How to Target the Right Prospects with a Buyer Persona? Inbound #2

Before applying an inbound marketing strategy to your brand, it is important to fully internalise the philosophy behind this concept. Users do not want to be sold a product — they want to be educated, to learn, and that is precisely the objective of inbound marketing. Two elements will allow you to offer content that closely matches expectations. These are the Buyer Persona, which we will describe here, and the Buyer Journey, which we will cover in the next article.

What is a Buyer Persona?

Inbound marketing is user-oriented. But first you need to know the users you wish to reach. You are not trying to attract just any audience to your website. You want internet users who are likely to become leads and, subsequently, satisfied customers ready to become brand ambassadors. So who is the "right" audience? Internet users who match your ideal customer. What we call the Buyer Persona. A Buyer Persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on real data and analyses as well as logical deductions about that customer's demographics, behaviour, motivations, and objectives. A Persona is built from research, analysis, and by taking your current customers into account. They can help you understand the mindset of your potential Persona, so that you can create the right content for them. Because when you create the right content, tailored to the right Persona, you attract visitors, converting them into leads and then into customers more effectively. The Persona is the cement that holds all aspects of inbound marketing together.

How do I Create my Buyer Persona?

The Persona is the ideal customer you are targeting, for whom you will create your content. But how do you create one? There are three elements to consider: research, trends, and the Persona's story.

Research

First and foremost, do your research. Your Persona must be based on real facts, not assumptions. This can take time. But if your assumptions are inaccurate, your Persona will be too, and it will yield no results. During the research phase, a few questions can help you develop your Persona. One initial approach could be to interview your current customers about their demographics, goals, and challenges. For example, you might ask them:

• What is your job title? What is your role?
• What industry does your company operate in?
• What goal are you trying to achieve?
• What are your biggest challenges?
• Where do you find information about your role?
• Do you use the internet to find suppliers or products?

It is not essential to ask these questions word for word. Adapt them into questions specific to your sector to receive specific answers in return. Furthermore, always focus on the "Why?", on motivations rather than actions. The question to ask after almost every question should be "Why?". With these questions, you are seeking to understand the goals, motivations, and behaviours of your Persona. Few people will be able to describe all of this on their own; it is therefore important to dig deeper. Discovering their motivational drivers can lead to a truly powerful content strategy. Start by interviewing your current customers, former customers, prospects, and even colleagues. This is the perfect starting point for interviews, given that they have already used your services or purchased your products. At least some of them are likely to embody your Persona. Look equally at clients with whom everything has gone smoothly and those who have not remained loyal to your brand.

Major Trends

Now that you have completed your research and identified particular trends, the final step is to assemble your data and construct the story of your Persona. The story of your Persona should contain information about the Persona, their history, demographic data, goals, and challenges. Add your plan for how you will help them, as well as the common objections they might have towards your products or services. Use real quotes from your interviews. After all, the best way to represent your Persona is to use their own words. This will help employees better identify with and understand your Persona.

The Persona's Story

Once you have gathered testimonials from a few people, you can trace the major trends that emerge from them. Similarities and recurring answers indicate who your Persona is. How long does such research take? As long as it takes to identify major trends. Another question may arise along the way: How many Personas do I need? Because while we speak of Persona in the singular to simplify explanations, you can in fact have several. How many Personas do you need? As many as necessary — without going to extremes, since each Persona can require a significant workload, and trying to chase every lead can ultimately spread you too thin.

A Concrete Example to Clarify Things

Let us imagine ourselves in the shoes of an e-commerce brand selling ready-to-wear clothing. Here is one possible type of Persona: Identity: Sophie, 28 years old, account manager at a communications agency after completing a master's degree, living in the Paris region. Story: Sophie is a busy young professional throughout the week. She is passionate about new technology, fashion, and reads a great deal. She has relatively strong purchasing power but never finds the time to visit boutiques in the capital. Objective: To shop easily, without losing time. Motivation: Passionate about new technology, she likes to stay up to date with the latest developments. Challenge: Being able to pursue her interests (fashion, books, new technology) without spending hours in shops. Where to find her: Passionate about new technology, Sophie owns a desktop computer, a laptop, and a smartphone. She is very active on Twitter and Facebook. Quote: "So many things to do, and so little time." What your brand can offer her: Useful information on the latest fashion trends, concise by preference, such as "The 10 Style Trends of the Summer" or, to stand out a little further, "The 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Your Shoes". This example is fictional and incomplete; it is based on a fictitious brand and has not been the subject of precise research. Its sole purpose is to make the concept of the Buyer Persona slightly more concrete by showing what your own Personas might look like once you have carried out your own research and analyses. Have you completed your Buyer Persona? It is now time to plan and create content tailored to them. To do so, one final element regarding the Persona is essential to bear in mind: the Buyer's Journey.

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