Buyer Personas are used in almost every department within an organization, from sales, and product development to customer service and, of course, marketing. Lastly,
buyer persona creation helps guide the marketing team toward a customer-centric approach. By creating them, the team understands who the customers are in detail and how to approach them.
Creating marketing strategies and especially the content strategy around superficial target audiences is a common mistake.
Why am I highlighting content marketing here? Very simple: when you try to create the content for an audience sorely based on the same demographics you follow a one size fits all approach which is just not enough in today's competitive environment. By targeting the people based on the same age, income, gender, location, etc. you miss the most important part - the needs, pain points, interests which help you to create the content that will trigger them to consider and buy your product.
To help you better understand, I will demonstrate a scenario before I go deeper into the different categories.
The Case
A Swedish travel agency that sells packages of hotels and activities was facing the problem of missing international tourists due to the coronavirus restrictions. They were trying to win Swedish clients who were forced to look for destinations within their own country.
The two personas we are using as an example faced the same need - find alternative travel destinations within Sweden. You might see differences within the demographics, but even if they are within the same target audience ( demographic overlap), how they should be approached should be completely different because of their interests, pain points, etc.
For instance, Silvia has two kids and because of that, the need has to be fulfilled in kids and budget-friendly ways. Compare her situation with Alvin’s, who usually travels the world and posts pictures of magnificent places, luxurious hotels, and extraordinary activities to boost his social media accounts. Both parties have the same desire and need for a special holiday destination but with two completely different drivers.
By addressing the nee, you might get their attention, but in order to guide the prospects towards the consideration phase, the story and tone are decisive. A simple message like "See our special vacation packages in Sweden" will not cut through the noise, nor will it build confidence that your offer is precisely what they are striving for.
As an exercise, write down a few headlines for each content marketing persona that you think would engage them.
Usage of content marketing personas
I will highlight 6 areas where content marketing personas will help you to become a better marketer.
Find them where they are
Finding the right platforms and finding them within these platforms is crucial for the success of your content marketing strategy. When you base your targeting on demographics only you will end up with a lot of noise, failing to deliver the content to the right people. The goal is to refine the targeting as well as the message as granular as possible to achieve a maximum of conversion, increase the relevance score, etc.
Interests are often a powerful way to dissect a target audience into smaller groups making them a good size for A/B testing. Also, the more information you can provide the easier it is for Facebook and Google to create Lookalike Audiences.
What are the needs and requirements
Identifying the real needs and point points and addressing them with your message is the first step to guide them through the different steps of the customer journey.
However, you should not stop by defining the need but to investigate the underlying motive that leads to the need.
Coming back to our 2 sample personas, we already agreed upon the fact that both have the same basic need of finding the right destination, however when looking closer to the profiles the requirements and motive to fulfill the need vary drastically.
For instance, Silvia has two kids and because of that, the need has to be fulfilled in kids and budget-friendly ways. Compare her situation with Alvin's who usually travels the World and posts pictures from magnificent places, luxurious hotels, and extraordinary activities to boost his social media accounts. Both parties have the same desire and need for an extravagant holiday destination but with 2 completely different drivers.
Understanding the different triggers and motives behind the needs will allow you to create a story around the need that matches the individual characteristics. This leads us to the next part which is providing the right story in the right language.
The right story and the right tone
By addressing the need you might get their attention but in order to guide the prospects towards the consideration phase, the story and tone are decisive.
A simple message like "See our special vacation packages in Sweden" will not cut through the noise nor it will build confidence that your offer is exactly what they are striving for.
As an exercise, write down a few Headlines for each content marketing persona that you think would engage them.
Here are some examples addressing the motives behind the needs in the right language
For Alvin it could be something like
Time to combine luxury and adventure!
Check out this brand new luxury design hotel with breathtaking views close to the most prestigious wildwater rafting destination in Sweden.
For Silvia the tone and message should be different.
Sweden is special for you and your family!
Have a look at this kid's friendly hotel surrounded by attractions beyond the ordinary that will make your family vacation unforgettable. Book within the next 24 hours and get 30% off!
The right visualization to support your message
Pictures sometimes say more than a thousand words, right? Make use of that when you create your content strategy. Use images that support the message you want to bring across and that align to the mood, emotions, and needs of your personas.
Answer the right questions
Analyzing the emotions and defining the Go to strategies are essential to provide the answers they want to hear. Let us look at Sylvia's Emotions and Go to strategies:
Emotions
Fears
- Spending a lot of money on a regular holiday
- Afraid to disappoint her sons
Anger
- Silvia is angry. Unspecifically angry how her world got turned upside down so fast, angry not to find something spectacular in Sweden. Angry at vendors trying to sell her the same old holiday.
Go-to
- Information regarding different attractions and destinations besides the regular vacation in Sweden
- She is frustrated with the lack of highly unusual things to do during vacation and is desperately searching for something her kids’ friends haven’t already done.
