Marketing
What is Buyer Persona?
A buyer persona is the semi-fictional representation of the person who decides or uses the product — role, pains, goals, channels — used to guide copy and messaging.
Personas deepen the ICP: while ICP describes the COMPANY, persona describes the PERSON. "Marketing manager at a mid-size B2B SaaS, 30-40, KPI=lead gen, pain=no time".
Do not invent — interview real customers. Made-up personas become caricatures and produce bad copy. 5-10 qualitative interviews give a far stronger base than internal workshops.
Use it in practice
Marketing Brief
Frequently asked questions
How many personas should I have?
2-4 is the sweet spot. More than that, focus is lost and messages turn generic trying to please everyone.
Do personas change over time?
Yes. Revisit every 12 months or when the product shifts ICP. Stale personas become traps for the team.