Personas are powerful tools in b2b marketing, so this article takes a look in depth at how to conduct B2B buyer persona research to create meaningful personas for your brand.
Your starting point for creating personas should always be to partner with a market research agency like Acumen, who are skilled at the research methods used to create the right personas from the onset.
To find out more about B2B buyer persona research with Acumen, call 0161 234 9940 or use the CONTACT form our website.
Personas are fictional characters that represent the different types of buyers who might purchase a service or product in a similar way.
B2B buyer persona creation nearly always focuses on the key decision maker or main buyer of your service or product.
Personas are a powerful way of bringing your existing and potential customers to life. Here is a breakdown of some of the key benefits of using B2B buyer personas.
Here are some of the points to consider when you embark on research to create B2B buyer personas:
Demographics
One of the first things to establish is demographics such as age, job title, and whether they are a senior or junior decision maker.
Preferred suppliers
Next, you need to find out what they’re looking for in a supplier? Is it price, location or customer service? What brands are they already using?
Buyers’ goals and aims
What things are important to them in their suppliers? What do they need to meet their goals and needs?
Pain points
How do they interact with the supplier, and are the areas where their supplier is falling short for them?
Some of the points above can be fleshed out with background research, using secondary research methods.
Background and secondary market research
For example, you can find out which suppliers are already being used by buyers and learn more about those suppliers through their websites or trade publications (this is an example of secondary market research).
Quantitative market research
Quantitative research, which tends to deal with data and figures, can help you with the demographics of your personas, such as age and job title. Surveys and questionnaires are examples of data collection methods for quantitative research.
Qualitative market research
To find out buyers’ pain points with suppliers, and what they’re hoping to achieve in their job when they choose certain products or services, you’ll need to rely on qualitative research.
This allows respondents to give opinions and express their emotional responses to a product or experience. Popular qualitative research methods include interviews, focus groups, stakeholder events and online communities.
Acumen has an unrivalled depth of experience in qualitative and quantitative market research – both key methodologies for gathering the data for B2B buyer personas.
Expert b2b team
Our specialist b2b and social team understand the specific needs and criteria of B2B market research. We establish ongoing relationships with clients, working closely with you throughout the process to deliver B2B personas that can change the game for your business.
Our B2B research team has more than 15 years collective experience in fieldwork and market research between them, and know how to find hard-to-reach participants for b2b studies.
Extensive reach
Acumen has a database of more than 150,000 research participants, and extensive social media reach. We operate internationally and have won industry awards for our face-to-face data gathering. Our bespoke Acumonitor system screens participants to ensure they match the client’s criteria.
Conducting B2B buyer persona research calls for a skilful blend of qualitative and quantitative research methods. We have all the know-how and resources at our fingertips to provide a clear understanding of the people making the decisions that matter to your business..
Acumen and its team of B2B research specialists have won industry awards for their outstanding fieldwork and data gathering. We’ll bring this same high level of expertise to your B2B personas project, with outstanding results.
Understanding the people who have influence over choosing your product or service above a rival’s can be the one thing that makes your business succeed and flourish.
Personas bring these people to life, make them easier to understand and help your staff relate to them. They are a powerful tool for leaders, marketeers, sales teams and customer support staff.
Trust the experts at Acumen to conduct b2b buyer persona research that will help you connect to buyers of brands like yours, and meet their needs as never before.
Please get in touch with us for a quote for your B2B buyer personas, or to find out more about the work that our B2B research team does.
Call us on 0161 234 9940 or use the contact form on our website below. We look forward to working with you and helping you meet all your B2B market research goals.
