Local Expert Blog: Define Your Target Audience With Consumer Avatars

Before you can market your product or service to your target audience, you need to gain insight into your ideal customer.

The term used to refer to this audience tool is consumer avatar, buyer persona, and marketing persona. Still, all of them do the same thing.

Before you run off thinking this is something you don’t need, know that consumer avatars are fundamental when creating an effective marketing plan.

What is a consumer avatar?

The primary purpose of your consumer avatar is to represent your ideal customer – the type of person who will purchase your product or service.

Though you may have a good idea of who your ideal customer is, it’s still essential to base your avatar on research and data. In doing so, you will learn how your ideal consumer gathers information, makes decisions, and whom they listen to. Keep in mind that not using research and data will defeat the purpose of your avatar.

For example, here is a consumer avatar for a book app created by Dani Guerrato via Dribble.

SKO Communications Inc. is a big advocate of surveys and interviews to collect these insights. Here is a list of some extra details to include in your consumer profile to help you through the process: 

• Age and gender
• marital status
• children (age and education level, too)
• location
• occupation
• salary
• education
• hobbies/interests

Of course, add whatever else you think is pertinent.

Note: while your consumer avatar represents your ideal customer, they are fictional. So there is no need to use an actual customer to build your avatar. Furthermore, while your target audience includes a group of people, your avatar only needs to depict a single individual.

Why developing consumer avatars is essential. 

When you know whom you are selling to, your sales efforts are more effective. That includes marketing deliverables like email marketing, social media, product development, user experience, you name it. Now, your team will have a particular customer in mind when developing the messaging and visuals for these pieces. So, say goodbye to generic or ambiguous collateral and hello to marketing pieces that work.

The takeaway: To experience sales success, you will need a well-defined consumer avatar that will focus your marketing dollars on your ideal customer. Consumer avatars are for everyone, and everyone should take the time to create one (or many). Thinking it’s only a “big” company tool is a mistake that will only cost you in the long run.

Sponsored story by SKO Communications. To learn more, follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn or visit their website. Kick it old school by giving them a call at 519-992-6564.