A buyer persona is a semi-fictional character that is created, using thorough market research and real consumer data, to represent your ideal customer.

How many buyer personas should I have?

Depending on your business, you may have as few as one or two personas, or as many as 10 or 20. In some instances, it might be necessary to create buyer personas for each stage of the buying journey. It is important to note that just because they are called buyer personas it does not mean that these composites need to represent people who are ready and willing to make a purchase right away.

What is the value in creating a buyer persona?

Buyer personas help you understand your customers and prospective customers, better. This makes it easier for you to tailor your marketing content, customize your messaging, improve product development, and modify your services. Doing so ensures you meet the specific needs, behaviors, and concerns of your target audience members.

How do I get data for a buyer’s persona?

If you encounter obstacles when trying to speak directly with existing customers and prospects, create a buyer persona by employing a social listening research strategy. Look for relevant information conveyed in conversations/comments in online groups, communities, and blog posts. Searches on Facebook, Twitter, Google, Reddit, and Amazon, also provide insight into what products and services people want. This is particularly effective when one-on-one interviews and/or surveys cannot be conducted.

Additionally, for help developing your personas, review your competitors’ online presence. This will uncover trends about how their audience discovers and consumes the content they share. Take note of the audience members’:

• background (job level/signority, family),
• demographics (age, gender, income, location),
• goals (primary, secondary),
• daily challenges – personal & professional pain-points (primary, secondary), where do they go for answers?
• common objections (product, industry),
• behavior patterns, daily routine
• other identifiable characteristics (demeanor, pet owner).
• preferred content medium
• role they play in decision making

For B2B customers, also consider the size of their business and who makes the purchasing decisions.

Summary of Developing Buyer Personas

Buyer personas are a great reminder to businesses to put their audience’s wants and needs ahead of their own. Discovering the details of these key characteristics and common behaviours will ensure that your sales and marketing efforts serve your ideal prospects’ needs.

By getting a clear understanding of what your clients are looking for and what’s holding them back from making a purchase, you can map-out and create compelling content that helps them achieve their goals; and, helps you achieve your goals too. This advanced level of targeting increases conversion rates and improves the performance of social ad campaigns.