Twitter: @topfloortech

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Persona Development

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Twitter: @topfloortech

Presenters:

Denny YunkDirector of Marketing

@dennyyunk

Cal FidlerContent Marketing

Specialist

@Cal_Fidler

+Developing PersonasWhat is a persona?Why are personas important?What should a persona include?How do you create a persona?How many personas do you need?Challenges in creating personas

Twitter: @topfloortech

+Content Marketing Step by Step Guide

Determine Goals

Understand your Audience

Select Content Topics

Create Editorial Calendar

Create/Collect Content

Publish Content

Twitter: @topfloortech

+Content Marketing Step by Step Guide

Determine Goals

Understand your Audience

Select Content Topics

Create Editorial Calendar

Create/Collect Content

Publish Content

Twitter: @topfloortech

+What is a persona?

A model of a particular type of person who will (hopefully) read and interact with your content marketing which will increase their chances of taking some desired action.

Twitter: @topfloortech

+What is a persona?

A model Based on behaviors, priorities, and goals

Of a particular type of person Customer Business partner Job seeker Industry expert

Who will (hopefully) read and interact with your content marketing

Which will increase their chances of taking some desired action Making a purchase Giving you a referral Applying for a job

Twitter: @topfloortech

+Why are personas important?

They force us to gain a better understanding of specific types of people.

They help us to create compelling, targeted messages that those people will find valuable.

They clearly define our audiences so that everyone involved with content marketing shares a common understanding of the audience(s).

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Twitter: @topfloortech

Persona ≠ Market Segment

Persona:

Behavior-based Goals Influences Processes Roles Responsibilities

Market segment:

Profile-based Age Gender Income Geography Budget

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Twitter: @topfloortech

What should a persona include?

Behaviors

Priorities

Influences

Responsibilities

Roles

Processes

Opinions

Preferences

Not:

Demographics

Trivia

Fluff

Optional:

User story

Twitter: @topfloortech

+How do you develop a persona?

1. Start with assumptions Maybe even use actual people as representatives of a persona.

2. Gather input from customer touchpoints Sales Customer service Human resources

3. Develop a set of interview questions

4. Interview the best examples of each persona from among your current customers, partners, and employees.

5. Revise and refine your personas

6. Make them available to all stakeholders

7. Periodically review, update, and add as needed.

Twitter: @topfloortech

+How many personas should you have?

As many as you need.

As few as you can get away with!

Start with one or two. Pick the highest priorities (customers/prospects)

Add as needs/opportunities arise.

Consider whether existing personas can be split into multiple, more narrowly-defined personas.

Twitter: @topfloortech

+What kinds of personas should I develop? Buyers

Users

Prospects

Job seekers

Industry influencers

Fans

Service technicians

Dealers/distributors

Media

Twitter: @topfloortech

+What kinds of personas should I develop? Buyers

Users

Prospects

Job seekers

Industry influencers

Fans

Service technicians

Salespeople

Media

• Technical• Economic

• New • Experienced

• Entry-level• Management• Creative• Technical

• Dealers• Distributors

• Those that like your product• Those that don’t like your product

• Those that know they need your product• Those that use a competitor’s product

Twitter: @topfloortech

+Challenges in persona development

Making stuff up (false assumptions)

Getting out of your head and into your customers’ heads

Not specific enough

Too many personas

The wrong personas Or the right personas in the wrong order

Irrelevant trivia

Over-thinking

Twitter: @topfloortech

+Persona development resources

Twitter: @topfloortech

+For further inspiration

Content Marketing Institute’s “Audience” blog: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/audience/

Buyer Persona Institute http://www.buyerpersona.com/ E-book, “The Buyer Persona Manifesto”

Hubspot Library of persona templates

Pardot Persona development case study