While the customer may not always be right, you still have to start with them. All too often founders start with only the product. Even worse, many brands assume customer identification is the responsibility of social media algorithms...
This is not a winning a strategy. You need to outline who your customer is, as early as possible, in detail.
That persona will likely change, over time, as you get more data or your brand/products evolve. However, you need a "North Star", especially in the early days.
Below is a good template to get you started.
This was from a brand that was creating globally-inspired spice kits, sold exclusively online, for home cooks in smaller markets with more limited access.
Name
- Pam
Background
- Stay-at-home mom
- College educated
Demographics
- Female
- Has two kids
- Mid 40’s
- $175k+ HH income
- Suburban/rural
Identifiers
- Former working professional
- Big city interests but lives in a smaller town
- Buys Annie's and Coca-cola products
Influencers
- Bon Appetit
- Home and Garden
- Food Network
- Goop
Preferred channels
- Traditional TV
Goals
- Providing unique, healthy meals to her family
- Ensuring the “trains stay on the tracks”
Challenges
- Access to high quality, interesting ingredients is limited in her small town
How we help
- Our products spice up the 10+ meals and lunches she’s making on a weekly basis
- We deliver directly to her door via Prime shipping to augment her typical weekly shopping
Marketing keywords
- Quality
- Ease/simplicity
- Adventure
Real quotes
- “Gosh. There’s nothing too exciting in our pantry being that we’re in the Ozarks”
Common objections
- “I usually like to try stuff before I buy it.”
- “Seems like a lot to spend on spices/sauces.”
