Put simply, a 'buyer persona' is best described as 'a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers' (HubSpot).
When it comes to understanding and creating general awareness of your buyer persona(s), it's worthwhile considering aspects such as customer demographics (age, gender, location), their behavioural patterns, their motivations, and ultimately their goals when visiting your website or through viewing your content. The digger you deep into your buyer persona(s) the more accurate your marketing strategy will become.
A definite MUST especially for those selling particular services or physical products through an online shop, buyer personas are an effective way to narrow down your audience. If you're not sure on how to structure a buyer persona, then here are some of top tips:
1. Consider Making A Template
Buyer Persona templates are pretty easy to put together - all you really need to consider are 3 main factors: Background, Demographics, and their main Identifiers. Background - This can be broken down into data relevant to their Job, their Family Status, and even information about their Career Path, Aspirations, or General Interests.
Demographics - This can be broken down into Age, Gender, Race, Geographic Location, and even their Income. You might find that a lot of your Buyer Persona's tend to show the same data. Identifiers - This can be broken down into their preferred Communicative options, their general Demeanour, and even notes about their general Everyday Schedule.
For Example: A Buyer Persona for a potential Customer or Client might look like the below:
Persona Name: Adam
Background: Self-Employed Mechanic, Married With 2 Children, Looking To Expand His Business Within The Next 2/3 Years
Demographics: 30-40 Years Old, Male, Sub-Urban
Identifiers: Prefers Mailed or Printed Communication The great thing with creating your own Templates for Buyer Persona's is that they can be used over and over again to create a bank of ready-to-use data. All you need to do is the research -this'll help you collate everything nicely.
2. Always Do Your Research
Researching really is the key to obtaining not only the best, but the most relevant data for your client database. Dig deep and never leave any stones unturned. If you find that some of the data doesn't add up, then always double check - it's always worth remembering that an audience is designed to be made up of people of ALL backgrounds and ALL interests - with ALL individuals having a common interest/goal - your product or your service!
3. Don't Be Surprised If The Data Changes
It's important to remember that data is forever changing, and this means your client-base and target audience will inevitably change too, as time goes by. Don't be surprised if your data starts to skew, or trends that you once noticed and made note of are no longer considered relevant - this is all part of marketing and market research! Where's the fun in just having a bog-standard client base - variety is healthy and very-much welcomed!
4. Always Be On The Look Out For Changes In The Demographics
Much like the note above, it's important to always be on the look out for changes in Demographic Data. This could be changes in the typical Age Categories, Interests Categories, or even the Location of your audience. There's much to be learnt from this change in data, so it's super important to stay on top of it all! Here at Lighthouse, we recommend updating and re-researching your existing client base and gathered buyer persona(s) as often as you can. It'll only help benefit your business in the long run as nobody really wants to be barking up the wrong tree! You'll also find that this process will also help you streamline your Social Media Marketing and your other Content Driven Strategies much more effectively!
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