We are increasingly aware of how customers are looking to get the best price for the best product, but how can us online marketers ensure that we reach these potential purchasers and get under the skin of what really motivates their buying habits?

We need to go back to basics and forget about the traditional demographics which have influenced marketing campaigns for years. Of course age, sex, income and marital status are important but what you really need to think about is who are your target customers, what influences their spending decisions and which sites do they visit during their spending journey?

Its time to get personal and the answer lies in creating personas…

Personas are fictional characters. They take on identities and represent your customers by their buying trends and search habits. The persona will put a human face to data and create something that can seem real and familiar. Ideal online customers are no longer just ABC1’s, they are individuals sat in front of their computer, researching their next purchase.

Using personas can ensure the right message is getting to the right people, in the right way and at the right time. Customers will respond better to information aimed at them, as it will be relevant and importantly appear where they want to find it.

Take for example Grandparents who want treat their two young Grandchildren to a holiday in Orlando. They want to know where is best to stay, how to get to Disney, what the weather will be like, which hotel has the best facilities and how much it will cost. They are restricted to travelling during the school holidays so will book early and are keen to benefit from free child place offers. The “Generous Granny” persona is born!

“Generous Granny” will consult travel companies for prices, ‘silver surfers’ forums for advice, their daily newspaper’s website for recommendations and the Disney site for information. In this journey they will look at weather forecasts, flight times, theme park reviews and be looking for value for money.

Suddenly this potential customer has an identity, they are at home researching their holiday and in a few clicks gathering relevant information to influence their decision. The online PR and search campaigns must engage with this persona by targeting sites relevant to them. Rather then talk to the masses, the campaign talks to them as individuals.

So forget about those traditional demographics, the future lies in getting personal with your customers, realising what motivates them and following them along their buying journey. Remember you can’t talk to everyone at the same time!