Using buyer personas is fundamental to a successful inbound marketing strategy.

The vast percentage of entrepreneurs–small business owners, artists, writers, service providers, and so on seem to prefer spending their marketing energy on what I call “fluffing”.  They are much more comfortable working on refining and polishing their product or service (including their marketing materials) than they are going out and finding customers. But if an entrepreneur does not have a clear understanding of who their customers are, and is unwilling to leave their comfort zone and get out there, they are probably doomed to fail.

Entrepreneurs need to ask themselves: “What do I know about my customers, and how do I know?” A foggy picture of your  customers and their interests, their ways of accessing information, and their current needs leads to marketing misfire–wasted time and money. An effective way to build an understanding of your future customer is to create a buyer persona.

Let’s create your first buyer persona:

• What is their age, gender, education level, job title/role, income?
• Give a brief summary of their worldview, and how they see themselves as a part of it.
• What is a typical day in their life?
• What excites them?
• What worries them?
• What attracts them?
• What problems are they working on?
• Where/how do they seek information? For example, do they use social media? Are they comfortable making online purchases?
• What do they know, or want to know, about you?
• What have you done, or are doing now, to connect with them?

Now, you get to become creative! Invent a buyer persona. Have them talk to you..don’t just describe them. Imagine you are a fiction writer, creating a character.  Write a page or two (no more!) telling about them. Maybe look for a photo of someone who resembles your persona, and add it to your narrative.

Armed with this knowledge, you can hone your inbound marketing strategy, and will be better prepared to provide value to a prospective buyer right from the beginning of your relationship.