- She has the feeling travel agencies just want to sell the usual destination.
In her case, once you have her attention you should provide answers that require her to make the purchase decision. Those should include
- Can I afford it?
- What makes this destination special?
- Is it suitable for kids?
- What activities are provided?
In Alvin's case, the questions to be answered are totally different
Get the timing right!
Customers have different requirements while they move down the customer journey. Content marketing personas will help you to understand what information should be provided during which step. For example, Silvia needs to know from the beginning whether she can afford the destination and suitability for kids whereas Alvin requires answers about the uniqueness, infrastructure, and thrilling activities.
Values and Psychographics
Everybody talks about personalization and how this will change marketing forever. What is means is explained in the word itself - creating a personalized experience for the user.
The most effective way to do so is through understanding the personality and values behind different customer segments. Though every human is different, machine learning makes it possible to segments buyers based on their values and personality traits.
The two most common models to do so are the
Schwartz Universal Human Values as well as the
OCEAN Personality Model.
The Schwartz Universal Human Values model is a framework developed by social psychologist Shalom Schwartz that identifies 10 broad categories of human values that are recognized across cultures and societies. These values are grouped into four higher-order dimensions representing motivations guiding individuals' behavior.
The model provides insight into the core motivations of different groups of people. By recognizing the dominant values within your target audience, you can create content that speaks to their intrinsic desires and aspirations.
Example: If your audience values Self-Transcendence (e.g., benevolence, universalism), you can create content focused on social responsibility, environmental sustainability, or community well-being. For an audience valuing Openness to Change (e.g., stimulation, self-direction), content could emphasize innovation, adventure, and personal growth.
The OCEAN Personality Model (Big Five) offers a robust framework for understanding audience behavior, preferences, and information processing, making it invaluable for tailoring content creation strategies. By leveraging its insights, content creators can craft messaging and experiences that resonate on a deeper psychological level.
For example, the OCEAN model can inform the types of content and platforms used to distribute it.
Extraverts might engage more with interactive formats like live videos or social media polls. Conscientious audiences may value detailed guides, whitepapers, or structured webinars.
Customer Journey Personas for Content Creation
After highlighting the importance of values and psychographics for content creation, I want to bring your attention to the customer journey.
Adjusting and creating content for each step makes a difference depending on where the buyer is in his journey. Not only can you bring prospects to your website when they search for specific information within their stage, but it also creates an immediate level of trust. These personas help content teams align their messaging with the unique mindset, needs, and challenges customers face at each step.
Let's compare the begining and the end of a customer journey and how this information is vital for content marketing:
Awareness Persona
Focus: This persona reflects someone just becoming aware of a problem or opportunity. They're looking for general information and inspiration to understand their situation.
Content Strategy: Create educational, value-driven content such as blog posts, explainer videos, or social media campaigns.
Example: A hotel chain could write a blog titled, “Top Destinations where kids have fun, guaranteed!
Benefit: This content positions your brand as a helpful, knowledgeable resource, sparking initial interest without overwhelming the audience with sales-focused messaging.
Loyalty Persona
Focus: This persona reflects long-term customers loyal to your brand but need consistent engagement to stay that way. They may also be potential advocates.
Content Strategy: Offer loyalty programs, exclusive content, or community-building activities to maintain their enthusiasm.
Example: When you book your next seven-day stay with us, get two nights free.
Benefit: By rewarding loyalty and deepening relationships, this content turns satisfied customers into brand ambassadors, driving retention and referrals.
Final Remarks: Content Personas—Your Marketing Crystal Ball
If you've made it this far, congratulations—you're officially a Buyer Persona Wizard in training. You've unlocked the secrets of peeling back the superficial layers of demographic sameness and diving headfirst into the gloriously messy world of human motivation. And let's face it, without personas, you're throwing spaghetti at the wall and praying something sticks. Spoiler: it rarely does.
Think of it this way: trying to sell to "Men, aged 25-34" without personas is like opening a vegan restaurant and marketing it to everyone who eats food. Sure, you'll get some bites (pun intended), but the meat-lovers might riot. Personas let you target the tofu enthusiasts while sneaking in a cheeky, plant-based burger ad for the curious carnivore.
Here's the kicker: creating personas isn't just an exercise in creativity or “nice-to-have” fluff. It's survival. In a digital world oversaturated with "Hey, look at me! content, the brands that truly get their customers stand out. Personas help you cut through the noise with the precision of a laser-guided meme.
So, go ahead. Write that headline that would make Alvin stop scrolling. Craft the family-friendly story that Silvia will actually click on between dealing with her kids' snack demands. Your audience deserves better than generic, one-size-fits-all drivel. And honestly? You deserve better results than "meh."
Additional Ressources
Want to learn more about content makreting personas? Take a deep-dive with our videos:
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