Get More Customers: 9 Steps to Building a Basic Buyer Persona

If you’ve seen the movie “Field of Dreams,” you know the infamous quote, “If you build it they will come.” Kevin Costner’s character is able to figure out what that means by asking some strategic questions. If you want your business to stay in the marketing game and get more customers, you need to build a buyer persona framework to reference, so you can clarify who your customers are.

Think of it as learning how to play the game to attract the fans you want to buy tickets. Your goal is getting to know the details of who your customers are. You do this by building your buyer personas.

HubSpot defines a buyer persona as “a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on market research and real data about your existing customers.” Once you plan out the details of how to identify your ideal customer, you will be able to leverage your marketing efforts, time, and resources. If you build your buyer personas, they will come.

Start by building out just one persona at a time, your most ideal customer. Think of it like an interview. Consider even interviewing actual customers or having them fill out a survey. Here are some basic questions to get you going.

Step 1: Background information

• What is your name?
• What is your age?
• What is your gender?
• What is your racial/ethnic heritage?
• What was your family life like growing up?

Step 2: Personal life

• What is your marital status?
• Do you have kids?
• Do you have pets?
• Are you religious?
• What is your political orientation?
• What are your hobbies?
• Are you an early bird or night owl?
• What movies/TV shows do you watch?

Step 4: Education

• What was your favorite subject in school?
• What level of education did you complete?
• How do you enjoy learning?

Step 5: Challenges

• What is your biggest personal challenge?
• What is your biggest professional challenge?
• How do you approach your challenges?

Step 6: Role

• What is your job?
• What industry do you work in?
• What is the size of the company you work for?
• What does a typical day look like at work?
• What skills are required for your job?

Step 7: Shopping preferences

• Do you prefer to interact with vendors/companies/stores by email, phone or in person?
• How do you research information?
• What was your last major purchase?
• How did you decide to make the purchase?
• Describe a time you experienced good customer service.
• Describe a time you experienced poor customer service.

 Step 8: Motivations

• Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
• Do you like to take risks or play it safe?
• Are you spontaneous or prefer to have a well thought out plan?
• Do you like to develop new ideas or go with the flow?
• When do you feel the most successful?

Step 9: Watering holes

• What social media networks do you use?
• What blogs do you subscribe to?
• Where do you primarily get your news?
• What do you do in your free time?

Strategically building out your buyer personas will hit your marketing efforts out of the park, and help you get more customers – the actual customers you want – because you will be speaking to their wants and needs. You might strike out a few times along the way, but that’s all part of the process. If you build your buyer personas, customers will come.

If you’re ready to start strategically planning and building your buyer personas, contact us at Half a Bubble Out below.

Since 2002, Half a Bubble Out has been dedicated to providing marketing, advertising and small business consulting that meet the needs of our clients. We specialize in powerfully telling stories through inbound marketing to grow your business filled with more passion and provision. Based in Chico California, we serve clients throughout Northern California and across the country to New York.