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Without real clarity over who you want your content to attract and engage – how do you know how to talk to them? How many times have you read a post or email, only to skim past, as the first sentence isn’t relevant?
In a world of information overload being able to cut through the noise is key. Being relevant and helpful to your ideal customer can make a massive difference to the success of both your paid for and organic content.
What are Customer Personas?
Customer personas are also often called target audience personas or buyer personas. They should include not just the demographics of your ideal customer but be a fully thought through three-dimensional person. If your business has a sales team they can probably rattle off a whole list of traits that they will have. But in terms of content marketing, you also need to be thinking about what content do they consume, and how much time they have? Is there a certain time of day they’re more likely to be online? Are they active in groups too?
The key areas for consideration are:
- Demographics (age, gender identity, income, and location)
- Background (Education, family etc)
- Person goals
- Pain Points – what problems do they have that you can solve with your product/service?
- Information Search – when and where do they get the information that influences their decision making
- Common objections
Do we really need them – or is it just marketing fluff?
In larger companies or those with more complex sales structures, there may be a need for multiple buyer personas, but even in small businesses, there are often 2 or 3 types of customers. It really does help to develop well-rounded personas as it will allow everyone in the company to understand who you want to attract and really get to know this person/s.
It will also underpin your content plan and help prioritise which Social Media channels are the best at reaching your ideal customers. Let’s be honest most companies don’t necessarily have the time or budget to do everything!
Understanding pain points means you can address this directly in content and perhaps overcome objections before they even become one!
In short, the answer is yes – every business will benefit from having them, and it will make lots of future tasks easier and more targeted.
How can I get this information?
The best place to start is by looking at your current customers those that you would really like more of. Brainstorm this across different departments or teams so you can create as well-rounded a persona as possible.
If you’re a start-up this information may be more theoretical, but equally, you may be able to glean this information by looking at competitors.
Is it really worth the effort?
Most definitely yes! Without these you’re simply throwing content out there. The results of all that hard work may not be reflected in raising awareness or moving potential customers along the sales funnel.
Have you tried developing personas as a team? When did you last review them? It should be an ever-evolving creation. If you launch a new product or service it may be that it will appeal to a completely different type of customer.
If this is something you could benefit from some professional help and input please do get in touch with us here at Marketing Lab.
