Part of the process of creating marketing means identifying your target audience, typically we refer to it as creating personas. We will outline the process of persona creation by identifying our own ideal client.

Understanding your client helps to create marketing that is more specific to them and thus more effective. It is impossible to target everyone, that is why segmentation of your market is critical. You can’t segment your audience without first understanding who they are.

For a marketing agency such as ours, the questions and answers would probably look similar to the example below:

1. WHO IS LOOKING FOR MY BUSINESS?

• A business owner who is starting a new business and needs branding and to generate awareness
• A business owner who is stagnant and wants to take their business to the next growth level
• A business owners whose business is failing and does not wish to go out of business
• A business owner looking to expand their business
• A business owner looking for a new target audience
• A business owner looking to change their position
• A business owner looking for an outsourced full-service marketing solution
• A business owner currently looking to switch ad agencies
• A business owner looking for a print and digital solution under one roof

2. WHO ARE THEY(DEMOGRAPHICS)?

• Male and female
• Own a business or is in charge of hiring a marketing agency
• Is in the service industry
• Values high-end design
• Has a marketing budget in excess of $50,000/year, not to exceed $2,000,000
• Understands the value of professional marketing
• Are likely 35 to 55
• Are well-off
• Are key players in their industry
• Are moderate risk takers

3. WHAT ARE THEY LIKE?

• They enjoy working, traveling, and purchasing luxury goods
• They value high-end products that elevate their image
• They care about what other people think and the image they give off
• It is important for them to be the best
• They are somewhat self-involved
• They value their relationships
• They are industry leaders and innovators
• They are hardworking

4. HOW DO THEY FIND MY BUSINESS?

• Referrals, followed by a website visit
• Online search
• Exposure to marketing materials created for others

5. WHAT DRIVES THEM TO MAKE A DECISION?

• Price- Business owners are often price sensitive and looking at cost
• Level of quality- Seeing examples of quality work produced for others
• Proven track-record- Examples of other work done for other clients
• Trust- Ability to trust that we are professionals and know our market
• Compatibility- Personality plays a key role in the decision to hire an agency

There is a plenty to consider when creating your target personas. Once you have the information outlined you can proceed to create “characters” and describe them in detail.

Once you have described them you can detail how they will find your company and why they will hire you. Before the commencement of any marketing make sure you fully understand your target market, or you might find that your marketing initiatives don’t yield the results you were hoping for.

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