Some say there is no such thing as a “perfect customer” in the world of business. While that may hold true, it certainly is important to consider who your target customer is, especially when it comes to effectively marketing your business. The easiest way to visualize that customer is by building out a buyer persona – a general profile of your target customer.
Today’s edition of the Baer Necessities Blog will talk about what a buyer persona is, why they’re invaluable tools for effective marketing, and how you can build your own. Read on for more information!
What is a buyer persona?
As we mentioned, a buyer persona is essentially a built-out profile of your target customer. You might also hear them referred to as marketing personas or customer personas, but they are all the same thing. These profiles are typically comprised of different demographic information like gender, age, occupation, relationship status, income, and other similar categories.
To simplify things, imagine a buyer persona like a Facebook page, or a resume; they are loaded with useful information about a person that you can use to make educated decisions about their buying habits.
What would a business use a buyer persona for?
Now that you’ve got a grasp on what a buyer persona is, we’re sure you’re wondering why it’s such a great idea to spend time thinking about your target customer. The reason is simple: buyer personas allow you to take a snapshot of the customer you want to buy into your brand and then tailor your strategy around their habits and thought processes.
By creating a portrait of your ideal customer, you can empathize with them and predict their decision-making process, giving you insights into your customer base that otherwise may be difficult to reach. It happens all the time – business owners lose sight of how they should market and present their products to their customers because they’re thinking like a business owner, not their client. Building a buyer persona gives businesses a chance to be on the outside looking in and make decisions that will better resonate with prospective customers.
How would I start making a buyer persona?
Creating a buyer persona is a straightforward process but will require some research and some imagination on the part of the business owner. While you can build several different personas to fit multiple different customer bases, it’s always easiest to pick just one and start from there.
You can start by thinking of questions to ask yourself about your target customer. How much money do they make in a year? How many children do they have? Are they male or female? What kinds of media do they consume? By answering questions like these, you should get a clearer picture of what your buyer persona will look like. Don’t forget to find negative attributes, too, to identify the personas you want to avoid (i.e., customers that won’t have the budget for your product or have a lifestyle that’s incompatible with your brand).
Once you’ve developed a persona, put yourself in their shoes when it comes time to make decisions! Think about how they’d receive different marketing tactics and where it will be most effective to try to sell to them. If you get imaginative, it becomes much easier to identify areas of opportunity for your marketing.
Buyer personas aren’t the only way to build solid marketing strategies, but they certainly are one of the easiest and most effective ways to see your brand through the eyes of a customer. If you’re finding it hard to make genuine connections with your target market, it might be time to approach your marketing from a different angle and create a good buyer persona!
If restructuring your marketing plan seems difficult, that’s okay! We know how challenging it can be to refocus and come up with a winning strategy. The experts here at Baer Performance Marketing help businesses get the results they’re looking for from their marketing and elevate brands to the next level. Get in touch with us today for a free consultation. Let’s get your marketing on point!
