Understanding the Buyer Persona
To create a brand that truly resonates, you need to immerse yourself in the mindset of your target audience—the 🧝 Avatar.
This isn’t just about demographics; it’s about understanding the individuals who will be impacted by your brand messages. As a marketer, your role is similar to that of an ethnographer, someone who studies and documents cultures and social behaviors through observation. You must deeply understand both yourself and your clients, acknowledging and setting aside any prejudices that might cloud your perspective.
Be obsessed by the Avatar
People who buy from your brand are not you. Step outside of your own frame of reference and focus on the needs and desires of your customers. Your goal is to be obsessed with the avatar, thinking deeply about their lives, challenges, and aspirations.
The Avatar Transformation Ladder
Let’s look at the different shapes our Avatar takes:
- Audience The general population, encompassing anyone who may be exposed to the brand → Unaware: The buyer doesn’t know they have a problem or need.
- Prospects Individuals who have the potential to become interested in the brand → Awareness: The buyer realizes they have a problem and starts looking for solutions.
- Leads Those who have expressed interest in the brand → Consideration: The buyer compares different options and thinks about which one is best.
- Customers Recurring buyers who make regular purchases, often without requiring personalized services or ongoing support → Purchase: The buyer decides to buy and completes the transaction.
- Clients Long-term buyers who engage in a more personalized relationship with the brand, often receiving tailored services or support → Loyalty: If the buyer is happy, they stick with your brand and might recommend it to others.
Target Broadly Yet Precisely
To remain competitive, avoid alienating potential customers by targeting too narrowly. Don’t over-niche; instead, target broadly but with precision. Brands that grow successfully appeal to a wide audience. Mass marketing with a single, simple message optimized for reach is often the most effective way to drive sales.
Remember, the customer needs to understand what makes your brand different —you already know what’s different, but does your prospect knows it?
Give them what they want
For example, when targeting electric vehicle users, don’t overly narrow your focus to a specific persona like “John, a 30-year-old tech worker in San Francisco who drives a Tesla. This and that income, listen to this music”, that approach will get you nowhere. Instead, consider the broader group of EV users who may face challenges with their vehicles.
By focusing on the pragmatic needs of the market, you ensure that your brand’s solutions reach a wider audience.
✍️ Next Steps
- Identify your Avatar Needs & Desires for each steps of your Avatar Transformation, notice how the patterns can evolve the closer your Avatar warms up to a sale.
- Identify your Broad Target, how are they aware of the differential factors of your Value Proposition?
- Give them what they want, Identify the pragmatic needs your Brand resolve.
