Insights & Analysis

✨How can personas help you find your target audience?

A walkthrough of how personas help for laser-targeted marketing campaigns

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In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, generic, one-size-fits-all marketing strategies are no longer sufficient to engage today's diverse audiences. As a marketer, it is my job to identify the optimal target audience to market to. 

When it comes to user research, we aren't merely crunching survey numbers; we are delving into the intricacies of human experiences. We dive deep into user emotions, opinions, pain points, and sources of delight. This is precisely what I love about user research – the fact that we don't have to go looking for problems that need solutions; people reveal them to us willingly. 

Once you've gained insights into the precise challenges people are actively seeking solutions for, you can strategically develop content that speaks directly to the needs, preferences, and aspirations of that distinct profile.

I recently read this narrative written by my colleague and researcher, Swasti Acharya, where she interviewed a food business entrepreneur who recounted the struggles of running their culinary enterprise while grappling with Zomato's steep commissions and discounts.

This article really got me thinking. The problem discussed in this article is not a single person’s problem. It is a significant challenge possibly faced by many food business owners, irrespective of their scale of business. 

If I were a content marketer for a Zomato competitor, I would leverage this user story to create an ideal marketing persona and build my strategy around that. Here is how I would do it: 

Step 1: Create a demographic profile of a food entrepreneur persona

Demographic Profile

  • Age: 30-55 years old
  • Gender: All genders
  • Location: Urban and semi-urban areas in India, especially major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata
  • Occupation: Restaurant owners, managers, and decision-makers
  • Income: Varied, from middle-class to upper-class, depending on the type and scale of the restaurant

Step 2: Map out the lived experience of that profile

I can reasonably assume the following habits, challenges and intent about my user:

  • Entrepreneurial Spirit: Constantly seeking ways to improve their businesses.
  • Tech-Savvy: Comfortable with technology and actively using digital tools to manage their restaurants.
  • Profit Maximization & Cost Management: Striving to increase their restaurant's profitability.  Constantly looking for ways to manage operating costs and minimize commissions.
  • Staying Competitive: Want to stay competitive in the evolving restaurant industry.
  • Primary Intention: To run their business online without it burning a hole in their pocket. 

Step 3: Use insights from above to come up with campaign ideas

Now that I have established the primary intent and key traits of my persona, here are 3 examples of possible topics that I could write about:

  1. Looking for alternative solutions to Zomato’s high commission? Here is a list of platforms that will get the job done.
  2. Comparative Analysis of Food Delivery Platforms: Pitting Zomato against Thrive and other contenders.
  3. Strategies for reducing operating costs in your restaurant

Step 4: Finalize marketing channels

I would promote my content on the following platforms:

  1. Blog: Where the articles will be posted. 
  2. Social Media like Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn: Given the age bracket and the tech-savviness of the persona, they are likely active on these platforms. Relevant hashtags and visually appealing content would capture their attention.
  3. Google AdWords: Restaurant owners and managers searching for industry trends, solutions, and tools are likely to use Google. 
  4. Direct Email Marketing: Personalized email campaigns addressing their pain points and offering solutions.

Step 5: Use data from Step 1 to build my audience on respective channels

Here’s an example of what a created audience would look like on Facebook:

Step 6: Launch my campaign

All that’s left to do now is to press “post” ✨

I hope you find my process helpful for creating more meaningful campaigns that speak directly to the truth of your audience.

Cover photo by Andrea Piacquadio

SPOTLIGHT
Insights from the most recent consumer transcript added to our database
Last question, which apps on your smartphone do you think you can’t live without?
In my life there are different priorities currently...usually my social media is very active , but since I am thinking about my career right now, I’ve turned off my notifications... I like Facebook, Instagram, and a bit of Whatsapp...for shopping I use Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, Meesho...in games, there is a game called Beach war, and Pubg of course...I joined Facebook in 2012, but 2013 is when I started coming on more actively. Facebook has news feed...what is happening around us...those things, pages that tell you what all is happening...I look at those.
Can you take me through your schooling and college experience a little in-depth?
If I talk about my study schedule as to how I was, I was in another school till class 3 in a Hindi medium school (Adarsh Shiksha Niketan school), I was not at all into studying - wouldn’t study at all. Then, in 2006 my father enrolled me in an English medium school....there were exams in every term... I came first in all three terms. Everyone supported me a lot... my father, my teachers...because to change from a Hindi medium school to an English was a very hard thing to do. I really struggled...I did a lot of labour work, as i became a success...my confidence level rose as well. In 11th and 12th, there wasn’t an option for English medium school, so I had to enrol in a Hindi medium school, and took English coaching on the side, studied and gave my exam I got 66 percent  .  Then there was an option for B.Sc (Bachelors in Science), but I knew I wouldn’t understand much of it... so its better if I do BCA (Bachelors in Computer Applications). I did 3 years of college for BCA...I did a lot of coding which I really liked, so I came back and I did but there were some parts of coding which I didn’t want to do...so in the 2 years I realised that it wasn’t for me. After completing 2 years of it, I wanted to get into teaching which is why I did Diploma in education Elementary education. I decided that I don’t want to teach in a private school, I want to teach in a government college for unprivileged kids. Either I am able to do this or turn to having my own start-up.
What else do you get up to online?
I love watching web-series and movies, so when any new movie or web-series comes, I first read about the what the movie is based on then I watch the movie. For example , there is a movie or a web-series , I search the name on google and it shows the cast, the story...so I read the whole thing. Then I get to know and understand what the motto is to make the movie. If I like what I read only then I go and watch it. Also no matter how good the start is or the story , If I don’t vibe with it in the beginning...then I don’t vibe with the movie as a whole. ...have you always done this, or just with movies and web-series ? I have started doing this for 3 years and at first I would watch movies through the day, but then work would come to me out of the blue therefore there would be distractions... so my system is that If you ever watch a movie , watch it with full dedication and only then would you have fun. ...so after that do you download it, or do you watch it online on a platform?  I watch online if it is available... the rest I haven’t gotten the subscription. The thing is that I’m a student right now, can’t afford to spend, I have to save up. When you start earning only then I can think to spend... I don’t have the money right now , when i do have it then i will surely do it, when I earn well.
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