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How to Build Subscriber Personas

Creating personas is easy and fun. As an email marketer, you already have an intimate connection with your subscribers and you have access to personal information, such as product preferences, past and current needs, and purchase history, as well as all of the profiling data captured during the opt-in process and over the course of the relationship. You don't have to rely on generic market segments or spend time on focus groups to paint a picture of your typical subscribers, because you already have the data you need to create your personas. Creating your personas doesn't have to be a mathematical exercise of averages. In fact, you don't want to create an "average" user. Your goal should be to create four to 10 personas that represent different types of customers. That way, you can create email messages that speak to each persona in a way that resonates with that group.

Start with a brainstorming session to create a description of your ideal customers. Get as detailed as possible and think about:

• Who each persona is - come up with a name and picture for each persona, along with hobbies, life styles, attitudes, careers, levels of success, etc.
• What will influence their decisions - messaging, offers, calls-to-action, subject lines, hero shots, font treatments, etc.
• Where they will be when they read your message - are they at work and distracted, are they at home late at night and they're tired, etc.
• When the best time is to reach each persona - daily, weekly, bi-monthly, week days or weekends, mornings or afternoons, etc.
• Why they subscribed to your email list - are they looking for discounts on your products, do they need information for their industry blog, etc.
• How they feel about the brand - are they engaged or inactive, do they make frequent purchases, etc.
• How each persona is likely to react to your message - will it influence them to take action immediately or will they file it for future reference, etc.

For example, an online travel agent trying to sell staterooms on an upcoming five-night cruise to the Bahamas might develop the following personas:

Davis Buffington

• 53 years old
• Self-made millionaire
• Invented a surgical tyndaller that wedges open damaged tissues in the brain
• Very intelligent
• Great sense of humor
• Travels all over the world to medical conferences, usually as the keynote speaker and VIP
• Likes deep sea fishing and playing golf
• Ran marathons when he was younger - now he takes a leisurely stroll after dinner every night
• Takes his wife Margot, 52, with him when he travels - married 35 years
• Likes the finer things in life - travels first class, eats at the finest restaurants, etc.
• Has two children, Davis Buffington II, 24, and Bianca, 19
• His main residence is a mansion in Denver, CO, and he owns a condo in San Diego
• He is very particular, very hands on, and very detailed oriented
• He books his own vacation, planning every detail himself - wants everything to be done to his high expectations
• Night person - usually stays up until 2 or 3 in the morning and sleeps until 9 am
• Loves to surprise Margot with lavish vacations each year on their anniversary
• Excited by exclusivity - money isn't an issue so he likes to book unique, private, and distinctive vacations
• Trusts your organization - he has booked several vacations with your organization, and he and Margot have enjoyed the trips
• Getting ready to retire
• Wants to sail around the world

Elizabeth Thompson

• 33 years old
• Litigation associate at a law firm
• Her husband Collin, 38, is a dentist, and works less than 40 hours a week
• Has been married for four years
• No children yet - wants to make partner first
• Elizabeth and Collin's combined income is over $250,000
• She works over 70 hours a week
• Likes to cook and play tennis on the weekends when she's not working
• She used to teach a spin class but now she's too busy
• She has a lot of stress at her job
• Purchased a townhouse in Buckhead last year
• She checks her personal email every night before going to bed around 11:00
• She is very focused at her job but not in her personal life
• She is quick to make decisions
• She is impulsive
• Her last vacation was her honeymoon
• She reads your emails and is interested in taking a cruise but hasn't booked one yet
• Her husband takes care of most of the household chores, pays the bills, etc.
• Feels like she's in a rut - wants to get away for a romantic vacation
• Feels older than 33 - wants to feel young again

Jennifer Morgan

• 37 years old
• Homemaker
• Used to be the office manager for a small chiropractic practice, but she stays home with her kids now
• Has three kids - Chad, 8, Mike, 6, and Danielle, 3
• Her husband Steve, 37, is a software developer
• The annual family income is $80,000
• Lives in the house Steve's grandfather built in Cleveland, OH
• Extremely organized
• Loves animals - has two dogs and a cat
• Very active in community - organizes neighborhood events, volunteers at kids' school and sports teams, etc.
• Likes to go bike riding with the kids
• Tech savvy - has an iPhone, which she uses to check email, post updates to Facebook and Twitter, keep her family's schedules, etc.
• Rarely uses her computer anymore
• Very detailed oriented and controlling
• Needs to plan everything weeks in advance
• Runs her household like clockwork
• Money conscious and economical
• Tries not to pass up a good deal
• Plans a family vacation to a warm climate every Christmas
• Has booked trips with your agency before, but it has been a few years

Edward Michaels

• 68 years old
• Retired college professor
• Taught English lit at the University of Rochester
• Wife Mary, 65, is a retired third grade teacher
• Two children - Louise, 39, and Stacey, 37
• Five grandkids
• Lives in upstate New York May-September
• Lives in a townhouse in Fort Lauderdale October-April
• Wine enthusiast
• Likes to listen to acoustic piano and guitar music
• Taking a Latin dance class with Mary
• Not very technical - uses his computer every day but mostly for checking email and playing solitaire
• Health conscious - watches his diet and exercises daily
• Impatient
• Somewhat forgetful at times
• Earned a comfortable living and has a nice retirement nest egg, but needs to watch expenses carefully
• He and Mary take an annual trip to Las Vegas for a long weekend every Feb.
• Likes to sightsee - they try to go somewhere new every year and immerse themselves in the culture
• Has booked other trips with your agency but has never been on a cruise
• Speaks French fluently