Buyer personas: the complete guide
What buyer personas are, why they are at the heart of strategic marketing and how to build them, step by step, with a data-driven approach.
~6 min read
MARKETING B2B
In the stories section of our site there are many articles dedicated to marketing, almost always with at least one reference to buyer personas. This concept is definitely one of the foundations of any strategic marketing activity, but it is not always easy to grasp.
In this guide you will find the answer to the most popular questions on the topic: what buyer personas are, why they are used and how they are built.
No time to read? Ilaria explains everything in under two minutes ;) ↓
Buyer personas: the definition
A buyer persona is an abstract representation of an ideal customer, built from qualitative and quantitative data. These can come from the analysis of real customers and from market research.
This semi-fictional representation, moreover, provides not a mere description of the potential audience, but also a set of information useful to define the marketing and sales strategy and to create new products.
Why are buyer personas important?
When you combine the Buyer Profile with Buying Insights, you will have clear guidance for the decisions you need to make to win their business.
Adele Revella, CEO of Buyer Persona Institute
Nowadays, there is no marketing expert who does not recognise the key role of buyer personas, not only for go-to-market, but also for companies that are already established.
In fact, they provide information useful to increase the chance of attracting high-value potential buyers, generate relevant leads and ease the conversion and loyalty process.
According to a NetProspex case study, the creation of buyer personas led to these results for marketing.
Buyer personas can guide many fundamental processes, such as:
A key element in strategic marketing
In defining a marketing strategy, the information drawn from the definition of buyer personas is used to personalise communication and direct efforts towards the appropriate channels.
Thanks to this awareness, it is possible to create a highly targeted and personalised branding and buyer experience.
This happens, for example, by using the data drawn from buyer personas to better segment customers. Or, to develop a valuable branding experience for a specific group of people, through targeted messages, publishing relevant content on selected platforms and tailored offers.
The same care is useful in the search for qualitative leads too: where does a potential buyer look for information? What kind of communication do they prefer? What challenges do they face? All the answers to these questions are essential for an effective sales process!
How do you create buyer personas?
To create effective and useful buyer personas, it is essential to keep in mind which information is needed to form a good idea of the ideal customer.
After choosing the name of a fictional buyer and assigning them a photo, you need to collect the necessary data. Below we have included a list of the most important ones, which does not claim to be exhaustive. In fact, it must be modified to fit the specific case.
- Where does the buyer persona look for information on topic X?
- Which voices do they listen to (and consider trustworthy) to form an idea of a product or service?
- Which social networks do they use?
- Do they attend industry festivals or trade fairs?
- On which platforms do they look for solutions?
- This information helps to direct marketing efforts in the right direction, both in B2B and B2C!
Data research
Once you have established which information is needed, it is time to discover how and where to find it. This is possible by collecting data from existing customers, through interviews, forms and questionnaires, or from reports produced by the sales team.
Then, you can gather information to build buyer personas from company data and digital data. Google Analytics is a source of valuable information about existing and potential customers, especially when combined with other management tools and analytics platforms, as well as social media (such as Facebook Audience Insights).
Finally, you can gather information from market research and by observing the websites of competitors with the same ideal customer profile.
Building your own buyer personas is essential to develop, for example, the most effective marketing tactics, to establish buyer’s journeys that work, to produce truly useful products and to ease sales and quality lead generation.
That is why defining buyer personas with a data-driven approach is one of the essential steps to establish decisions and investments.
Frequently asked questions
What are buyer personas?
A buyer persona is the semi-fictional representation of the ideal customer, built from qualitative and quantitative data (real customers and market research). It is not a simple description of the audience: it gathers the information useful to guide marketing, sales and the development of new products.
Why are buyer personas important in B2B marketing?
Because they guide concrete decisions: product development, marketing strategies and tactics, the sales process and customer support. They help attract high-value buyers, generate relevant leads and personalise communication and offer for precise segments.
What information do you need to build a buyer persona?
The main data are: demographic (age, income, geographic area), professional status (role, sector, decision-making power), psychographics (values, goals, opinions), pain points and challenges, channels and information sources, and the purchase process. The list should always be adapted to the specific case.
Where do you find the data for buyer personas?
From existing customers through interviews, forms and questionnaires, from sales team reports, from company and digital data (Google Analytics, Facebook Audience Insights), as well as from market research and the analysis of competitors with the same ideal customer profile.
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