Social media marketing should be part of every brand’s strategy to increase brand awareness and engagement among their audience and consumers. However, many smaller organizations tend to jump right into the social media grind, without laying out a strategy or customer personas. Without a strategy developed to cater to their audience, social media efforts will not live up to their potential. Consumers need to feel drawn toward your brand. Why? Because consumers prefer to engage with brands that are relatable to them. This is one of the most important reasons why having consumer personas before undertaking social media is essential for businesses.
What is a Social Media Persona?
First off, what is a social media persona? These are fictional depictions of your ideal consumers, outlining things such as interests, demographics, occupation, etc. Brands that cater to their audiences always yield better results when it comes to engagement and brand loyalty. It’s not simple to build social media personas and it takes a lot of work to form them, but the results will be far more impactful and effective at reaching your marketing goals.
Why Do I Need a Social Media Persona?
It Helps You Make Relatable Content
When you understand your target audience at a deeper level, you know what they relate to and how to capture their attention. For instance, if your target is parents, you know that the struggles of raising kids are something that they all can relate to, giving you an edge over other brands that don’t use such a personalized approach. By creating and sharing content that is valuable to your customers, the relationship between your brand and customers will begin to strengthen.
You can Avoid Wasting Resources; a Shot in the Dark
When you’re not sure about the customers’ preferences, beliefs and pain points, you’re not sure as to whether the content will get a response from your audience. Remember, a lot of precious resources go into crafting a social media marketing campaign, so don't waste valuable time and resources on content that may, or may not resonate with your ideal customers.
How to Build One?
To build your own social media persona, it’s important that you use data analytics, surveys, and research papers to find out more about your target audience. You’ll need to refer to demographics and find out what they like to do most of the time. Don't be afraid to make some assumptions here as well. If you believe that you have a solid grasp on who your customers are, be sure to keep these assumptions in mind while building your customer persona. If there’s a lack of similarity between your social media content and your target audience, it’s about time that you rethink your strategy, and adjust accordingly.
Know How They Think
When you understand their fears, triggers, and identify issues they’re sensitive about, you’re able to develop an in-depth personality that can quickly respond to social issues. A well-constructed personality can guide your media content campaign and strategy.
It offers direction and gives clearer instructions on what you should not do. For instance, certain social issues you shouldn’t trivialize and beliefs you should respect. Not only does it earn you a larger following, but it also gives the audience an image of themselves as the persona behind your brand.