How to Gather B2C Buyer Persona Data...?

[GimpSpack]

Hey, I realize this question is a bit heavier than the typical "Newbie" type shit.

But it's a very important question.

So, lately, I've been obsessed with market research. Maybe it's because my latest marketing venture is failing due to my absolute ignorance of actual marketing. Regardless, I was inspired by CCarter's infamous Market Research thread to take another shot at my favored niche.

I now know what segment to target in my niche. This is huge.

I've also gone to oDesk and I'm outsourcing further competitive analysis (I ain't got time for dat).

But now I need guidance on Buyer Personas. I found a wealth on information on both B2B (Biz to Biz) and B2C (Biz to Consumer) Buyer Personas.

Now my question:

How do you go about gathering information for a B2C buyer persona, especially in a market you aren't already established in? Most guides tell me to survey current customers to create buyer personas, but I don't have customers.

So here's an enhanced version of of my last question:

How do you create a buyer persona if you're still in product development stage? Where do you go to collect data? Forum research?

I could scour relevant forums and scrape information from random members, but I feel I need to go deeper.

Any ideas, examples, or help would be appreciated.

Thanks! :bowdown:

 

[c4yrslf12]

Hey, I realize this question is a bit heavier than the typical "Newbie" type shit.

But it's a very important question.

So, lately, I've been obsessed with market research. Maybe it's because my latest marketing venture is failing due to my absolute ignorance of actual marketing. Regardless, I was inspired by CCarter's infamous Market Research thread to take another shot at my favored niche.

I now know what segment to target in my niche. This is huge.

I've also gone to oDesk and I'm outsourcing further competitive analysis (I ain't got time for dat).

But now I need guidance on Buyer Personas. I found a wealth on information on both B2B (Biz to Biz) and B2C (Biz to Consumer) Buyer Personas.

Now my question:

How do you go about gathering information for a B2C buyer persona, especially in a market you aren't already established in? Most guides tell me to survey current customers to create buyer personas, but I don't have customers.
Establish yourself, create a customer, ask questions. Rinse and repeat.

So here's an enhanced version of of my last question:

How do you create a buyer persona if you're still in product development stage? Where do you go to collect data? Forum research?
So you're developing a product and don't know your consumer??

I could scour relevant forums and scrape information from random members, but I feel I need to go deeper.

Any ideas, examples, or help would be appreciated.

Thanks! :bowdown:

Gather your own data. Only you know your end consumer. Ask yourself all the questions you would ask a consumer. Start there. Test it. Change a few things. Test again. Change again. Test again.

Rinse and repeat.

Even if someone could give you all the data you needed, what are you looking to get out of it?

Begin with the end in mind, friend.

 

[GimpSpack]

For sure, thank you for the words.

I'm figuring things out on my own right now. I just got stressed out with information overload and impulse-posted this.

I'll post resources for newbs that I find along the way.................

 

[BabyGotBacklink]

Is this a brand new product completely different from anything else on the market? Odds are you have some competition or at least similar products even if the features/specific vary some. Start with those, read consumer reviews and find where those products are being discussed across the web... stalk those people online to gather data.

Are you trying to find a market for a product or trying to build a product for a market?

 

[c4yrslf12]

Is this a brand new product completely different from anything else on the market? Odds are you have some competition or at least similar products even if the features/specific vary some. Start with those, read consumer reviews and find where those products are being discussed across the web... stalk those people online to gather data.

This^

 

[GimpSpack]

Is this a brand new product completely different from anything else on the market? Odds are you have some competition or at least similar products even if the features/specific vary some. Start with those, read consumer reviews and find where those products are being discussed across the web... stalk those people online to gather data.

Are you trying to find a market for a product or trying to build a product for a market?

I'm thinking about trying to build a product for a specific market. It won't be revolutionary, but I will attempt to improve upon the concepts of existing products and add my own twists. I don't want to rely on 100% affiliate commissions anymore. I want CONTROL lulz.

The competition in this specific market is relatively small, and I can learn a lot from the 2-3 biggest players.

So I think I'm going to start with finding the biggest criticisms and negative reviews of the existing products and brainstorm ways of finding solutions to them. Basically find weak spots...

Thanks for the feedback, BGB!

Stalker Mode: Activated.