buyer personas

@TweetsByCaraSouth Florida Code Camp 2015

HOW TO BUILD BUYER PERSONAS & CREATE A

SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT LIFECYCLE

Cara Pluff, Director of Marketing@tweetsbycara


IS YOUR PRINCESS IN ANOTHER CASTLE?


LET’S START WITH A FACT…

According to Harvard Business Review, 60% of the buying process is complete before the sales department ever hears from the prospect

60%

40%


BUYER PERSONAS


WHAT ARE BUYER PERSONAS?

Fictional RepresentationsIdeal Customers

Based on Real Data


BUT WHY ARE BUYER PERSONAS SO KEY?

They allow highly personalized and targeted engagement and are the secret to being competitive in a market with massive firms like

Amazon.


TARGETING…BY TARGET

• Hired Andrew Pole• $44 Billion to $67 Billion• 25 Common Products• Prediction Score

• Credit Cards• Coupons• Surveys• Loyalty Programs• Emails/Website Visits


HOW DO YOU BUILD BUYER PERSONAS?

Research

SurveysInterviews


TWO TYPES OF PERSONA CHARACTERISTICS

Demographic

Psychographic

Success


HOW DO YOU SOCIALIZE A PERSONA


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Background• Basic details about persona’s role• Key information about persona’s

company• Relevant background information like

education or hobbies


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Demographics• Gender• Age Range• Household Income• Urbanicity (urban, suburban, rural)


Identifiers• Buzz Words• Mannerisms

Goals• Persona’s Primary Goal• Persona’s Secondary Goal

Concerns

PERSONA TEMPLATE


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Challenges• Primary challenge to persona’s

success• Secondary challenges to persona’s

success

How We Help• How you solve them challenges• How you help them achieve their

goals


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Real Quotes• Represent them well• Create relatability

Common Objections• Why they aren’t buying• How to overcome them


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Marketing Messaging• How should you communicate your

solution to this persona?• Do they respond differently to

different messaging styles (humor, memes, assertiveness, etc.)

Elevator Pitch


PERSONA TEMPLATE

Marketing Channels• Where do they gather information?• What sites do they visit most often?

Interaction Preferences• How do they like to receive

information?• Do they research for themselves or

delegate?


PERSONA EXAMPLE Princess Peach

JOB TITLE: Princess COMPANY: Mario Brothers PlumbingINCOME: $$$$$

AGE: 21PERSONAL STATUS: Single, No ChildrenLIVING: Castle in a Rural Kingdom

IDENTIFIERS: Loves Pink, Sporty, Trusting, Enjoys Writing Letters

GOALS: Get Back to Freedom

CHALLENGES: One Nasty Fire Breathing Dragon

HOW WE CAN HELP: Stomp on some Goombas & Kick Bowser Tail


HOW ABOUT A REAL EXAMPLE


MEET “OCEAN”

• 32 Years Old• Professional • Graphic Designer• Income of $100,000/year• Engaged (to Duke)• Owns her own condo• Travels frequently• Fashionable• Works out every day• Works out for 1.5 hours


MEET “DUKE”

• 35 Years Old• Professional • Architect• Income > $100,000/year• Engaged (to Ocean)• “Athletic Opportunist”• Enjoys surfing & Snowboarding• Wants Quality


TO SUM IT UP

"If you’re 20 years old or you’re graduating from university, you can’t wait to be that woman. If you’re 42 years old with a couple children, you wish you had that time back."

- Lululemon Founder, Chip Wilson


EXCLUSIONARY PERSONAS


HOW YOU CAN USE CUSTOMER PERSONAS

Content Creation

• Blog Content

• Non-transactional Conversion Offers

• Website & Graphic Design

• Email Copy & Design



Sales

• How does this person respond to assertiveness?

• What creates a sense of urgency for them?

• What are the key pain points the solution addresses?

• What’s the prospect’s level of sophistication?



Services

• What’s the customer’s level of sophistication?

• What are the primary features that attracted the customer?

• What organizational or experiential challenges might hinder implementation?

• What unique use cases can be used to upsell or retain a customer?


ENGAGEMENT


MORE FUN FACTS

61% of consumers planned to watch the Super Bowl with a smartphone in hand

AND YET…

51% of advertisers elected to just run their ad without asking viewers to do anything.


WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

•Customers and prospects expect straightforward and honest solutions without the traditional sales process•They know what they want before they talk to you

The Buyer Has Changed

•Continuous innovation is required to differentiate•The customer experience must evolve through the lifecycle

Innovation Has Changed

•Employees must be empowered to solve the problem and the complaint•Tiered resolutions are no longer acceptable

Empowerment has Changed


THE CUSTOMER LIFE CYCLE

Acquire

• Inquiry

Engage

• Evaluation

Business Getting


THE CUSTOMER LIFE CYCLE

Serve

• Product Usage

Grow

• Repurchase or Renewal

Business Keeping


CUSTOMER INTERACTION & CHANNELS

Interaction

•Invite Email Subscription•Invite Customers to Express Interests•Invite Customers to Identify Product or Service Needs

Channels

•SEO/SEM•Social Media•Mobile•Websites

ACQUIRE



Interaction

•Deliver Relevant Information•Invite to Webinars/Events•Provide Links to Relevant Information

Channels

•Email•Websites•Webinar/Events•Account Representatives

ENGAGE



Interaction

•Thank Customer for Purchase•Promote Related Products/Services•Reinforce Value•Invite Opt-In for Updates

Channels

•Email/Mobile•Direct Mail/Print•Websites/Social Media•Account Representatives

CONVERT



Interaction

•Send Personalized News & Updates•Send Triggered Offers•Provide Links to Relevant Information•Enable Self-Help Resources

Channels


SERVE



Interaction

•Send Renewal Triggered Cross-Sell or Upsell Offers•Provide Incentives to Renew or Purchase New Services

Channels


GROW



Interaction

•Invite the Customer to Contribute Content for Your Business/Product•Reward Loyalty and Referrals•Become a True Partner

Channels


RETAIN


ENGAGEMENT CHANNELS

Website

Email

Mobile

Social Media

Direct


WEBSITE ENGAGEMENT


EMAIL ENGAGEMENT


MOBILE ENGAGEMENT


SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT


MY ORIGINAL TWITTER FEED…

“Comcast you suck” “Comcast I hate you” “Dear Comcast, we’re breaking up” “Comcast, it’s really YOU not me”


DIRECT/PRINT


SUCCESSFUL ENGAGEMENT STARTS HERE

• Know Your Customer

• Differentiate Your Customer Service

• Humanize Your Brand

• Hold Conversations & Play With Others

• Personalize Your Interactions

• Leverage Gamification

• Jump on the Trendy Bandwagon

• Be There When They Need You


KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER


DIFFERENTIATING YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE Innovation is Key, But Tradition will Never Be Forgotten


HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND


HOLD CONVERSATIONS & PLAY WITH OTHERS


PERSONALIZE INTERACTIONS


LEVERAGE GAMIFICATION

FROM LOYALTY CARDS FOR OUR FAVORITE STORES TO FITNESS APPS – WE ARE ALL PARTICIPATING IN GAMIFICATION.


LEVERAGE GAMIFICATION

N00b

Player

Master Focus on creating:DesireIncentive

Focus on creating:ChallengeAchievement

Focus on creating:FeedbackSkill

Onboarding

Habit-Forming

Expertise


JUMP ON THE TRENDY BANDWAGON


BE THERE WHEN THEY NEED YOU & KEEP PROMISES

“Open conversations generate loyalty, sales and most of all, learning… for both sides”.Seth Godin


BUT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU AUTOMATE


AND BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY


ULTIMATELY CHECK YOURSELF


HATERS GONNA HATE (& I HATE MYSELF FOR THE IMPROPER GRAMMAR)


SHAKE IT OFF


MARKETING AUTOMATION


WITH ANALYTICS COMPANIES SEE…

75% More Pipeline Growth

3X Sales Cycle Conversion Rates

2X Win Rates


MEASURING ENGAGEMENT

http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/customer-retention-strategy/7-questions-to-drive-customer-engagement/



It All Goes Back to Your Audience or “Buyer”

Female Profile Male Profile


REMEMBER…

CUSTOMERS REALLY VOTE WITH THEIR FEET AND THEIR WALLETS.

KEEP THEM ENGAGED!

buyer personas

Documents

buyer personas

persona template real

personas role key information

princess company

freedom challenges

director of marketing

letters goals

rural kingdom identifiers