Have you ever picked up a popular fashion magazine such as Vogue and questioned who the audience is? Or could you tell which readers the magazine hoped to target? The answer is probably obvious – thanks to advertisements and articles about high fashion for ladies, you might have guessed that the magazine often falls into the hands of young women who enjoy haute couture.
But have you ever thought about how other businesses, yours included, should also have and use a buyer persona? The term “buyer persona,” simply put, refers to a targeted consumer for a business’ products or services.
Figuring Out the Buyer Persona
If you have never envisioned your buyer persona, you aren’t alone. Many businesses haven’t taken the time to nail down a specific persona. But once you do, your marketing efforts will become more efficient and targeted – and the results will roll in.
Get inspiration around the office.
If you are just now determining a buyer persona, seek the opinions of your team during the process. Call a short meeting and brainstorm with your employees about the target client everyone imagines. Get specific – ask questions like where does your customer shop or what are their weekend activities? The point is to expand beyond the simple age/sex/location/income demographics and get creative about who your customers, and your potential customers, are.
Possible questions to address:
- Does your persona have a family? Are the children young or grown?
- What does your persona eat and drink?
- What are your persona’s interests and passions?
- What does your persona read on the Internet or in the newspaper each day?
- What social and political issues stir the persona in positive or negative ways?
It might seem odd to create a “whole” person by answering these specific questions, but the more you know about your buyer persona, the more you can tap into his or her desires and provide the products and services they seek.
Share the results.
After the buyer persona for your company has been determined, put the results on paper and keep them handy. Make sure those who weren’t able to contribute know who the buyer persona is. This new persona will become a valuable resource when it comes to marketing your business.
You may need more than one.
Keep in mind, of course, that you may need more than one persona. If your company offers several services or products, it’s likely that you will end up marketing to more than one audience. In this case, keep a list of the different personas you use. Why? The answer is simple – you cannot use the same social media or marketing tactics for each one and achieve the best results.
Implementing the Buyer Persona
Now that you’ve figured out all of Peggy Sue’s secrets (You did give your persona a name, right?) it is time to implement her persona into your marketing and social media strategies.
Start addressing the persona in mailings and ads.
If you’ve been sending out postcards or fliers, placing ads and experimenting with marketing on a regular basis, you will find it easier to compose content now that you know your audience. Speak directly to your persona in marketing pieces and notice the difference it makes. Here is an example:
- Saturday sale flier, before persona:
Visit the store this Saturday for half-off on beach chairs and coolers.
- Saturday sale flier, after persona:
Skip zumba class on Saturday and go to the beach with the family! We’re offering all beach chairs and coolers at half price this weekend.
Provide the persona with relevant social media content.
When it comes to social media, growing your target audience is a mere click away if you start posting content that entices them. That means the photos and articles you post to Twitter and Facebook should be tailored to match your persona. If, for example, your persona is an upper-class woman who juggles both motherhood and a career, she will probably want to read an equal amount about work, finances and home life.
Tailor sales and special offers around the persona.
If your business is offering a coupon for yard maintenance tools, it makes sense to hand them to customers who are purchasing flower and vegetable seeds at the checkout, right? Likewise, if you want to target young mothers for a free, postpartum exercise class, you wouldn’t market within a retirement community. Make sure that any special offers from your business are received by your persona – another reason to know the places your persona might hang out.
Remember, effective marketing is the result of knowing who supports your business and keeps it in a state of growth. In today’s economy, social media skills and a competitive edge are necessary, and knowing your buyer persona can mean the difference between focused, valuable marketing and efforts that go woefully unnoticed.
Image courtesy of scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Allison Rice is the Marketing Director for Amsterdam Printing (www.amsterdamprinting.com), a leading provider of custom and promotional pens and other promotional products to grow your business and thank customers. Allison regularly contributes to the Promo & Marketing Wall blog, where she provides actionable business tips.