“Customer personas,” or “buyer personas,” have been buzzwords in the marketing sphere recently. However, many are still confused about exactly what customer personas are and how they should be used. We’re here to tell you all about these marketing tools and why you should be using them.

What is a customer persona?
A customer persona is a profile depicting a target customer. A brand has strategically researched its ideal buyers/users and has used its findings to create fictional personas. Most brands have multiple customer personas—one for each type of person they want to target.

A brand’s customer personas may not all be similar. They could be different ages, have different interests, and prefer different forms of marketing.

Why are customer personas so important?
Customer personas help brands better understand and empathize with their target audience. They use them to determine what marketing tactics they’ll respond to best. 

By utilizing your customer personas, you can speak first to what your target audience needs, not what your brand itself does.

Showing concern for your target audience will eventually earn their trust and instill brand loyalty. You’ll be constantly focused on their needs, so you’ll be giving them the best possible solutions.

How do I determine my brand’s customer personas?
Research, research, research. Talk to your target audience directly. Find out their needs and wants. What does their day-to-day look like? What should they be doing? You can find lists of customer persona starter questions with just a quick search of the internet.

Once you’ve completed your research, you can compile like answers into categories and use them to narrow your focus down to just a handful of customer personas.

How do I use my customer personas once I’ve found them?
First of all, congrats on determining your personas! This a huge step to better brand marketing.

There are so many ways in which you can use your customer personas, but here’s a quick idea list:

• Product development: Knowing now what your customers want/need will help you prioritize your future product planning.
• Customer support: Understanding your target audience’s frustrations will allow you to assist them with more empathy and better solve their problems.
• Marketing: Of course! You now know what your target audiences best respond to, so use that information to target them effectively.

Customer personas are ideal resources for any brand. They can help solve numerous problems and prevent future ones from popping up. They also allow you to better connect with your target audiences, creating a more genuine brand and happier customers.