How to Use Personas Effectively

In recent years, many companies have put an emphasis on the persona development process as we look for new and more effective ways to reach out to our customer base. There is a slew of step-by-step guides about the “best” or “right” way to go about persona development, but fewer articles address what comes next.

The question we should all be asking ourselves is, “How do we effectively use our buyer personas to get the most reach in our customer base, and beyond?”

If your personas aren't being utilized in the planning process for marketing campaigns or sales strategies, you're not getting the full benefits of having worked through the persona development process. Pesona development is a long-term investment, make sure your company is seeing that return!

Consider the following tips for effectively utilizing personas:

Effective Marketing Campaigns

When they are fully fleshed out, you’ll be able to market specifically to your personas. Make sure to take advantage of the valuable information you have gained:

• Reach your audience where they are - take advantage of mediums such as Twitter, Instagram, E-mail or field specific conferences.

• Use the language your audience is using - the more you use verbiage common to your customer, the more likely you are to be found through search engines, or appear in a newsfeed based on a hashtag.

• Appeal to the problem your customers are experiencing - draw them in with the offer of a solution.

Your buyer personas should help you market directly to the audience you’re aiming to reach. Leverage the information you have to focus on attracting your ideal customer. If you’re not already taking advantage of the information your buyer personas are based on, you should be.

Effective Sales Strategies

Your selling methods should also change to reflect persona characteristics. For B2B, with your Knowledge-Hungry Nolin, this could be as simple as knowing the market your client engages in and providing market-specific facts and examples. If he works in the digital technology marketplace, show him your extensive knowledge and experience with software, mobile devices, or networks.

In a B2C setting, the same concept can be applied. If one of your personas is a Bargain Betty or a Dollar-Stretching Dora, focus on what the she is shopping for to suggest options or pairings which she perceives as budget-friendly. For example, if your company sells women’s clothing, showing Dora multiple outfit options may help her to see the long-term versatility of your pieces.

For companies that provide a service, you may want to focus on the problem your service solves for customers. If your company provides landscaping services, Workaholic Willie may find appeal in the service because it saves him time during his limited hours at home, while your Landlord Larry may have an interest in meeting restrictions imposed by homeowner associations.

Don’t miss the boat by using the wrong sales tactic with your customers - use personas to formulate the best approach to reaching these customers and, in turn, to help you nail the sale.

More Helpful Tips

• Provide your team with visual representations of your buyer personas and display them where possible so they can be referred back to quickly. Remember to reference them when appropriate with your team.

• Make sure your buyer personas are based on solid research! Actionable Research has years of experience conducting the research necessary for persona development, such as segmentation research and persona interviews. Our specialized methods will help your company effectively utilize data you already have and data you commission in order to develop accurate and effective personas for your customer base.

• If you need more guidance in the persona development process, or to understand the benefits of it, contact us today.

• Subscribe to our blog for more insights into the persona development process and to be notified when we release our upcoming Ebook, “Persona Development – BACKED BY SCIENCE.”