What Are Customer Personas and How Can They Help You Turn a Profit?
By Sarah Wardle Jones
As a business owner, you understand your product or service like the back of your hand. The same can likely be said of your business. You’re deeply familiar with the intricacies of what your business needs to thrive. In other words, you’re an expert.
But, is the same true of how you understand your customers? Developing a familiarity with customer needs and motivations is a step that many business owners skip and the oversight can cost. The good news is, there’s a simple (and fun!) tool that can help: customer personas. Personas give you insight into what drives your customers so you can communicate effectively, help your customer, and grow your business.
What is a Customer Persona?
A persona is a fictional portrait of your ideal user or customer. It’s a valuable tool in both user experience and marketing because it helps you think through who is using your product or service in detail. With a persona, your customers become less abstract and more concrete. Once you’ve created a firm understanding of the people you serve, then communicating becomes less driven by guesswork.
As a business owner you’re an expert in your business, as you should be! But when it comes to marketing, knowing all the details can make clear communication a challenge. What information do you prioritize? A persona helps with this dilemma because you know exactly who you’re talking to and what they need to know.
How To Create a Customer Persona
Creating a customer persona just takes a pen and some paper (or keyboard if you prefer), a bit of time, and some imagination! Remember, the point of a persona is to distill the characteristics of your ideal customer into a fictional character you can then use to make marketing and business decisions. You really only need to answer three questions to develop a workable customer persona
1. Who are they? Describe the basic demographics and personality of your customer. Be sure to consider the following points as you answer the question:
- Demographic information: Age, gender, income, education, occupation, and location.
- Personality information: Interests, hobbies, values, lifestyle, and personality traits.
2. What are their goals and challenges? This question aims to uncover what the customer is trying to achieve and the obstacles they face in achieving these goals. It includes:
- Goals: What they want to accomplish, both personally and professionally.
- Challenges: The pain points and problems they encounter that prevent them from achieving their goals.
3. How do they make decisions? Explore your customer’s decision-making process and preferred communication channels. As you think it through, consider the following:
- Buying habits: this explores how they research and purchase products or services.
- Preferred communication channels: this is the way they use social media, phone, and email.
Once you’ve answered these questions, it’s helpful to give your persona a name! Let’s say your ideal customer is “Amanda.” When thinking through marketing you’re doing for your business instead of spending endless hours trying to figure out the best way to frame a product or service, you can talk directly to Amanda.
How Personas Help You Turn a Profit
Personas help you clarify your messaging and clarity helps your bottom line. A persona can save you time by eliminating guesswork, guide the creation of a clear message, and help you speak to the right people in the right way.
Want more guidance on connecting with your ideal customer? LeadPoint Digital can help! We’re experts and understanding what drives online behavior. We’ll help you clarify your message and craft a strategy that’s clear and effective. If you’re ready to attract people who need your business, contact us today
