A target audience tells you who, while a buyer persona tells you why and how they buy.
Creative content writer with a knack for storytelling that connects. Wielder of wit, turning “meh” into magic daily.
“We know our audience: business owners in Chicago.”
That’s a start. But if that’s all you know, you’re marketing with a flashlight when you should use a spotlight.
According to Hubspot research, most brands lack crucial information about their target audience.
Many B2B businesses can’t differentiate between target audience and buyer persona, treating them as interchangeable terms. They are not. Knowing the difference could be the missing key to crafting stronger messaging across your funnel and running successful campaigns.
A target audience is a specific group of people most likely to be interested in and benefit from your product, service, or message. It consists of general demographics like industry, location, company size, and job title.
Example: Brand managers in Fintech companies across Canada and the US.
Buyer Persona, on the other hand, is a detailed profile of your ideal client persona based on audience and market research. Here, we take note of the motivation, challenges, goals, and buying habits.
Example: “Shantel, 36, a Marketing Director at an FMCG in Toronto, struggles with lead generation, hates repetitive processes, and prefers working with creatives who understand her brand voice.”
A target audience tells you who, while a buyer persona tells you why and how they buy.
Having a detailed buyer persona makes it easy when creating a target audience for your Instagram, Facebook, or search ads.
Here are 4 steps to create an ideal buyer persona for your B2B business;
Research is the backbone of any buyer persona.
- Demography: Age, gender, education level, income, location, etc.
- Behavioral: Buying behavior, brand loyalty, online habits, and communication preferences. This helps you understand how your persona interacts with businesses like yours.
- Psychographics: includes values, lifestyle, interests, and beliefs. What do they care about? What do they avoid?
- Goals: What are they trying to accomplish in their business? How can your product or service support that mission?
- Pain Points & Challenges: What are their pain points? What problems are they facing that your service solves?
- Professional Context: Job title, responsibilities, tools used, company size. This is especially useful for B2B brands.
You can organize your research into two key categories:
- Existing Customers: This is your most reliable source of information. Survey your clients, review testimonials, and talk to customer-facing teams like sales or support.
- Everyone Else (Prospects & Competitors): Use LinkedIn profiles, competitor reviews, Interviews, or forums to understand trends.
Speak directly to a few real people, loyal customers, recent leads, or even those who chose a competitor. Ask questions like:
- What problem were you trying to solve when you found us?
- What alternatives did you consider?
- What mattered most when making your decision?
You only need about 5–7 interviews.
Put your complete audience profile into a clear, organized document. Give your persona a name, role, and backstory.
Example: “Tech-Savvy Tina”
- Job: COO at a mid-sized fintech startup
- Goals: Improve operational efficiency and automate workflows
- Challenges: Overloaded teams, software fatigue, tight budgets
- Preferred Content: Data-driven whitepapers, short LinkedIn videos
You can structure this easily using tools like HubSpot’s free persona template.
Create a Negative Persona
A negative persona, also known as an Exclusionary Persona, is a representation of the types of leads you don’t want. Identify and exclude leads unlikely to convert; people engaging only for knowledge, or those who can’t afford your service.
Still confused about how to build a persona? Contact us today.
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