- June 30, 2022
- 10 minute read
Today, more than ever, it is imperative that any company communicates correctly with its audience, or it risks being ignored online. To do this, you need to define your buyer personas and take full advantage of this process.
It is not enough to communicate to the audience. It is necessary to communicate with an audience that is willing to hear the message that the company has to convey. This is where the difference lies between communicating without discretion and communicating correctly. For the company to be able to communicate with its audience effectively, it is extremely important that it has a clear vision of who this audience is. To do this, you need to identify your buyer persona.
Buyer personas are semi-fictional characters created to represent groups of people who share similar values regarding the use of a product or service. Buyer personas are, in essence, the ideal customer model for a company.
The identification of buyer personas is similar to the definition of the target audience, with the difference that in the case of personas, a greater focus is given to the personal characteristics of the consumer. The target audience is a broader concept, the persona is more detailed and precise. Currently, the concept of target audience is a little outdated since it does not allow us to accurately perceive the needs of this audience.
Buyer personas must have such detailed information that they allow us to understand who that person is: what is their name, age, job, lifestyle, objections, ambitions, among others.
A company can have one or more personas, depending on the type of products it sells. For each one, the same process is carried out, attributing characteristics that represent a group of people who fit that profile.
The process of creating buyer personas is extremely important, as it will allow better communication with the company’s audience, also allowing you to understand which channels to use to reach this audience.
Personas should be built on data and not what we think company personas are. It is necessary to look for information that allows us to assemble a profile. Some of the places to look for information are:
To help create the persona profile, we can ask and answer the following questions:
Persona – guest at a hotel by the beach
Identification
Name: Joana Matos
Job: lawyer
Career: Has a law firm
Family: she is married and has 2 children: 1 son aged 6 and 1 daughter aged 3
Demographic data
Age: 35
Residence: Porto
Income: €2000 net monthly
Identifiers
Objective
Challenges
What can my company do for this persona?
Our aparthotel is next to the beach, 2 min walk. In addition, we have several types of special programs for families, which already include accommodation in an aparthotel, meals and activities for children.
Persona objections
We have a wide range of programs for families. In addition, we are able to customize programs, according to our customer’s needs.
To make this process even more realistic, an image of the persona can be added. More personas can also be created. In the case of a hotel, it may have the persona that we have presented, as well as another for young couples without children. Here it also depends on the business model.
This whole buyer persona creation process will help you communicate correctly with your buyer persona.
Now that you have defined your buyer persona, you will be able to develop communication strategies more easily, depending on the persona’s stage within the purchase journey.
Typically, the buying journey goes through three phases: knowledge/awareness, consideration and decision.
Knowledge/awareness phase – the persona has not yet identified the problem and is looking for information that will help them to understand and define this problem. At this stage, for example, educational blog articles can be developed.
Consideration phase – the persona has already identified what the problem is and looks for ways to solve it. Ebooks, blog articles or videos can be created that show different ways to solve this problem.
Decision phase – the persona is ready to purchase the product, looking for and analyzing the best solution. At this stage, you should highlight why your product is the best choice compared to competitors. To encourage purchases, you can offer, for example, discounts, product demonstrations, etc.
The contents that will be developed may be different depending on the business model.
Buyer personas should be at the foundation of any digital strategy. You need to correctly identify your buyer personas. These should be based on data that allows you to create a persona that is as real as possible.
After creating the buyer persona, you can develop your communication and content strategy for that persona, depending on their stage within the purchase journey.
On Hubspot’s website, you will be able to create your buyer personas quickly and easily, with an appealing look.
Do you need help to develop your buyer personas? Feel free to send us a message, so we can help you.
Cover photo via Pexels @ThisIsEngineering
Body image by Pablo Stanley via Open Peeps
