How To Create A Buyer Persona

What is a buyer persona?

A buyer persona is a comprehensive representation of your target audience that is based on thorough research. Instead of getting to know each customer personally, you create a persona that serves as a representation of your customer base. This may include multiple personas if different customers have different reasons for purchasing your products.

The buyer persona is given a name, demographics, interests, and personality traits, and you will also get to understand their objectives, frustrations, and purchasing habits. To bring the persona to life, some brands even include a visual representation, such as a stock photo or simple illustration, to help their team connect with this “person.”

By treating the buyer persona as a real person, you can specifically target them with your marketing messages. Keeping the persona in mind makes it easier to maintain consistency across all aspects of your brand, including social media strategy, branding, and product development.

So, how do we create a buyer persona?

Step 1 – Dive into market research.

The first step in creating a buyer persona is to gather data on your target audience. It is important to define the research objective and what you want to achieve from it. Choose a research method that aligns with your research objectives, such as surveys, focus groups, or online research. It is also a good idea to collect data from primary and secondary sources, including information gathered directly from the target audience and existing sources such as Facebook audience insights, industry reports and also social media metrics.

Step 2 – It is time to analyse the data you have collected.

After gathering your data, the next step is to study it and try to spot recurring themes and patterns. Look for trends in the data and group similar responses together. This will help you easily identify the main attributes of your intended audience, resulting in a more precise and comprehensive buyer persona.

Step 3 – Build your buyer persona.

Using the information that you have collected and studied, it is now possible to develop a comprehensive buyer persona. To begin, come up with a name for the persona and produce a visual portrayal of them, which could be as basic as a rough sketch or as intricate as a highly detailed illustration.

Some of the key elements to consider when creating a buyer persona include:

• Demographic information: age, gender, education, salary, etc.
• Behavioural patterns: purchasing habits, preferences, frustrations, etc.
• Motivations: what drives your target audience to make a purchase?
• Frustrations: what are some of the challenges or problems that your target audience faces?

For example, you just launched a children’s clothing brand. Your ideal target audience would be the Mothers instead of the children or the Fathers. As statistics have shown that 67% of Mothers shop for their kids and the 24% are Fathers. A few of the goals that Mothers have for their children include ensuring the child has high-quality products and stands out stylishly from other kids. Their main motivation is convenience since they are preoccupied with taking care of their children and do not have the time to visit physical stores to browse designs. Therefore, it would be beneficial for the brand to offer an online catalogue as well.

An efficient method to summarise the data you have gathered and create a buyer persona is by utilising a user-friendly website like HubSpot’s Make My Persona Tool, which simplifies the process and generates the buyer persona for you.

Step 4 – Refine your buyer persona.

After crafting your initial buyer persona, it is important to continually refine and update it as you gain more insights into your target audience as time passes. This ongoing review process will help to maintain the persona’s accuracy and relevance to your audience’s evolving preferences and needs.

For example, you initially identified that your target audience consists primarily of young adults interested in fashion. As you collect more data, you might discover that a particular age group within this audience is more interested in eco-friendly clothing. Refining your persona to reflect this new information would enable you to tweak your marketing strategy and provide more relevant product offerings by venturing into environmentally friendly production. By consistently refining your buyer persona, you can stay ahead of the ever changing market trends and better connect with your target audience.

Step 5 – Put your buyer persona to use

After developing your buyer persona, it is crucial to integrate it into your marketing strategy. Utilise it as a frame of reference when creating marketing campaigns, launching products or services, and determining your sales strategy. The buyer persona should guide all of your decision-making and enable you to create a more precise and effective marketing and sales plan.

Taking Patagonia as an example, they are known for incorporating their buyer persona, which consists of environmentally conscious and active consumers, into their marketing efforts. They have a strong commitment to sustainability and have made it a core part of their brand identity, which resonates with their target audience’s values and preferences. Their marketing campaigns often highlight their eco-friendly materials, such as recycled fabrics and their support for environmental causes, like protecting public lands. 

Additionally, they have a section on their website dedicated to environmental and social responsibility, where they provide resources for their customers to learn more about sustainability and get involved in environmental activism.

By incorporating their buyer persona’s values and preferences into their marketing strategy, Patagonia has built a strong and loyal customer base that aligns with their brand mission and values.

To make your marketing message more effective and engaging, it is essential to use language and terminology that resonates with your target audience. As evidenced by the comments and engagement on their posts, using the right tone and language can create a strong connection with your audience.

In conclusion

Creating a buyer persona is a crucial aspect of developing an effective marketing and sales strategy. By gaining insight into your target audience’s wants, needs, and frustrations, you can create relatable campaigns, products, and sales tactics that better connect with them and drive improved desired outcomes. Keeping your buyer persona up-to-date with the latest market trends and insights enables you to stay ahead of the competition and keep your messaging aligned with your target audience’s evolving demands. By doing so, you can continue to build lasting relationships with your customers and drive the success of your brand.