Without Personas, Your Content Plan is Incomplete

Before you write that next blog post or share anything on social media, have you considered who your audience is?

It’s no secret that content is king. Content can be anything from blogs and social media posts to videos, and consumers are using this information to educate themselves before making a purchase.

Gone are the days of walking into your local electronics store and being greeted with a sales clerk’s pitch. Today, consumers are reading blogs, watching YouTube videos and relying on their social networks to help them with the next purchase—way before ever stepping foot inside a store.

A business must be smarter than its competitor, break through the static of content clutter, and reach consumers by getting to know who they are, and what they want. The key to getting the most effective content out is to develop it with the ideal customer in mind.

So before you click share, you have to know who you’re communicating with—and that’s why developing buyer personas are so important.

What is a Persona?

Wikipedia defines personas as fictional characters a business creates that represent the different user types within a targeted consumer base. The persona defines the goals, desires, and behaviors of a particular type of consumer that guides their decisions about a product.

Understanding consumers goes much deeper than the surface. Developing buyer personas involves getting to know a consumer on a personal level.

Think of a persona as a Facebook profile or personal bio. It allows you to create content for a particular type of customer, and truly understand who that individual is.

Good content, whether it’s a blog, social media post or video, begins with developing strong personas. Once you create multiple personas, it’s time to determine which content is best to use to connect with those personas.

Personas in Action

Consider the local florist around the corner. How does a flower business attract bigger orders beyond Valentine’s Day? Of course there are weddings and other events throughout the year that call for flowers, but what could a florist use to attract a wedding order or other large event?

Engaging with consumers throughout the year on the florist’s blog and social networks could provide a constant top of mind presence for those moments beyond Valentine’s Day.

Let’s take a look at a few personas the florist could use to create content for their audience.

Creating blog posts targeted for consumers like Kate, and social media posts with Mary in mind would help this florist build a presence by capturing their interests.

By appealing to consumers through their individual personas, the florist is adding context to their content, and that’s what gives consumers the information they need to make their decision.

The idea behind identifying buyer personas is to decide who you’re marketing to, determine what they want, and how to present it to them in a way they will see the most value. The persona strategy increases your ability to target consumers who are likely to convert through the buying process without wasting time and resources on empty offers.

A lot goes into developing a good marketing strategy; at GannettLocal we know how to build the right mix. Give us a call to see how we can help with your next content project.