How to create a customer profile: a guide
Unlock deeper customer insights to refine your strategy and make your business stand out.
In content marketing and strategy, knowing the ideal customer for your business is key to creating content that resonates, products that solve real problems and delivering messages that engage with your audience. A detailed customer profile enables these informed decisions - here’s how to build one.
Customer pains and triggers
Identifying the pain points and triggers that drive customer decisions helps position your offerings as the best solution. Use frustrations as motivation to target issues; create content that answers and acknowledges your customers’ pain points.
How to analyse:
Conduct customer interviews and surveys to uncover frustrations and challenges.
Analyse pre-existing customer support queries, complaints and reviews.
Observe discussions on industry forums and social media.
Examine your competitors’ following and demographics.
Desired benefits from the customer’s perspective
Knowing what customers hope to gain from a business allows you to highlight the most relevant benefits. Align your offerings to ensure that the value you provide resonates with your customers’ needs.
How to analyse:
Identify the outcomes customers seek: is it to lead, to communicate or to meet compliance requirements?
Review testimonials and case studies of competitors to see what users value most.
Conduct competitor research to understand if any needs are unmet. Understand what the gap you fill is.
Perceived barriers to purchase
Customers might be hesitant - identify and address the barriers that might be behind this and create clear messaging in response.
How to analyse:
Review objections raised in customer feedback.
Use website analytics where possible to pinpoint where customers drop off in the journey to purchasing.
Identify common concerns in competitor reviews or industry forums.
Comparison factors based on competitors
Customers often evaluate multiple options before making a decision. Understanding how your competitors compare to your business helps you to position yourself as the best choice.
How to analyse:
Conduct competitor research to identify key differentiators - check out last week’s guide to find out more on this.
Analyse features, social presence and customer experiences.
Through creating a customer profile, you’ll understand what drives purchasing decisions, using these insights to craft compelling propositions, addressing objections effectively and aligning with customer needs. This profile can be updated continually, maintaining relevance and a competitive edge in your industry.