Target Smarter, Not Harder: The Full Guide to Buyer Personas

Target Smarter, Not Harder: The Full Guide to Buyer Personas

Karol Andruszków
17-06-2025
Reading time: 15 minutes
Profile of a woman visible through the viewfinder
90% of your sales can come from just 3 to 4 buyer personas - if you get them right.

Whether you're developing a product, launching a marketing campaign, or creating a website - you can’t truly serve a customer you don’t fully understand. Relying on gut instinct instead of real customer insights often leads to missed opportunities and misaligned messaging.

In this article, you’ll learn:

  1. What a buyer persona really is (and how it’s different from simple demographics).
  2. How we at BOWWE use proven frameworks to build personas that drive real results.
  3. A step-by-step method to help you create personas that inform your strategy, design, and content.

​If you want your business to attract the right audience and speak their language, this guide is your starting point. 

What is a Buyer Persona?  

A buyer persona is a detailed, semi-fictional profile of your ideal customer. But let’s be clear - this is not just about basic facts like age and job title. It’s about understanding your customer’s motivations, challenges, habits, and goals, so you can create content, products, and experiences that genuinely serve them.

At BOWWE, we base our personas on Strategyzer’s “Customer Profile Canvas”. Why? Because it's proven, strategic, and incredibly actionable. This method helps us go beyond surface data to understand:

  • What tasks customers are trying to complete (functional, social, and emotional).
  • What pains block them from reaching success.
  • What gains they’re actively pursuing.

Throughout this article, you’ll see real examples of buyer personas and get a repeatable method for creating a buyer persona that works. 

Example of Buyer Personas 

At BOWWE, our approach to creating digital products is rooted in understanding the real people behind each business. That’s why every website, landing page, or microsite template we offer is designed with a clear buyer persona in mind. These personas are based on research, behavior patterns, and common business goals across industries.

Take a look at these buyer persona examples to get a clearer idea of how to create your own. 

1. Beauty salon owner, Maria 

Buyer persona example with woman profile
General overview:
Maria is a 32-year-old beauty salon owner who built her business from the ground up. She’s an expert in hair styling and skincare, known for her high standards and personal approach. Her loyal clients trust her skills, but Maria feels overwhelmed when it comes to digital tools and marketing. Running the salon on her own leaves her little time to focus on her online presence or business growth strategies.

Customer Jobs (What she wants to achieve):
  1. Attract more high-paying, loyal clients who book regularly.
  2. Build a strong and modern brand that stands out in the local market.
  3. Simplify and automate appointment scheduling to save time and reduce errors.
  4. Promote her business online without needing to hire additional staff.


Pains (What’s getting in the way):
  1. Website builders are too complex and time-consuming.
  2. She doesn’t have technical or marketing support - she does everything herself.
  3. Her current website doesn’t appear in search results and doesn’t attract new clients.
  4. She struggles to present the quality of her services and showcase her work online.


Gains (What she’s looking for):
  1. A modern, professional-looking website that showcases her portfolio and builds trust.
  2. An easy-to-use online booking system that integrates with her calendar.
  3. A website structure that’s SEO-friendly so new clients can find her locally.
  4. The ability to update her site quickly and easily - without needing to code or hire help.


How BOWWE helps:
BOWWE offers ready-made website templates designed specifically for the beauty industry, tailored to the real needs of salon owners like Maria. The templates feature large, attractive visuals, built-in online booking tools, and SEO-optimized structure to attract new clients. Most importantly, Maria can edit and manage everything herself, with no technical skills required. 

2. Online educator, Tom 

Buyer persona example with man profile
General overview:
Tom is a 38-year-old independent educator who offers online and in-person courses in foreign languages. Passionate about teaching, he focuses on creating high-value content and building long-term relationships with his students. However, he's frustrated by the lack of professional tools to present his offer online and streamline communication with potential clients.

Customer Jobs (What he wants to achieve):
  1. Attract new students and grow a steady base of regular learners.
  2. Build a trustworthy online presence that reflects his teaching quality.
  3. Make it easy for clients to learn about his offer and sign up for lessons.
  4. Organize and showcase his courses and testimonials in a clear way.


Pains (What’s getting in the way):
  1. His current website looks outdated and unprofessional.
  2. He struggles with DIY tools and spends too much time editing small things.
  3. No clear place to display his course structure, calendar, or pricing.
  4. Loses potential students due to complicated or unclear sign-up processes.


Gains (What he’s looking for):
  1. A clean, modern website that builds credibility and trust.
  2. Clear presentation of his offer, including course topics, schedules, and prices.
  3. Integrated contact forms and booking options to convert visitors into clients.
  4. Easy-to-manage site that he can update quickly - without needing a web developer.


How BOWWE helps:
BOWWE offers templates designed for educators, tutors, and coaches, enabling Tom to build a professional online presence in just a few hours. The templates are structured to highlight course offerings, include testimonials, and make sign-ups effortless with built-in forms and contact tools. Plus, Tom can manage it all himself - no coding, no stress. 

3. Restaurant owner, Anna  

Buyer persona example with woman profile - Anna
General overview:
Anna is a 45-year-old owner of a mid-sized, family-run restaurant located in a busy city district. Her restaurant is known for its cozy atmosphere and homemade cuisine. While she excels at managing daily operations and delivering a great dining experience, she struggles to keep her digital presence aligned with her high standards.


Customer Jobs (What she wants to achieve):
  1. Attract more customers, especially during off-peak hours.
  2. Keep her restaurant’s information up-to-date online (menu, opening hours, events).
  3. Allow customers to book tables online quickly and easily.
  4. Showcase the restaurant’s ambiance and dishes visually.


