Using Consumer Personas to Overcome Content Fatigue
If you consider the number of branded messages consumers see every day, it shouldn’t surprise you that their attention is dwindling. What’s the solution for fighting this content fatigue? The simple answer is to make sure your content counts; and in order for it to count, it needs to connect. Consumers are still receptive to content as long as it feels personal and relevant. One of the best ways to make sure you’re delivering the right message to the right person is to use a consumer persona.
When “measurable results” and “data-driven analytics” are treated like the answer to every marketing challenge, it’s tempting to ask the question: Do consumer personas work? Do they help improve touchpoint and messaging strategies? They can, and they do. The decision to purchase is driven by a combination of rational needs and underlying emotions, and creating a consumer persona can help connect your product to your audience’s deeper desires. That connection helps establish an emotional tie, and over time, loyalty to your brand. According to PwC’s Consumer Intelligence series, 64% of consumers feel like companies have lost touch with the human element of the customer experience. Using a consumer persona can help you close that connection gap.
To identify, and more importantly, understand your audience, you have to rely on both quantitative and qualitative data. That’s where consumer personas come in. To create an effective persona, you have to talk to real people—your potential audience. Ask questions about what they look for in a brand or product and what ultimately drives their decisions. In all likelihood, the things you learn about them on a human level are informing the way they choose their products. Embrace their humanity and you’ll be able to keep them engaged on a deeper level than you would using analytics alone. What you learn during the consumer persona creation should inform everything from the way you reach them to your brand voice, your go-to-market strategy and engagement plan. A good consumer persona will:
o Lead to more accurate touchpoints and a more meaningful message
o Establish clear points of difference that will resonate with the consumer
o Connect with the consumer on an emotional level that keeps them engaged with your product
Data is readily available and an important part of understanding your audience and measuring success, but creating consumer personas that dive into the humanity of your audience is the best way to stay relevant and prevent content fatigue. If done well and thoughtfully implemented, consumer personas will allow you to reach exactly the right person and speak to them about exactly what they want to know. If you’d like help identifying consumer personas for your brand, contact Creativore.