What are buyer personas and why are they important for your business

In our article "The 5 most common mistakes companies make on social media" we saw that one of the most common mistakes companies make on social media is not knowing their audience well enough. To remedy this mistake, the best advice is to take the time to draft buyer personas related to your business.

Don't know what buyer personas are? Don't worry, we explain everything you need to know about them.

 

What are buyer personas

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We can define buyer personas as real customer representation, archetypes whose identification allows us to create tailor-made strategies and objectives to promote products or services to your prospects. 

Attenzione però perché non si tratta di descrizioni generiche, una buona buyer persona infatti si compone di due parti. La prima riguarda il profilo, quindi una descrizione della persona tipo con dati sociodemografici, psicologici e comportamentali. La seconda parte incorpora un approfondimento relativo ai comportamenti di acquisto, rispondendo al dove, come, quando e perché dell’acquisto.

However, they are not generic descriptions. A good buyer persona consists of two parts. The first concerns the profile, i.e. a description of the typical person with socio-demographic, psychological and behavioural data. The second part incorporates a focus on buying behaviour, answering the where, when, how and why of a purchase. 

Relying only on the profile aspects will make you create fictitious types, whole a combination of profile with the so-called buying insights will give you to clear guidelines over the necessary decision to take in order to conquer your prospects.

Of course, building a buyer persona also requires clarity about the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) of your product or service: what makes it unique and how will it succeed where others have failed?

 

Come si creano le buyer persona?

Lo diciamo fin da subito: una buyer persona costruita su ipotesi è davvero inutile. Se hai già dei clienti puoi rivolgerti a loro intervistandoli, sempre però tenendo presente che si tratta di un segmento specifico del tuo pubblico.

Let us say it from the very beginning: a buyer persona built on assumptions is really useless. If you already have customers you can address them by interviewing them, but always bearing in mind that this is a specific segment of your audience.

Whether you already have a small base or are starting from scratch, these are some means to aim for:

1. Focus groups: a valuable resource to refine your buyer persona;
2. Online surveys: this is a very effective tool, especially if you already have a customer database;
3. Questionnaires: tailor-made and based on the specifications of your brand, product or service.
4. Web analytics: Google Analytics is a gold mine for analysing user demographics, interests and behaviour.
5. Market research: industry studies, market and competitor analysis help to better define buyer personas.

 

To be a good salesperson, one must first be a good listener.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image via freepik.com

 

Buyer personas help to bridge the gap between the wishes, needs and expectations of potential buyers on the one hand and the sometimes unrealistic assumptions about them by companies on the other. It is an element that absolutely must be integrated in a good marketing strategy, as well as in an online communication strategy.

 

Would you like to create your buyer personas to launch your business but lack the time and resources to do so?
DevInterface can help you. Contact us for an initial consultation!