The success of your marketing campaigns will depend to a great extent on how much you know about your clients and prospects, otherwise known as your target audience. One of the more effective ways of identifying and understanding your target audience is to create a client persona. Here are some effective ways to do that and reasons why a client persona will be extremely helpful to your business.

What Is a Client Persona?

A client persona is a set of characteristics you identify that represents your typical or ideal customer. A compelling client persona will include actionable details about those customers and prospects you envision most interested in and likely to buy what you offer.

What Should a Client Persona Contain?

The client persona should include demographic data such as age, gender, income level, geographical location, and family status. Gathering demographic data is a starting place to develop your personas because it’s easy to obtain and lets you get a clear picture of your client. A compelling client persona will also include segmented data such as:

• Personal interests: Hobbies, social causes, political affiliation, and other private interests can be valuable components of a client persona. Understand a day in the life of your client persona.  Does this persona spend more time at home or work? What kind of TV shows do they watch?  How do they dress? How do they cut loose? Where do they get their information?  Do they participate in social networks?  Once you know what makes your persona tick, you can develop and channel messages that effectively reach your desired audience.
• "Pain points" and problems: The issues a client wants to resolve by using your products or services will help you determine the type and level of interest in your offerings.  In detail, describe how this persona feels. You will find pain points will differ among your personas; therefore, your message needs to consider these nuances.
• Decision processes: How clients and prospects decide to award services or purchases will give you the information you can act on to appeal to your target audience. For example, a target audience that makes quick, impulsive decisions is likely not the target audience for a company that sells houses, expensive jewelry, or real estate. If your potential customers are likely to spend time conducting online research before deciding, you'll know to focus on your online presence and information resources.
  
• Address Objections:  It is also essential to address any concerns your persona may have with your product or service.  Try to be prepared and anticipate the client's objections. Take the time to influential education audiences about your products and services.  Understand their level of experience with your product or service.  These factors will help you relate and speak to their concerns.
• Psychological Triggers: A helpful client persona will also address why people select the type of products and services you offer. Convenience? Prestige? Practicality? Competitiveness? If you know your target audience's psychological triggers, you'll be able to craft marketing messages to activate them.

Are your creating your client personas?  Did you make any additional assessments that should be considered? Share them with us in the comments section.

Contact Colosi Marketing today for more information on identifying your target audience and what it takes to reach them with practical, persuasive marketing messages.