Creating Buyer Personas, Understanding Your Target Market

Imagine driving through Muthurwa Market at rush hour… blindfolded! There’s a slim chance that you eventually reach your destination, but you’d have left a trail of too many avoidable and costly incidents. That’s what it feels like when you run a business without knowing your target market.

Here’s another scenario: you’re in Muthurwa, looking to meet someone specific, but you have no idea how they look or what clothes they have on. You’ve never met them in person. How do you, in such a busy place, find that person? That’s how every business owner feels when they don’t have a buyer persona.

The digital marketplace has a lot in common with the Muthurwa Market analogy: there’s plenty of opportunity, but also lots of noise. Therefore, success as a B2B entrepreneur depends on how well you filter out this noise to reach the right audience.

A buyer persona is a fictional profile of who your ideal customer is. Think about it like an imaginary friend who has all the most important traits of your broad audience. You’re condensing all your market research into one person and choosing to relate with that person. But while this persona is fictional, its impact isn’t: it will become the reason you have predictable outcomes when reaching out to potential or active customers.

No two customers are the same, but they often have several things in common, from their personalities to their goals and financial statuses.

If you walked into a room with three different potential customers and pitched the same thing to them all, you would likely not get the same value out of everyone. Customer A may not need your products right away. Customer B is probably an observer who may never buy your goods but will refer people to you. While Customer C may be the only one ready to make an instant purchase. The question is: can you tell the difference when you meet them?

Creating buyer personas offers numerous benefits for Kenyan B2B businesses. The first is that it helps you reach and convert your customers faster. Buyer personas also provide invaluable insights into the challenges and priorities of your ideal customers. These insights will enable you to improve your products and services for them. This way, you earn their loyalty.

To get started, follow this step-by-step guide to creating buyer personas for your B2B business:

Data Collection:

This is always the first step in any business analysis. In creating a buyer persona, begin by collecting both quantitative and qualitative data about your existing customers and target market in Kenya. This can include demographic information, purchasing patterns, communication preferences, and pain points uncovered through surveys, interviews, and customer feedback. They should be thorough. Basics information including industry, company size, job title, age, and location, are covered under the demographic information section. It creates the framework for interpreting the setting and career history of the persona. 

The psychological details comprise the persona's objectives, difficulties, anxieties, and morals. It is critical to comprehend their motivations, obstacles, and priorities when it comes to collaborations and solutions, while the behavioural attributes examine the persona's interactions with your brand and other brands, as well as their preferred means of communication.

The decision-making attributes examine the persona's involvement in the purchasing decision, their main motivators, and any obstacles they may encounter. These components make up a thorough data collection. 

Identify Key Decision-Makers And Their Business Objective:

Within the B2B landscape in Kenya, it is essential to understand the various roles and responsibilities of the key stakeholders, such as executives, managers, and influencers involved in the purchasing process. Be sure to understand the goals of the company or individual. Outline them in detail, and align your product with the potential buyer’s business culture and objectives. 

Crafting Detailed Profiles:

This is the fun part of the process. It involves you thinking as your target customer would, using the data you have gathered. In this case, how would your Kenyan B2B business react? These profiles should include details such as job title, industry, company size, goals, challenges, decision-making criteria, and preferred communication channels. You should also consider giving each persona a name and a visual representation to make them more memorable and relatable.

Let us go over an example:

Meet Wanjiku Njeri, CEO of Green Farms Ltd. Wanjiku is the CEO of Green Farms Ltd., a rapidly growing agribusiness located in rural Kenya.

The company employs 50 people and focuses on sustainable farming practices.

Her main goal is to expand her business and reach new markets.

She constantly seeks innovative agricultural technologies and financing solutions to support her farm's growth.

Limited access to reliable internet connectivity in her rural location poses a challenge.

Wanjiku relies on industry conferences, agricultural extension officers, and local farmer associations for information and networking.

While she's becoming more comfortable with technology, she still prefers face-to-face communication.

Sustainability is a core value for Wanjiku's business. She prioritises partnering with companies that share her commitment to environmentally friendly practices and empowering local communities.

In a nutshell: From this profile, the team can decide to include marketing and sales plans in Wanjiku, as it helps with effective brainstorming and team bonding. 

Alongside the development of buyer personas, it is crucial to understand the broader Kenyan B2B target market. Conduct industry research, analyse competitors, and estimate the market size of your industry to gain a more comprehensive understanding. 

With this approach, you can now tailor your marketing and sales strategies for maximum impact on leads, like Wanjiku, which will speak directly to their needs and preferences.

Wrapping it up: By understanding your ideal Kenyan B2B customer through buyer personas, you will be adequately prepared to navigate the marketplace and succeed long-term. Rooting for you and your business. Do remember that with the economic conditions in Kenya, the creation of buyer personas does not end as the needs of the market are ever-changing.