Persona Based Content Marketing
Simply put, persona based means having your customer in mind when creating content. Not just your target market, but an actual person…the one whom you want to click on the link, to read the article, to watch the video, to purchase the product or service.
Just what or who is the Persona?
Right now, I'm writing this blog post with a particular person in mind.
She is 45 years old, married, is working for someone else but is very frustrated and feels underpaid and under appreciated. She wonders if this is all that the working world has to offer and thinks it's just not worth it. Her husband lost his job two years ago and has been able to pick up odd jobs since, but nothing steady. So even though she thinks her own job stinks, she feels forced into staying because doing anything else seems like too much of a risk. And yet, she yearns to share her story with other women. To learn about internet marketing because she knows that's where the future, her future, lies. She knows that with a quality product and internet marketing skills she could leave her job and be much happier.
I can go into more detail if you like, but the important thing is that you understand that I am picturing this woman in my mind as I write this post, and when I edit the post.
Why is this important?
Creating content with your customer persona in mind makes it much easier for you to have a message that makes sense to your target market.
I'm not writing to the experienced marketer (online or offline) because they understand the value of having customer personas.
I'm not writing to the younger woman just starting in her career because she doesn't realize, yet, the futility of working for someone else when you have hopes of living a life of freedom. Nor does she think she has a story to tell.
I'm not writing to the tradesman who is safely ensconced in his union – though I will later because that simply isn't true.
I'm not writing to the teenager looking to make a few extra bucks a month so he can purchase more video games.
No, I'm writing to the woman who is tired of living like someone else thinks she should live. Tired of doing things because she is ‘supposed to' and yet they aren't giving her the life she expected. Tired of working for someone and not seeing the money, the new car, the better house, the better clothes…or even worse, better opportunities.
When the message is clear to your target market, then they are attracted to what you have to offer.
What Am I Offering?
While my offer is for anyone looking for an opportunity to build a business online, for this piece of content, I'm focusing my attention on the 45-year-old, married woman. Therefore, I'll talk about those things that are important to her:
Security – there is a sense of security in knowing that I, as a woman, can hold my own in the world and that I no longer need to rely on others for financial support. The insecurity was always in the not knowing if I would be included in the next layoff.
Freedom – with an online business I am free to go anywhere there is an internet connection. My husband and I have taken road trips on the spur of the moment. I was traveling for a few weeks in April to a few different states and didn't miss a beat of taking care of my business. No, I'm not tied to my cell phone!
Health Insurance – it's nice to be able to pay for my own and my husband's.
Retirement – investments have taken a huge hit these past few years, and the future doesn't look much brighter. And yet, I feel secure in knowing that my online business will grow with the technology and I can be flexible to adjust to new things in the future. Therefore, I am in control of my future and that includes retirement.
Ultimately, this post is for the new marketer wondering how to put a persona to use. And it's really only the tip of the iceberg. But, it's a starting point. If you can visualize your ideal customer and create content with him/her in mind, then you're on your way to putting attraction marketing/inbound marketing to good use.
