Case Study: 2015-2016
Background
In the ever-evolving landscape of business, understanding your customers is paramount to success. Whether you’re a fledgling startup or an established enterprise, deploying personas within your organization can be a game-changer, facilitating better alignment, personalized engagement, and ultimately, increased revenue.
BrightEdge found itself at a pivotal juncture in 2015, transitioning from early adopters to the early majority. This expansion brought forth a diverse array of customers and users, necessitating a strategic approach to product development, sales, marketing, and customer success. Drawing inspiration from Geoffrey A. Moore’s work “Crossing the Chasm,” I led BrightEdge on a journey to harness the power of personas, reshaping the organizational framework and amplifying the business impact.
My Approach
- Research and Persona Definition
- Classification and Implementation
- Driving Adoption in the Organization
- Conclusion and Takeaways
1. Research and Persona Definition
As the driving force behind our persona initiative, I spearheaded comprehensive user research through interviews and surveys to glean insights into our current users and customers. Collaborating closely with marketing and sales, we conducted a thorough market analysis to understand our customer base and identify growth areas. I then led the effort to synthesize these findings and crafted six personas, collaborating with executives and departmental heads to validate and iterate upon these creations.
[Add the 6 persona posters]
2. Classification and Implementation
To ensure widespread availability, I devised a strategy to classify and integrate personas seamlessly across the organization. Firstly, I led the team in deploying machine learning on user attributes and other relevant information to generate persona models. Secondly, I spearheaded a cross-functional effort to build integrations and propagate persona information across various platforms such as user databases, Salesforce, Eloqua (email marketing), Google Analytics, Pendo (product analytics), and Hotjar (user research), empowering teams to tailor their approaches and drive targeted engagement.
[add the system design flowchart]
3. Driving Adoption in the Organization
Incorporating personas into the organization wasn’t just about segmentation—it was about understanding users/customers on a deeper level and tailoring the approach accordingly. So, I led efforts to align Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Support teams around the personas, facilitating operational efficiency and consistency. I evangelized their usage in day-to-day operations by providing a broad set of do’s, don’ts, and creative collateral, equipping teams with the tools needed to optimize their impact and drive tangible results.
4. Conclusion and Takeaways
While many design teams use personas, they often remain within design and product teams with minimal overall impact outside these areas. Making personas widely accessible and driving their adoption within your organization isn’t just a strategic move—it’s a transformative journey with the potential to unlock unprecedented opportunities.
BrightEdge’s experience demonstrates the significant benefits of persona adoption across all operational aspects:
- Product Design: Increased adoption and stickiness, leading to higher retention and revenue growth by catering to new use cases.
- Marketing: Enhanced email click-through rates and campaign effectiveness through personalized content and targeted marketing materials.
- Customer Success: Persona-based playbooks result in better outcomes for clients, translating into higher customer satisfaction.
- Sales: Targeted sales pitches drive higher closing rates and open doors to new revenue streams through innovative product offerings.
Key takeaways for effective persona deployment include:
- Alignment and Consistency: Personas ensure alignment across departments, fostering consistency within teams and promoting a unified approach to customer engagement.
- Content Strategy: Crafting comprehensive content tailored to the buyer’s journey is essential, with personas serving as the foundational step in delivering impactful messaging.
- Lead Generation: Incorporating personas into your content strategy can significantly boost leads and opportunities, driving tangible results and fostering sustainable growth.
In conclusion, by embracing personas and integrating them into your organizational fabric, you revolutionize your approach to customer engagement and drive unparalleled success in today’s dynamic market landscape.