What Is Buyer Persona and Why Do They Matter For Business?

A buyer persona, also known as a customer, audience, or marketing persona, is a semi-fictional portrayal of your ideal consumer based on market research and actual customer data. 

Buyer personas often comprise demographic data such as age, gender, income, and geography, as well as psychographic information such as interests, values, and habits. They may also include information on a person’s job title, industry, problems, goals, and shopping habits. 

The purpose is to paint a complete and detailed image of the target consumer, offering insights that drive marketing decisions and help guarantee that products and services meet the needs and expectations of the intended audience.

Creating buyer personas entails acquiring customer information through interviews, surveys, and data analysis. Businesses can use it to improve their understanding of their customers and build more effective marketing campaigns and customer experiences.

What Are The Types of Buyer Personas?

Buyer personas might differ based on the nature of the company and its target demographic. However, the following are some of the most typical sorts of customer personas that firms consider:

1. Brand Loyalty Personas

Personas that focus on the level of loyalty customers have to a brand, such as Brand Advocates, Occasional Customers, or One-Time Buyers.

2. Social media Personas

Personas are segmented depending on their interaction with social media sites, such as Instagram Enthusiasts, LinkedIn Professionals, or Twitter Influencers.

3. Buying Journey-Based Personas 

Personas that reflect the many stages of a customer’s buying process, such as Awareness Stage Prospects, Consideration Stage Customers, or Decision-Making Stage Buyers.

4. Influencer and Opinion Leader Personas 

Identifying personas having social influence, such as Opinion Leaders, Social Media Influencers, or Community Advocates.

5. B2B (Business-to-Business) Personas

Personas tailored for businesses targeting other businesses, considering company size, industry, and decision-making processes. Some examples include Small Business Decision Makers and Enterprise-Level Procurement Teams.

6. Economic standing Personas 

Considering a customer’s financial standing with personas such as Affluent Consumers, Middle-Income Families, or Economically Disadvantaged Individuals.

7. Budget-Based Personas

Personas are classified according to financial constraints, such as High Budget Customers, Budget-Conscious Shoppers, or Value-Driven Consumers.

8. Subscription-Based Personas

Personas geared at businesses that provide subscription services, such as Monthly Subscribers, Annual Subscribers, or Trial Users.

9. Customer Retention Personas 

Creating personas that address existing customer retention methods, such as Repeat Buyers, Lapsed Customers, or Customer Churn Risk.

10. Health and Wellness Personas 

Personas based on client health and wellness interests, such as Fitness Buffs, Holistic Health Advocates, or Mental Wellness Seekers.

The precise personalities applicable to a firm will depend on its industry, products or services, and target audience characteristics.

Target Audience vs Buyer Persona: What’s the Difference

The terms target audience and buyer persona are often used interchangeably in marketing. However, there is a distinction between the two.

A target audience is a large group with common traits such as age, gender, location, hobbies, or needs. It is the group of people that a company hopes to target with its marketing communications.

A buyer persona is a more thorough portrayal of a company’s ideal consumer. It is a semi-fictional persona based on genuine facts and studies about the company’s current clients. Buyer personas commonly contain demographics, psychographics, behaviour patterns, motives, and goals.

Example:

The target audience for a clothing company could be ladies aged 25-45 who are interested in fashion and style. However, the buyer persona for the organization may be a 35-year-old woman who works as a marketing manager and resides in a major city. She is interested in environmentally friendly fashion and is willing to spend a premium on high-quality clothing.

Finally, target audience and buyer persona are two critical marketing concepts. Businesses can use target audiences to determine the overall market potential and focus their marketing efforts. Buyer personas assist firms in better understanding their ideal customer and developing more targeted and successful marketing communications.

Entrepreneurship at Sampoerna University

Sampoerna University is a fully accredited university in Indonesia that offers the best choice for those seeking excellent international education. We are a private, non-denominational, non-profit university licensed and certified by the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. Formed according to national and international standards, Sampoerna University is qualified to contribute to society through education substantially.

Sampoerna University offers a range of entrepreneurship courses as part of its undergraduate programs. These courses focus on developing entrepreneurial skills, including opportunity recognition, business planning, marketing strategies, financial management, and innovation. Students learn to assess market feasibility, create business models, and develop sustainable business strategies. 

We also collaborate with industry partners, start-up incubators, and entrepreneurial organizations to provide students with practical exposure and real-world experiences. Through these partnerships, students can participate in internships, industry projects, and mentorship programs, gaining valuable insights into the business world and entrepreneurial practices. The University emphasizes entrepreneurship as a critical component of its educational approach. 

9 of 10 graduates get employed three months after graduation*. Immediately register to participate in the new student admissions process for the 2023-2024 year here. Our Admission Team will contact you soon to provide more detailed information.

Schedule with us whenever you want to visit campus tours on-site or virtual!