Marketing Topic of the Week:
“What is a Customer Persona?”
Have you ever felt like you're shouting into the void with your marketing efforts? You post regularly, maybe even run Meta ads or boost posts, but it feels like your messaging never lands. The problem could be that you're casting too wide a net, trying to appeal to too many people at once. To make your marketing more effective, you need to narrow your focus. How? By using customer personas.
Think of customer personas as representations of the different types of people who buy your art. Rather than viewing your customer base as a single, broad group, break it down into distinct buyer categories. For example, a landscape painter might attract three main types of buyers: serious art collectors, interior decorators, and young professionals. Each of these groups represents a unique persona with its own needs, desires, concerns, and preferences. Since each persona is different, each one requires a tailored marketing approach.
Here’s an example of how a customer persona can help you develop a more personalized marketing strategy:
Customer Persona: The Young Professional
Demographics: Female, 20s
Goals: Make a smooth transition into adulthood, establish a career, become independent, achieve financial stability
Where they spend their time: At work, on social media, gathering with friends for nights out/coffee, going to farmers markets
Challenges: Limited spending money, not familiar with the art industry, learning to be independent
Now, how might you use this info to craft a targeted marketing strategy?
This group spends a lot of time on social media, Instagram and TikTok would be the best places to reach them.
Since they are typically on a budget, this is a good demographic to sell prints to as opposed to original artwork.
Members of this group are usually living on their own for the first time. Messaging they would likely resonate with might focus on using art to cultivate a living space that’s a reflection of yourself or expressing yourself through your home decor.
This demographic often prefers to make purchases online rather than in person. When marketing to this group, make sure the transaction process is as simple as possible. If they have to get in touch with you in order to purchase, there’s a likelihood they won’t. If you want to reach them in person, you can often find this group at craft fairs or farmers markets.
Now It’s Your Turn
What are your customer personas? Use the PDF below to map out all the characteristics of each persona. Then use these characteristics to plan how you can target these customers with an approach that is specific to their behaviors, wants, and needs.