? How can you reach your customers? What content do they enjoy?

 

Don't forget to consider the questions they're asking, too. 

 

Use your buyer persona template to create a few persona examples for your business. Then, you can start marketing and connecting with customers.

 

 

Crafting a Buyer Persona: Your Guide to Precise Targeting 

Ready to reach your target audience? Want to make sure your content resonates with customers? Use these tips to create a buyer persona for your business!

 

By creating personas, you can improve your digital marketing strategies and focus on your ideal customers. Give your business a boost with these tips today. 

 

Want to reach more customers online? We can help.

Contact us today to get started.

Martin Mensbo Christiansen
Head of HubSpot