How your buyer persona is at the heart of your marketing strategy

Any effective marketing strategy needs to know what its target market is. Whether it is aiming sportswear at young people, top-of-the-range cars at the wealthy or plant-based foods at vegetarians, there is a specific group of people to whom the appeal should be aimed.

This is  true for every commercial sector. Whether through targeting the sort of media and social media the target market tends to consume, or understanding their specific characteristics, it is possible to understand lots of things that are likely to be true of the people to whom you are aiming your content, email, pay-per-click and other marketing.

Central to this is the concept of a buyer persona. This is a representation of the kind of person you wish to market to. They will have various personal and demographic characteristics that will typically be true of the people at whom your marketing efforts are designed to appeal.

The parts that make up the persona are many, and some may be more important than others. They can include:

Age

Sex

Profession

Income

Geographical Location

Education level 

Specific needs, wants and problems you can solve

What can you do to make a persona accurate?

For instance, if something is aimed specifically at women, gender will be a central determinant of how a marketing strategy is directed. Other services may be directed more towards older clients. However, it is rare that a persona will focus on just one thing. For instance, a target market may not just be women, but professional women who earn above a certain level of income.

When it comes to legal content marketing, the content should be written in a way to appeal specifically to this target market. This means covering the topic in a way that makes it interesting to them and fits with their needs, not least if they have come across your article or blog through a search.

In addition, the use of search engine optimisation (SEO) will be another important factor. The key is to identify keywords that are likely to cover the issues of concern to those who closely match your buyer persona. This can be done by using keyword and SEO analysis tools like Buzzsumo and Spyfu.

How can you take your persona through the buyer journey?

The purpose of all content is to take the potential customer through the buyer journey. This starts with awareness, when they become aware of what is on offer, followed by consideration, purchase and then the post-purchase stage, when the task is to retain their custom and please them so much with it that they become loyal advocates who will recommend you and your services to others.

Therefore, a primary consideration is to attract the persona in the first instance, with relevant and interesting content, as well as something that speaks to their needs. The 'rule of seven' indicates that, on average, those considering a purchase need to see seven positive messages before they commit to buying.  This means that content and other marketing - such as any email campaigns a potential customer has signed up to - must continue to direct their appeal to the persona.

Over time, you may find your persona details change and your digital marketing strategy should alter with it. For example, if you are using social media marketing it will be worth noting how demographic shifts take place, both through changing fashions and the emergence of new platforms. An example of this is the ageing profile of the average Facebook user.

How BeUniqueness can help

As the best digital marketing agency in Manchester, BeUniqueness can help you reach out to your own buyer persona with a campaign strategy that is suited to them.  In doing so, we can help you achieve better returns in your marketing.