In last week’s post about mapping content to the B2B buyer’s journey, we said that B2B marketers must focus on both the information needs of their customers and the content formats that best deliver this information when planning a content marketing program. However, as some of you pointed out on Twitter, this idea only works if you know what information your customer requires at each stage in the decision-making process. What if you don’t? We believe the answer lies in the development of buyer personas.
To figure out what kinds of information your buyer needs at each stage in the decision-making process, you must truly get to know your customers. Buyer personas are a great way to do just that.
Here’s how to create a set of buyer personas that will help you figure out the information needs of your customers:
- Understand what a buyer persona is. “Buyer persona” might sound like jargon for “target market,” but a buyer persona is much more than a simple target market definition. Buyer personas are detailed profiles of the types of customers you serve that use real names, faces and personal characteristics in addition to demographic, psychographic and geographic information. Buyer personas allow you to narrowly define your audience and create content that appeals directly to the individuals within it. To learn more, check out the authority behind buyer personas, The Buyer Persona Institute.
- Consider your current customers. Chances are your target customers have more than a few things in common with your current customers. Learn more about your target by really getting to know your current customers. Ask them questions, send them surveys and be observant of the things they say and do when you’re together. Pay special attention to how they progress through the buying process.
- Research, research, research. If you’re expanding into a new sector or working to reach a new kind of customer, you might need to do some research. Read the industry publications that your new target would read. Connect with them on LinkedIn and see what they’re up to. Take someone in your new target market out to lunch. Do whatever you must to learn what makes them tick.
- Start with the basics. After you feel that you have a good understanding of the people who do business with your company (or those who should), it’s time to get started with your first profile. Begin by profiling the type of customer that you consider most valuable to your business, either because they have the biggest need for your product/service or the most money to spend. Give them a name, and find a photo of what they might look like. Define their age, job title and industry. Keep in mind that you’re just creating an example of what your customer might be like. Don’t worry if the traits you come up with don’t fit for all of the customers in the group you’re considering.
- Get into the nitty gritty. Now it’s time to get more specific about your buyer’s priorities, challenges and desires. The Buyer Persona Institute suggests detailing their priority initiatives (What do they care about accomplishing most this year?), their success factors (How do they define success?), their perceived barriers (What’s keeping them from buying a product/service like yours?), their buying process (How do they go from awareness to action?) and their decision criteria (What things do they consider when making a purchase?). Other areas to investigate might include the industry publications they read, their professional activities, their salary and their leisure habits. Compile as much detail as you need to get a good feel for your buyer.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 for other customer groups. If you serve multiple verticals, you’ll want to complete a buyer persona profile for each one.
After you’ve completed your set of buyer personas, it’s time to put them to work to figure out what kind of information your customers need at different stages in the decision-making process. Use your buyer personas to put yourself in your buyer’s shoes. Think about the sale you’re trying to make and ask yourself, “If I were this customer, what would I truly want to know right now?” If you’ve done the work to develop your buyer personas, the answer will be obvious.
Image via Buyer Persona Playbook.
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