Working with data from social media interactions, blog and website leads, today’s marketers can hone in on ever more precise customer targets. Pair these new data-driven strategies with traditional buyer personas to evaluate digital marketing tactics and redirect resources appropriately.
There’s no reason to throw out traditional buyer personas – at least not yet. Craft these personas for your business and build your digital strategy with them in mind.
With your digital strategy is up and running, it’s time to make data-driven improvements to those buyer personas.
Where are your most engaged social followers and site visitors coming from? Search? Ads? Social? Break it down: what publications do they favor? When are they online? While you will have brainstormed this information in creating the original personas, now you have data against which to test your assumptions. Adjust the personas, and the corresponding digital spend, accordingly.
Social media is a great source of information on your fans and followers. Do some research to learn what other brands your potential clients interact with online. Use these insights to refine your understanding of what your buyers and potential buyers value. This information may also shape your targeting of digital ads.
Don’t be afraid to think outside of traditional digital marketing norms. If you find a strong enough correlation between your brand and another that complements your offerings, your business may even want to reach out about cross-promotion on social sites or a potential partnership to reach more buyers.
The rise of the Internet has led customers to talk back to businesses in ways they never have before. Recognize the value in this two-way communication. Both positive and negative comments and mentions are opportunities for your brand to improve. The sources of this advice, as well as the content, should be reflected in your buyer personas and your definition of your target audience.
Has your business made changes to your buyer personas since going digital? What data sources led to the changes?
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