What is a persona? A fictitious representation of one or more of your buyers.
Purpose to persona? To better understand ways to meet the needs of the consumer and optimize marketing spend and efforts.
Step One – Identify what you want to know about your buyers that can impact decision to purchase. Example – Knowing the buyer archetype is helpful. Are they lookers, bargain hunters, researchers, luxury buyers…? And does your product align? You could also consider the marketing curve and determine if the buyer is an early adopter, a majority, or laggard? Another consideration is to ask if they buy on convenience, relationship, price, value? Once you understand a few basics like the few I just reviewed, you can begin to build a story about the buyer. When creating a persona, you also want to add in more lifestyle components. What kind of car they drive may align with being bargain shoppers. Attending the gym a few times a week may signal selfcare as a value, which can later be used in targeting and segmenting your audiences. Once you have gathered a few key measurements. Move to step two.
Step Two – Do your research. Talk to the people. Use polls, surveys, quizzes, to better understand your buyers.
Ways to research:
In Google Analytics, search for In Market and Affinity audiences to help inform your descriptors.
Use social media stats, like demographics, engagement, and advertising targeting to collect data.
Take surveys from existing clients asking about preferences, lifestyle, buying criteria, and any other relevant information you may be seeking. Careful though, you only get 5 to 7 questions before people drop off and do not complete. If surveys seem boring, polls and quizzes can also be used.
Step Three – Compare the data collected to see if themes arise. You should have one to three buyer types at minimum. Using some basic technology tools can help you.
Step Four – Give them an avatar name – Suzy Shopper, CEO Chuck, Bargain Betty…Then craft a story. Bargain Betty is 62 years old. She is an empty nester who also takes care of her aging parents. She is always looking for a good deal to make her dollar stretch but has discovered some additional cashflow now that her children are grown. She has a close group of girlfriends who like to travel. She has been hesitant in the past but reconsidering.
Step Five – Begin shifting language in marketing copy to match words your buyers used when describing themselves. Use demographics to use generational language to show understanding. Take demographics and lifestyle components and use in targeting in Google Ads and social media advertising. All of these components are set up as keywords and can help really deliver messaging and offers to people interested, versus a spray and pray strategy.
If your audience needs a little help implementing this strategy or if you have further questions, reach out to me for a 15 minute discussion at lisamhaas.com or on Linkedin @lisahaas1.
Thank you for the attention.
Happy Marketing!
Lisa Haas