Buyer Personas: 7 Newbie Mistakes and How You Can Solve Them with HubSpot

If you’ve been around HubSpot, you’ve probably heard of buyer personas and why they are important.

But just in case you haven’t, the short explanation is…

Inboxes are filling up. Products are everywhere. And creating content for anyone and everyone just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Enter buyer personas. 

A vital first step in any successful marketing strategy.

 

What is a Buyer’s Persona? 

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your dream customer that helps you better understand their needs and pain points. 

That way, you can create your marketing efforts by talking to a specific type of person. 

And since this is a vital first step, it’s important to do it right. 

But don’t worry, by the end of this article, you’ll know the five common problems newbies make when creating their buyer personas and how HubSpot can help you overcome them.

 

Let’s go!

 

Problem 1: Lack of Research and Data

As with anything, if you don’t back something up with solid research and data, it’ll be nothing more than guesswork. 

So, when we say that a buyer’s persona is your “dream customer,” we don’t mean some imaginary person you think would like your stuff…

Instead, think about a time when you had the easiest, smoothest sale in your career. The stars aligned, and your product or service was perfect for this person. 

That person is your dream customer. 

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s Analytics and CRM

HubSpot’s robust analytics and CRM features offer a treasure trove of customer insights. 

That way, you can see who’s already bought into your product or services, and you can create more messages specifically for those people.

 Once your potential customers become contacts, HubSpot allows you to track website visits, engagement, and more.  

That way, you can better understand your customers’ behaviors, preferences, and pain points.

 

Problem 2: Generic or Incomplete Personas

After you get a better understanding of who has already bought in, ask yourself…

Do your personas need to be more specific?

Generic personas mean generic content. And generic content can lead to missed opportunities. 

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s Segmentation Tools

HubSpot makes it easy for you to talk to specific groups of people.

HubSpot’s segmentation tools allow you to divide your audience into distinct groups based on demographics, behavior, or preferences. 

That way, you can personalize your marketing messages, ensuring they resonate with each group. 

And you can also add specific details and pain points unique to each segment, creating well-rounded personas that cater to the diversity of your audience.

 

Problem 3: Neglecting the Buyer’s Journey

Your customers are on a journey, and you are their guide. 

The buyer’s journey typically consists of three main stages:

 

Awareness Stage: In this initial stage, the buyer realizes they have a problem or a need that requires a solution. They start researching and finding possible solutions. 

And they might not be aware of specific products or services available in the market that can address their needs.

 

Consideration Stage: Once the buyer has defined their problem and potential solutions during the awareness stage, they move into the consideration stage. 

Here, they go deeper into the available options that could solve their problem. 

They compare features, benefits, pricing, and other relevant factors to narrow down their choices.

 

Decision Stage: In the final stage, the buyer is ready to make a decision and chooses a specific product or service that best fits what they need. 

They might compare different vendors or brands and consider things like pricing, customer reviews, reputation, etc. 

If your personas don’t align with their journey stages, you risk losing their interest.

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s Automation Capabilities

HubSpot’s automation capabilities are perfect for mapping content and communication to each stage of the buyer’s journey. 

That way, you can nurture leads with relevant information at the right time.

 

Problem 4: Not Addressing Pain Points

Customers are looking for solutions to their pain points, and if your personas don’t highlight these challenges, your message may fall flat.

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s Interactions Tracking and Chatbots

HubSpot’s interactions tracking allows you to understand customer pain points through their behavior and interactions. 

By analyzing this data, you gain valuable insights into what bothers your customers the most. 

Also, using HubSpot’s chatbots and feedback forms on your website opens a direct channel for real-time feedback. 

Use this information to tweak your personas, showing your customers that you understand and care about their struggles.

 

Problem 5: Disregarding Customer Feedback

Your customers are talking, but are you listening? 

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s Feedback Management

HubSpot’s feedback management tools make collecting, analyzing, and acting on customer feedback easier than ever. 

So you can quickly pay attention to their suggestions and concerns. 

That way you can incorporate their insights into your personas, showing your customers that you value their opinions and are committed to serving them better.

 

Problem 6: Ignoring Evolving Customer Needs

Change is the only constant in life, and the same applies to your customers’ needs and preferences. 

If your personas remain stagnant, you risk losing touch with your audience.

 

How to Fix It: Continuously Refine Your Personas

With HubSpot’s dynamic platform, persona refinement is a breeze. 

Keep your personas up to date by regularly gathering new data and adjusting them based on your customers’ evolving needs. 

Embrace change, and your marketing strategies will flourish.

 

Problem 7: Lack of Collaboration Among Teams

If your sales, marketing, and customer support teams aren’t on the same page, your buyer personas won’t align with reality.

 

How to Fix It: HubSpot’s All-In-One Platform

HubSpot’s unified platform fosters seamless collaboration among different teams. 

By sharing customer data and insights, teams can collectively refine and optimize the buyer personas. 

Create a collaborative environment where everyone contributes their unique perspectives and experiences to create personas that resonate with your audience.

 

And that’s it!

 

With the power of data-driven insights, robust segmentation tools, automation capabilities, and feedback management, you can create accurate, relevant, and evolving personas. 

 

Want to learn more about how to get the most out of HubSpot? Great! We’d love to help. 

 

Take this FREE HubSpot Audit to get started.