You love your website but does your customer avatar?

Who is Jodi Greenburg? Jodi is a 46 year old accountant from Bethesda, she is a part of a small jodi-greenburgpractice (her and one other partner). She has three children ranging from 8 to 13. Jodi uses a lot of technology for her business but is fundamentally fearful of web technology. It scares her that she isn’t keeping up, or that she might mess something up and accidently decimate her website.

Want to know a secret about Jodi? She doesn’t exist. (Ok, a quick Google search suggests that maybe other Jodi Greenburg exists but this one is a fictional character.) Jodi is the “customer avatar” for Spring Insight.

A customer avatar (or persona marketing) is a fictional epresentation of an organization’s ideal client. Lots of companies talk about knowing their ideal customer. Creating a customer avatar is taking that knowledge a step further. I have animated Jodi. I have given her a name and an identity. I have figured out what she reads (she just finished 50 Shades of Gray but won’t tell you that if you asked), what she eats (sushi and dark chocolate), what she fears and what brings her joy. I have written from her perspective about her mission. Fundamentally, I have tried to figure out what makes Jodi tick.

Why is this worth while? Ever start to think of a new program, new website change and wonder whether it would be something your customers would like? That becomes a much easier task when you know them as you know your customer avatar. When I find myself confused about a way forward on a item I am working on, I frequently find myself summoning my inner Jodi Greenburg. She never fails to point me in a direction. By knowing her needs, I can answer them. When I talk to my customers about creating a customer avatar for their business, a frequent concern I get is that the practice is limiting. I don’t only want to work with Bethesda based female accountants in their forties! The thing is, you don’t have to.

Of all the clients Spring Insight has worked with since starting in business, only one client shares more than a one or two attribute with Jodi (and she isn’t an accountant). But, the practice of writing for one person, one person I know well and who’s fears and dreams I understand, makes my writing for everyone better. It is more accessible and reachable. Jodi (and therefore you) get it.

So, who is your customer avatar? Want to talk about how this would work for your business Respond below or drop me an email.