Create a buyer persona in 3 steps | plus a free persona playbook

Understand your customers amidst change with evolving customer personas

Know your customers by creating a buyer persona in three simple steps. –Photo by LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Unsplash

Discover the changing needs of your consumers

Needs change, especially when people are faced with local and/or worldwide disruptions, turmoil, or economic hardship. To put it simply, 2020 has been rife with all of the above and it’s changing the shopping patterns of 75% of the U.S. population. Some consumers are relying more heavily on big brands while others are trying out private labels for the first time.

Some purchasing categories have plummeted altogether as consumers have eliminated several “non-essential” purchases from their budgets.

According to a consumer behavior study conducted by McKinsey & Company:

• 36% of consumers are trying new brands.
• 25% are incorporating new private-label brands.
• 80% of consumers who started using private-label brands during the pandemic plan to continue using them.

These numbers may be great news for the merchants who’ve already seen growth, but tough for the brands these consumers have left behind.

Consumer spending habits are changing in the wake of COVID-19. Know their needs and stay relevant. –Photo by Patrick Pierre on Unsplash

These changes in spending affect more than a single point in the buying process as illustrated in this example from the Washington Post, which states that current events are “causing anxiety and some major changes in the home construction market. Everything from the touring process, to the building process, to the financing process, to the settlement process ….”

As a business owner or marketer, it’s essential to take a step back and ask yourself some questions:

1. How have recent changes affected your customers?
2. How have your customers’ needs shifted?
3. What needs to be updated in your buyer persona to reflect these changes?

We’ve created a persona deck to help you answer these questions, but first, we’ve provided additional details below, so read on and be sure to show your appreciation by “clapping” for this story!

Know your customers — Create a functional buyer persona

Social media has (some of) the answers

A look at social media conversations can provide a lot of insight into the changing priorities of your consumers. Pay attention to the way engagement has changed on your pages and what your consumers are saying about your brand, and your competitors’ brands.

Look at lifestyle changes, changes in education, travel, and work environments. Use these as you assess your current customer, or buyer persona—and make the updates needed to reflect them.

Pay attention to the way engagement has changed on your social media pages and what your consumers are saying. –Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Your site engagement has (some of) the answers

Pay attention to what’s happening on your website and the shopping patterns of your customers. It could also be a good idea to research keywords to learn how searches have changed and what words people are using to find the right products or solutions.

Consider the following questions:

• Have your visits gone up or down—and how are your visitors finding you?
• Is there a change in the demographic that’s showing up?
• What differences are you noticing in purchases or interactions?

Think about the reasons your customers chose your product or service in the first place and try to understand what will keep them coming back, even amidst societal change. It’s essential to stay relevant, and the best way to be relevant is to know your buyers and record what you know about them in a functional buyer persona.

The state-of-the-world has (some of) the answers

Take time to understand how current and worldwide events could impact your buyers. Be particularly aware of the events taking place in the same locations as the majority of your consumers. Upheaval, economic impact, and the job market can vary state-by-state.

Even small changes in habits can provide insight into how larger needs are evolving:

• Are your consumers suddenly working from home?
• Are they balancing remote work with a child’s online schooling?
• Have they, or their partner, lost a job or relocated?

Consider other factors that could influence what their needs are and how they meet those. Think about the objections they could have to your product or service and how you can overcome those with the current state-of-the-world in mind.

Be aware of events that have an impact on your buyers’ lives, leading to remote work, online school, etc. –Photo by vadim kaipov on Unsplash

Update your personas

As you look at new patterns, demographics, wants, and needs, it’s important to integrate those details into your personas. We’ve created a simple deck to walk you through this process in three steps: Know your customers—Create a functional buyer persona. This Google slide deck is available for download by clicking the link above. No forms to fill out, just good content intended to help you stay relevant and continue to meet the needs of those who’ve come to trust in your brand or service.

If you’d like to chat with someone who can help you use your persona to improve your online presence, reach out to us at connect@alterethos.engineering! We want to help you present yourself the best way possible so you have your greatest chance at achieving success amid chaos.

Read more

To learn how personas fit into your overall business strategy, check out our article, Know your business before you go into business, and get a free business planning template. And, don’t forget to follow us on Medium for more information about how to stay relevant—and show your best self online—in a rapidly evolving market.

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