Getting to know your customers with audience personas

How to create an audience persona for your business

Understanding your customers on a deeper level is no doubt the key to business success. As a business, you must understand your customers motivations and pain points. Knowledge really is power.

An audience or buyer persona is a common way to capture this information once you’ve conducted the research to better understand your customers. But what exactly is an audience persona, and why is it important? In this blog, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to create an audience persona to help make your marketing strategy more effective.

What is an audience persona?

An audience persona is a deep dive into your customer, based on a real customer, depicting their interests and buying behaviour. It can be used by sales and marketing teams as well as your marketing agencies. For marketing, it can help to plan and develop content which resonates, ensure you’re using the right channels your customers engage with, as well as develop promotions and partnerships that will have impact. For sales, it can help teams have more meaningful conversations with prospects and improve conversions.

Demographics - The basics

(this may be less relevant if you operate in business to business, so go straight to business to business personas)

Capture the following:

Age range: Are they millennials, who value experiences over products, or baby boomers, who might prioritise quality and reliability? Understanding their age helps tailor your language, design, and even product offerings to their preferences.

Gender: It's essential to approach this with sensitivity and inclusivity. Knowing whether your products or services appeal more to men, women, or a non-binary audience can help you tailor your messaging and marketing channels accordingly.

Occupation: Your customer's occupation gives insight into their daily life, income level, and potential needs. Are they professionals with disposable income but limited time, or students looking for budget-friendly options? This information helps in positioning your product as a solution to their specific challenges.

Where do they live: Geographic location influences consumer behaviour due to cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Urban dwellers might prioritise convenience and trendiness, while rural residents may value durability and practicality. Knowing where your customers live can also help in targeting localised marketing campaigns ensuring you leverage free channels like Google Business Profile.

Marital and family status: Single individuals might spend differently compared to married couples or those with children. Understanding this aspect helps in crafting messages that resonate with their lifestyle and priorities. Equally do your customers have children, and if so, how many and how old are they? The presence and age of children in a household can significantly influence buying behaviour. Parents might prioritise safety, education, and value for money, making them a unique segment to target with tailored offerings and messages. Finally do they have pets? Pet owners might look for products that accommodate their pets' needs or enhance their lifestyle. Including pet-friendly features or services can make your product more appealing to this segment.

House ownership: Homeownership often correlates with stability and a higher propensity to invest in home-related products or services. Renters, on the other hand, might prioritise flexibility and affordability. Understanding this distinction helps in aligning your offerings with their living situations.

Vehicle ownership: Do they drive? Do they own a car? Vehicle ownership provides insights into mobility and lifestyle. Car owners might value products that enhance their driving experience or offer convenience during commutes. Conversely, non-drivers might appreciate solutions that fit into a pedestrian or public transportation lifestyle.

Other relevant demographic details: There may be additional demographic details specific to your business. Consider aspects like education level, income bracket, or even dietary preferences if relevant. These details can provide a more comprehensive understanding of your audience.

Psychographics - Digging deeper to build a more insightful audience persona

Hobbies and interests

Identify hobbies (e.g., fitness, reading, travel) to connect on a personal level
Align your content and offerings with their passions
Knowing your customer's shopping habits and favourite hangout spots can reveal a lot about their preferences and lifestyle. Do they shop online or prefer physical stores? Are they frequent visitors to coffee shops, gyms, or bookstores? These insights help in identifying the best places to reach them.

Entertainment preferences

Know their favourite TV shows, films, books, and music to understand their personality and values
Create relatable content based on their entertainment taste

Social media

Identify the social media platforms they use & know how often they use it and what they use it for
Identify influencers they follow & understand why they like following them

Regular websites

Track the websites they visit (e.g., news sites, niche blogs) for insights into their interests and behaviour
Use this information for potential partnerships and targeted advertising

Problem solved by your product/service

Understand the specific problems your product or service addresses (e.g., convenience, cost savings, better experience)
Position your business as the ideal solution to their pain points

Concerns or anxieties

Understand their biggest concerns in life / what keeps them awake at night? What do they worry about?
Address frequently asked questions and potential concerns that customers may have about your business (e.g., quality, cost, ease of use)
Alleviate these concerns to build trust and credibility

Potential turn-offs

Identify and mitigate issues that could drive customers away (e.g., poor customer service, lack of transparency, product quality) and be a barrier to them not buying from you or coming back to you
Improve customer retention by addressing these proactively

Additional details

Include other psychographics like future plans, or lifestyle changes (e.g., starting a family, retiring, extensive travel)
Use these insights for long-term engagement strategies

Business to business buyer personas

If you work in business to business, then creating audience or buyer personas are a little different. Here are some core themes to flesh out using the same principles:

Name
Age
Department
Job title
Location
Roles and responsibilities
Work habits
Career history
Biggest struggles at work
Working patterns
Cares about
Buying motivations
Turn offs
How can your business change their business/make their job easier

Creating a buyer profile

Combining all the demographic and psychographic details (as well as using the business to business checklist) you can now create a comprehensive buyer profile. This profile serves as a reference point for all your marketing efforts, ensuring that every message, campaign, and product development decision aligns with your customer's needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Creating an audience persona is a powerful tool for understanding and connecting with your customers. By taking the time to build detailed personas, you'll be better equipped to craft targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your audience. Remember, the more you know about your customers, the better you can serve them.

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Start by creating your own audience persona today and see the difference it makes.