5 Tips To Building Your Buyer Persona

A buyer persona is a made-up character, an archetype that represents your ideal target customer. Creating a persona allows you to put a face on consumer data that may otherwise seem abstract. As a result, when you think about the needs of your buyer persona, you are better able to deduce the needs of an actual customer and prevent self-referential designs.

To create an effective buyer person and enhance your marketing efforts, consider the following:

Create a target-customer profile.

To create a buyer persona, have a good idea about who he or she is. Is the person male or female? What is their vocation and title? List the buyer persona’s motivations, responsibilities and hobbies. What are the daily goals of this individual? Does this person have a decision-making role or are they an influencer?

Use your current customers or a focus group.

To learn more about your target customer you may need to interview current customers or a focus group to find out basic demographic information, the problem they want to solve and the manner in which they prefer to consume information. Learn how a target customer conducts research and obtains trusted information, as well as the influencers in the target’s life.

Learn why a consumer may not choose your company.

Interview current customers or a focus group about their hesitancies about using your product or service. In addition to learning basic information (for example, the prices are too high), you may discover barriers that you didn’t previously consider, such as difficulty of use, geographic location, missing capabilities, customer service issues and so on.

Know how a target customer might find your company.

Find out what keywords drive people to your company’s website to get a better idea about a target customer’s concerns and problems. Addressing the concerns specifically in your content can paint you as a thought leader or a trusted authority in your industry.

Don’t make your buyer persona self-serving.

While an ideal customer is one who wants to purchase all your products, this isn’t a realistic customer or one that you need to reach the most. When creating a person, remember that it’s important to reach those who are most apprehensive or critical of your products or services.

Taking the time to create a buyer persona helps your team have a shared and consistent understanding of your ideal prospective customer. Consequently, the solutions created are prioritized and better meet the needs of your customer base.