What is a Buyer Persona and How Do I Make One?

24% of businesses generated more leads and 36% shortened their sales cycles using buyer personas. One of the most effective ways to produce a strategic marketing campaign that provides meaningful results is to truly understand who your customers are, where they can be found, and what they need from you. This is where buyer personas come in. 

So, let’s take a look at what a buyer persona is, why you should be using them, and how to create one. 

What is a Buyer Persona? 

A buyer persona is a representation of your ideal customer. The details of this semi-fictional character typically include demographics, challenges, goals, purchasing habits, online behaviour, and even hobbies and personal interests. However this can differ slightly depending on your industry and whether you're a B2B or B2C business.

The persona is built based on market research and real data about your existing customers. It's there to create a clear picture of who you are trying to reach, so you’re not relying on broad assumptions that may not provide the most tangible results.

What’s the Difference Between Target Audiences and Buyer Personas? 

Many people assume that target audiences and buyer personas are the same thing, and while they are somewhat similar, this isn’t the case. 

• Target audiences are broad and generalised and used to refine campaign targeting to improve reach 
• Buyer personas are detailed and specific and look at the psychology and behaviour behind a customer to position products and align marketing messages more effectively

Buyer Persona Examples

The information surrounding your buyer persona may differ slightly for B2B or B2C businesses and depend on the industry you’re in. 

Here are some examples:

1. Ecommerce:

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2. Local Service:

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3. B2B SaaS

Why Are Buyer Personas Important? 

Now you know what a buyer persona is, here’s why they’re important:

Provides More Accurate Targeting

Targeting the right people is a fundamental element of any marketing campaign. If you don't have a clear understanding of who is most likely going to be interested in your product or service, you may waste resources on putting your message in front of people who are unlikely to convert. By using the guidelines of a buyer persona, you can target the people who matter most.

Allows You To Tailor Your Content Effectively 

Buyer personas help you tailor your content so you can make the most out of your marketing efforts. Personas will guide which digital marketing channels you should use and ensure the content you put out resonates with your audience.

Ensures a Shared Understanding Across Teams 

Having a clear target customer means graphic designers, content writers, paid advertisers, and SEOs are all on the same page about who the content is aimed at and how to communicate your message in the most worthwhile way. It also makes it easier for any external marketing agencies or freelancers to access the information they need to produce more efficacious campaigns. 

Improves Return on Investment (ROI)

71% of companies with documented persons exceeded revenue and lead goals while 37% are on target, and 25% miss them. By increasing efficiency across teams and having a more tailored and effective marketing campaign, you can prioritise your resources and increase the likelihood of conversions, ultimately boosting your ROI. 

How to Create a Buyer Persona

1. Set Goals

It can be helpful to decide what you want your buyer persona to help you achieve before you begin creating one. Whether it’s to revive underperforming campaigns, create efficiency across teams and external marketing agencies, or simply improve your offering for your customers, having a clear understanding of its purpose for your business specifically can make it easier for you to determine which data to gather to ensure your personas offer genuine value and directly support your business goals.

2. Gather Data

Buyer personas are informed by data and there are a few ways you can acquire the necessary information to create your ideal customer’s identity: 

• Analyse competitors - your direct competitors are a great place to start. Look at who they are targeting, what channels they are putting their marketing efforts into, and how they talk to their customers.
• Look at your own analytics - tools such as GA4 can be used to gain insight into user behaviour, demographics, where your customers come from, and more. It’s not just analytics on your website you can look into - social media platforms can help you gain a better understanding of what type of content your customers find most engaging and what messaging resonates with them most. 
• Leverage surveys - sometimes asking your customers directly is the easiest way to find out what works and what doesn’t work with your brand. 
• Monitor branded mentions  - you can use tools like Brandwatch to see what people are saying about your products or services. Setting up Google Alerts for your brand is a free alternative if you’re low on budget.

20 Customer Research Questions to Use

To get the most out of your data, here is a list of potential questions you can use for interviews or surveys, to get valuable insights into your ideal customer. 

1. What is your age, gender, and location? 
2. What size company do you work for? 
3. How do you typically shop or find information? 
4. What are the biggest challenges you’re facing right now? 
5. How would you describe this problem to a friend or colleague? 
6. What problem were you trying to solve?
7. How does this problem impact your work or business? 
8. Did a specific event or problem trigger your search for a solution?
9. How did you first begin researching solutions - which platform(s) did you use? 
10. Did you consider any alternatives? If so, why? 
11. What concerns did you have before buying? 
12. Did anything nearly stop you moving forward? 
13. Do you read case studies/reviews or prefer peer recommendations? Or a mix?  
14. What criteria mattered most when narrowing down your options? 
15. What questions needed answering before you could make a decision? 
16. What made you choose us? 
17. Who was involved in the decision making process? 
18. What were your main goals - what were you hoping to achieve? 
19. Where did you learn about us? 
20. What would an ideal solution help you accomplish?

3. Create a Document or Template 

Once you have all the information you need to build your persona, you need to form your semi-fictional character. It’s best to put this in one clear document that everyone in your organisation, as well as any external agencies or freelancers, can access. You can use a simple Word document or Google Slides. Or, you can use one of our free templates.

4. Review and Update Your Personas Regularly 

As your business grows, your customer base may evolve too. You should review your buyer personas semi-regularly to ensure they still align with target demographics, and current user behaviour and market environments. 

You may not get your persona right at first and it may take some adjusting over time as you learn more about your customer base so don’t be afraid to tweak your personas here and there.

Common Buyer Persona Mistakes

• Focusing too much on irrelevant details - as a B2B company, things like marital status don’t mean much, but for an ecommerce business, this type of information may be beneficial 
• Having too many personas - trying to target too many different types of customers can dilute the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, instead stick to 3 - 5 personas for optimal targeting 
• Relying on guesswork - you may think you have an idea your audience, but the data may tell a completely different story, and guessing may lead you to put out ineffective marketing messages in the wrong places
• Building personas based on customers you hope to have, not the ones you do have - the customers you aspire to have and the ones you actually have may be very different, but it’s important to focus on the people who are genuinely interested and likely to convert

Buyer Personas Are a Strategic Necessity 

Having a clear picture of your ideal customer allows you to connect with your audience in an effective and meaningful way. By taking the time to research your target audience and build an accurate persona, you can refine your marketing efforts to drive stronger results. 

If you’d like expert help finding your ideal customer or building an accurate buyer persona, then get in touch with us today.