Pains (What’s getting in the way):
  1. Her website is outdated and difficult to update without help.
  2. Menus are shared as PDFs or photos, which aren’t mobile- or SEO-friendly.
  3. Customers call to make reservations, leading to missed calls and double bookings.
  4. Competing restaurants have sleeker, more modern websites that rank higher in search results.


Gains (What she’s looking for):
  1. A beautiful, modern website that matches the style of her restaurant.
  2. Easy-to-update digital menu that looks great on all devices.
  3. Integrated online booking and contact forms to streamline customer interactions.
  4. Better local visibility through SEO-optimized website.


How BOWWE helps:
BOWWE offers restaurant-specific templates designed to help Anna easily showcase her brand, menu, and interior. These templates support integration with reservation tools, SEO optimization, and stunning photo galleries of her dishes and space. With intuitive drag-and-drop editing, Anna can manage and update her site anytime - without relying on a developer.

How to create buyer personas to win customers? 

Below is a step-by-step approach you can follow to build buyer personas that reflect your real audience, not just assumptions. 

1. Find out as much as you can about your personas  

The first step is buyer persona research. The more you understand your audience, the more accurate and useful your personas will be. Start by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data to build a full picture of who your ideal customer is.

Here’s what to look for: 

a) Demographic  

*You don’t need to include all of this information - just choose the details that are relevant to your persona and the purpose for creating it.

  • Age range
  • Gender
  • Education level
  • Job title / Role
  • Industry or business type
  • Income level
  • Location (urban, rural, local, international) 

b) Psychographics 

*You don’t need to include all of this information - just choose the details that are relevant to your persona and the purpose for creating it.

  • Values and beliefs
  • Interests and hobbies
  • Pain points or frustrations
  • Fears and objections
  • Lifestyle and behavior patterns
  • Role in decision-making (Are they the final buyer or an influencer?) 

c) Buying motivations & goals 

*You don’t need to include all of this information - just choose the details that are relevant to your persona and the purpose for creating it.

  • What problems are they trying to solve?
  • What goals are they trying to achieve (personally or professionally)?
  • What triggers a buying decision?
  • What makes them not buy? 

d) Preferred communication channels 

  • Social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)
  • Email newsletters
  • Google Search
  • YouTube / video content
  • In-person referrals or events
⚡Growth Hack: 

Where do you get all this information? Here are some ideas:

  1. Interview your current clients or top users
  2. Analyze website and social media analytics
  3. Use forms or surveys on your website
  4. Read online reviews of competitors
  5. Join forums or communities where your audience hangs out
  6. Talk to your sales or customer service team - they often know the audience best

2. Create buyer personas per template  

Once you’ve gathered the right data, it’s time to bring your personas to life using a structured template.

Your buyer persona template should include the most relevant insights, tailored to your industry or product. Here’s what to include:

  • Name and photo/avatar – Make the persona feel real and relatable.
  • Job title/role and business context – Describe their position and environment.
  • Demographics – Age, gender, location, education, etc.
  • Background – Brief history, experience level, or daily life.
  • Customer jobs – What tasks are they trying to perform in their work or life?
  • Pain points – Specific problems, frustrations, or risks they experience.
  • Gains (desired outcomes) – What results do they expect or wish for?
  • Buying motivations – What drives their decision to choose you over others?
  • Objections – What could stop them from buying?
  • Preferred communication channels – Where and how they prefer to engage (e.g., email, social media, search engines).
⚡Growth Hack: 
You don’t need to include every detail above - only the ones most relevant to your specific product or service. The goal is depth over quantity, and to uncover what really matters to your customers.

3. Verification of created person 

Once your personas are ready, the next step is to validate them with actual data. Use your personas in marketing campaigns, landing pages, email flows, and content strategies. Then ask yourself:

  • Are we attracting the right type of customer?
  • Are conversions increasing?
  • Is the messaging resonating?
  • Are users behaving as expected? 
⚡Growth Hack: 
Look at the performance of different campaigns tailored to specific personas. If you notice certain personas aren’t responding well, revisit the data. Maybe their motivations have shifted, or their problems are different than what you initially assumed. 

How to use Buyer Personas in your industry? 

Once your buyer personas are ready, they become powerful tools for aligning your marketing, sales, and product efforts around what really matters to your customers.

Here’s how to use them effectively: 

1. Personalize communication 

Tailor your messaging to match your personas’ pain points, goals, and preferences - across emails, ads, and your website. 

2. Guide content creation 

Focus on topics, formats, and channels your personas care about most to increase engagement and relevance. 

3. Inform product decisions 

Use insights from personas to prioritize features and solve real customer problems. 

4. Improve customer experience 

Design smoother journeys by addressing how each persona prefers to interact and make decisions. 

5. Support sales strategy 

Give sales teams clear profiles to better handle objections and connect with leads. 

6. Unify your teams 

Personas serve as a shared reference across departments, keeping everyone focused on customer needs. 

How to create Buyer Persona – summary 

Creating buyer personas is a vital step for understanding and connecting with your audience. Here’s a quick recap of the process: 
Infographics with 4 steps for creating a buyer persona
Investing time in creating accurate buyer personas helps you focus your marketing efforts, speak directly to your customers’ needs, and ultimately grow your business more efficiently.  

Buyer Personas – FAQ 

Article by
Karol Andruszków

Karol is a serial entrepreneur, e-commerce speaker among others, for the World Bank, and founder of 3 startups, as part of which he has advised several hundred companies. He was also responsible for projects of the largest financial institutions in Europe, with the smallest project being worth over €50 million.

 

He has two master's degrees, one in Computer Science and the other in Marketing Management, obtained during his studies in Poland and Portugal. He gained experience in Silicon Valley and while running companies in many countries, including Poland, Portugal, the United States, and Great Britain. For over ten years, he has been helping startups, financial institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their functioning through digitization.

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