SOP 161: How to create buyer persona
\nCreate a buyer persona based on real customer feedback and data
\nLast Updated / Reviewed: 03/28/2024
\nExecution Time: 1 - 2 hours
\nđ Goal: Create a buyer persona based on real customer feedback and data.
\nđ¤ Ideal Outcome: Successfully create a buyer persona that you can use for your marketing campaigns.
\nđ¤ Why this is important: A well-designed persona based on real customer feedback and data reveals insight into how buyers buy and how you can reach this type of buyer.
\nđ§ Where this is done Google slides and Google docs.
\nđď¸ When this is done: In the early stage of marketing your business or a new product, and then reviewed at least once a year.
\nđ¨ Who does this: Marketing Manager, marketing consultant, or any person responsible for marketing strategy for your business.
\n__â ď¸Prerequisites or requirements: __You should have conducted customer interviews before you complete your buyer persona. If you havenât done so already, follow SOP 160 (web version) on how to schedule and conduct customer interviews.
\nClick here to get the most up-to-date version of this SOP
\nIn order to create an accurate buyer persona, set up interview sessions with potential and existing customers and document their answers.
\nFollow SOP 160: How to conduct customer interviews (web version) to set up interview sessions with your customers.
\nIf youâre doing cold outreach to potential customers, use this Template 049: Customer Interview Script (web version) to conduct the interview.
\nFill in the Template 050: Buyer Persona Template (web version) with the answers you collect from the interview.
\nNote: Based on your interview sessions, create 3-4 groups of customers with similar profiles and backgrounds so you donât have to create a persona for every type of customer.
\nFill-out the buyer persona template:
\nIdentify this personaâs traits:
\nCustomer avatar â A profile picture of your customer if available.
\nName, Title â Name and the work title of your customer.
\nDemographics âAge, Education background, Occupation, income level, location where applicable.
\nBio â A short description of what they do, how many years were they in the industry, and what was their career path like
\nBusiness/Career Goals â What are their personal/company goals for the next 6 months and 1 year? What are their current plans?
\nChallenges â What major obstacles and bottlenecks are they facing that will prevent them from achieving their goals?
\nHereâs an example from the template:
\nAnswer 3 questions to identify why your solution works for them:.
\nHow are they using our products
\nIn what circumstances do they use our product/service?
\nWhatâs the problem theyâre using our product/service to solve?
\nWhen do they use it
\nWhat they like about our products/service (Include real quotes)
\nWhat specific aspect/feature of the product did they like?
\nWhy did they like it?
\nAre they any other products they use it with?
\nWhat they dislike about our products/service (Include real quotes)
\nWhat specific aspect/feature of the product did they dislike?
\nWhy did they dislike it?
\nWhat other alternatives/competitors did they consider?
\nHereâs an example from the template:
\nDetail their online habits:
\nWhat online communities are they in?
\nWhich Facebook/LinkedIn/Slack etc groups are they active in?
\nDid they join any online course with a private community?
\nWhere do they learn about news?
\nWhere/How do they keep up with industry news?
\nWhoâs the expert in their industry they listen to?
\nAre they active on any social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
\nOnline publication they subscribed to.
\nWhich blog did they subscribe to?
\nWhat are their favorite newsletters?
\nHereâs an example from the template:
\nDo this again for each type of persona that youâve identified and thatâs it! Youâve successfully created a set of personas you can now use whenever you are creating new content, offers, or marketing material.
\n"}