If I received a dollar for every time a business owner told me their target market was ‘everyone’, I’d be rich. In fact, that utopia that “everyone” will buy their product is severely misconstrued. It’s as though we’re saying that every individual’s reaction to the brand will be the same and that it is unlikely they will choose other brands because theirs is the best.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to offend any honest business folk. I am pretty sure every business has its unique selling point and that there are customers out there who would become raving fans.
But the key question we should be asking is – what kind of customers will be raving about your brand? Are they living in urban areas? Are they millennials? Are they stay at home moms? Are they detail oriented or perhaps only want items endorsed by celebrities? Do they read gossip magazines or prefer to watch documentaries? Whatever their characteristics may be, I’m pretty sure if you have created your Buyer’s Persona analysis, you’d come to realise there are major differences in your audience and that they can’t be all lumped into one.
In fact, studies have shown that companies who do make an effort to define and refine their buyer’s persona have managed to boost their conversion rates by double! And if you’re still not convinced why you should be defining them, here’s five reasons why you’re missing out on this important aspect of marketing:
Let me tell you a secret. The first time I learnt how to create my buyer’s persona I was completely blown away. You see as a writer and marketer, it really helps for me to know who I am writing to and imagine what trigger words would make them turn around to me and say “yes! I completely agree!” Prior to this, I didn’t think that someone as detailed oriented as a “methodical” would need more than three reasons for me to convince them to agree with me but now having mastered the art I’ve realised that the more you understand your persona, the easier it is for you to communicate with your audience.
Thanks to my content hitting the right sentiment for my personas, I’ve managed to provide “the feels” or emotional connection that many brands often miss. And in the age where millennials want to feel connected to the brand they buy into, it is incredibly important for us to be aware of what makes our audience say “aaw” or “eew!” or “tell me more!” So if you have no idea what makes your target audience connect with you, you’ll soon be left behind with those businesses who do!
As you begin to create your buyer’s persona, you’ll come to realise that segmenting your audience is the way forward. How you ask? Well think of it this way, while the “methodical” may find appeal in reading the fine print of your product, the “spontaneous” will not be interested at all because they’re looking for the bright and shiny object. So the more you understand what different personas like, the easier it is for you to cover all the important aspects that each persona will look into when they discover your brand.
As you tap into the psyche of your personas, you’ll begin to identify the likes and dislikes. This includes other brands they relate to or the kinds of content that excite them or even their general relationship status and how they view the world. And the more you see this, you will begin to learn who your strategic partners should be and where you should be advertising your brand. And if you’re at the point where your business is running out of creative ideas on how to entice your market – refining your buyer’s persona and understanding what else they relate to (besides you!) will certainly give you an edge to you marketing strategy.
When it comes to your brand vs your audience, it almost feels like a chicken or egg situation. On one hand, you know you need to strengthen your brand values so your audience understands what you’re all about but on the other hand, if you do not shape your brand based on who your target audience is then why are you creating this brand in the first place? Isn’t it to solve your audience’s problem? That being said, while conducting your market research, you can begin to form your buyer’s persona and understand how their values align with your brand and how you can refine your message further to keep them interested in you.
If upon reading this article you’re still not convinced why you should create a buyer’s persona, I suppose you must be a “methodical” who needs more than five reasons to be persuaded. That’s okay, because I can completely relate. But I’d like to take a moment to thank the “competitive” and “spontaneous” for getting this far in reading because you’re not one to spend too much time on articles. Oh, and if you happen to be a “humanist” well I’m thanking you last because I know you’ll always appreciate an article that talks about anything related to humans! Now I can only hope you’ll ALL take this article and begin defining your buyer’s persona for your business!
