More and more there is a figure in digital marketing that is having a greater relevance. It is none other than the so-called buyer persona. But do we really know what it is and what is more important, how to recognize it? Well, in a simple way and for it to be understood correctly by users, it is the equivalent of the ideal customer of a service or product. Therefore, it is a profile that is of great interest to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs who are in charge of a digital business. Because it is one of the most sought after recipients to enhance their business lines.
Within this general context, it should be noted that the buyer is a figure that in principle is much more predisposed to buy or acquire what is offered from a virtual store. Regardless of the nature of the trade. In a way, he is the person that all digital entrepreneurs look for, but rarely do they get it. Hence the great importance of recognizing the buyer persona. But if this objective is reached, there is no doubt that a lot of ground will have been advanced in the strategy of boosting the sales of our products or services.
For this reason, the key is not in really knowing its meaning, but in capturing it so that it becomes part of our network of clients, suppliers or users. As a consequence of this need in the digital sector, there is no doubt that our first mission will be to ask ourselves a series of questions in order to show the relevance of this character that is on the rise in the electronic commerce sector. You will be able to offer us many answers to what we want to do in our online business.
Buyer persona: how to detect it?
First of all, we will have no choice but to raise a series of questions about the profile of these highly sought-after audiences in modern marketing. As for example, those that we expose you below:
- What do you work on and what is your level of information?
- What are the sources of information that they go to to formalize their purchases or acquisitions?
- What are your most regular needs regarding the consumption and purchase of any kind of products or services?
- From which channels or points of sale do you meet these needs regularly?
- What are the products, services or items that are most in demand in recent years?
Well, if we are able to arrive at these answers without a doubt that we will have advanced a lot on our intentions to reach this class of characters linked to digital shopping. To the point that we will eliminate some of the strategies that did not have any effect on us to reach or retain a greater number of customers.
Recognition of buyer persona through market research
The buyer persona are the object of any content marketing strategy. Among other reasons because they are people who will be more predisposed to maintain a business relationship with us. But in an effective and lasting way than in other customer profiles.
One of the most powerful tools we have at the moment to recognize this figure is through a serious and rigorous market study. Where you can satisfy some of the answers that have been raised above. To see if they can really interest us to develop and promote our business or virtual store.
Another detection system is to collect information about these special people through the different social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.). You may not know at this time that a selective crawl can provide you with very relevant data on these characters. More than you can imagine right now. With data as relevant as the following:
- Your professional activity and if you have relations with digital media.
- Su Level of learning and you can even get a little idea about what their purchasing power is.
- Su influence in the world of work and in its closest environment.
With these essential data, and at the same time detectable, you will be able to know if you really fit as the buyer person you want to link.
What other working methods can we use to recognize it?
If at this point you think that only market research helps to recognize this highly desired customer profile, you will be making a big mistake. Not surprisingly, there are other techniques and skills that can serve to fulfill this mission that you have as a digital entrepreneur.
Because indeed, any contact or valid source of information can be very important to undertake this professional task. Who knows some of the most effective? Well, take a pencil and paper because perhaps it will provide you with an idea or two in the next few years.
- Surveys, both sectoral and professional to get some idea about their influence and decision-making power in the shopping segment.
- The interviews It is another tool that you cannot underestimate at any time. Through something not as simple as a deep follow-up of the written media (conventional and online).
- And although it may seem surprising to you also through a deep analysis of followers in social networks. This is one time more and more requested by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs to capture the figure of who is the buyer person.
As you may have seen, you have so many resources to achieve this task that sometimes it is somewhat complex to choose one of the working methods exposed. Because what it is about at the end of the day is to get the decision right. Something that we cannot always complete for different reasons and motivations.
Design a graphic panel about your profile
No less important is to design, little by little, a graphic panel about our possible buyer. If you have read it correctly, so that in this way we can describe you to carry out a timely follow-up that will allow us to create your user profile. In this document we can write down any kind of information and it does not have to be linked to the digital sector. With facets as diverse as the following: what do you do in your free time, what is your work or professional situation, the hobbies you have and even if you are preparing a training course (master, postgraduate or other).
In any case, it will not be the easiest way to decipher this valuable information (become a buyer person). But at least it will be a very reliable method and that it will not allow us to make big mistakes in the selection of this very special figure. We will only have to dedicate a little more time to the development of this marketing strategy and above all a lot of tenacity to carry it out effectively.
Differences between Buyer Persona and target audience?
If you are introduced to the digital marketing sector at the beginning, it is very common that you can confuse this figure with that of the target audience. Do not worry too much about this divergence because you will be able to get out of the error in a short space of time. El target audience or target is more linked to possible users who may be interested in your project or digital store. This is already a more than important difference to correct this mistake that we may have made at any time.
While on the other hand, another little trick to differentiate these two terms is based on the fact that the target audience does not have such a defined personality as in the buyer. You can realize this very soon by analyzing the characteristics of both figures. So that in this way, you can distinguish them with a different treatment, which is, after all, what it is all about to improve your business project in online format.
But you still have to clarify other aspects in this topic that we are dealing with in this article and it is the reference to a series of data that perfectly define the buyer person. As are the ones that we expose below:
- Sex
- Age
- Purchasing power
- Place where you reside
- Educational level
- Favorite hobbies
They will be some parameters that will determine the profile of the potential buyer or client and that in a few minutes we will be able to resolve their identity.
Although nothing better than to reflect through an example who could act at a given moment as a buyer person. Feel like deciphering it?
It would be a 35-year-old person, who has been working for five years as an industrial engineer in Segovia and who wants to expand his business in the agricultural field of this geographical area of Spain. But that would provide other very interesting information: he likes to play sports a lot and has a blog about sports activities. With the additional information that she is passionate about long trips and that she takes one of medium and long distance trips every year.
With all this information, we will come to the definitive conclusion that we are really dealing with the figure of a buyer person and not a different one. All this, without having made a special effort on your part.