What is a buyer persona?

Also called customer persona, marketing persona, audience persona.

A buyer persona is a short, semi-fictional profile of a typical customer, based on real customer information, that describes who they are, what they want, what worries them and how they decide to buy.

Why it matters

It is easier to write for one person than for a crowd. A persona gives you a specific reader to picture when you write a caption, choose a photo or plan an offer, so your posts sound like they were written for someone rather than at everyone. It also keeps a team or a freelancer aligned on who the customer is.

Example

A bike repair shop creates "Commuter Sam": rides to work most days, relies on the bike, can't be without it for long, and worries about being overcharged. Posts written for Sam lead with same-day repairs, clear prices and quick maintenance tips, and go out early in the morning when Sam is checking a phone before the ride.

What to include in a buyer persona

Keep each persona to half a page. Include:

A name and a one-line summary, such as "Commuter Sam, rides to work daily".
Life stage, role or situation, only where it affects buying.
Goals: what they are trying to achieve.
Problems and worries: what gets in the way, and what makes them hesitate to buy.
Where they spend time online, and when.
What they need to see before they buy, such as prices, reviews or a free trial.
Words they use to describe the problem, taken from real conversations.

How to build one from real customers

A persona made up at a desk is just a guess. Base it on evidence.

Pick five to ten good customers and ask each for a short chat.
Ask what was happening when they first looked for a business like yours, what nearly stopped them buying, and why they chose you.
Read your reviews, comments and messages for repeated phrases and worries.
Group what you hear. Most small businesses find one to three distinct types of customer.
Write one persona for each type, using their real words where possible.
Share the personas with anyone who creates content for you, and update them once a year.

How to use a persona on social media

Before you write a post, ask which persona it is for and which of their problems it helps with. Use their words in the hook, answer their usual worry in the caption, and make the call to action match how ready they are to buy. If a post doesn't serve any persona, it probably doesn't need to go out.

Some businesses also write a negative persona: the kind of person who follows or enquires but is not a good fit, such as bargain hunters for a premium service. It helps you avoid content and offers that attract the wrong people.

Common mistakes

Personas lose their value when they stop reflecting real customers.

Inventing details that sound nice but don't affect buying, such as favourite films.
Making too many personas to keep track of.
Basing them on the customer you wish you had, not the ones you do.
Writing them once and never using them when planning posts.

Common questions

What is the difference between a buyer persona and a target audience?

A target audience is the broad group you want to reach. A buyer persona is one detailed, imaginary person from that group, used to make your marketing feel personal.

How many buyer personas does a small business need?

Usually one to three. Start with one for your best type of customer and add more only if you have clearly different groups who buy for different reasons.