As every savvy marketer knows, using buyer personas is a time-honored technique that helps ensure messaging stays focused on the customer — nearly 60 percent of B2B marketers currently use them. The problem is that the results are mixed. Only a little more than a third of those marketers describe personas as being “very” or “extremely” effective, and 16 percent say they are “not at all” or “not very” effective. 

So why aren’t these marketers having better luck with what should be a surefire tactic?

The truth is that no matter how hard you work to market your product, you’re not going to see success selling to the wrong persona. You wouldn’t target young professional men when the customers who really want what you’re offering are middle-aged moms. You probably can’t sell baby strollers to singles, for example. No matter how powerful your message or your medium, you won’t be able to break through without directing the right message to the right segment of your market. 

But what’s the most important part of the formula?

 

Read Jonathan’s full article on Smart Insights.