"Our target group? Between 25 and 55, digitally savvy."
Such statements seem concrete, but are completely useless. This is because people do not behave like demographic clusters.
They act according to motives, needs and hurdles.
This is exactly where personas come into play: they translate data into tangible user profiles and finally make target group decisions comprehensible.
In this article you will learn how to create personas correctly.
Table of contents
What is a persona?
One Persona is not a desired customer, but a data-based user model. It condenses qualitative and quantitative findings into a fictitious but realistic person. With clear goals, needs, behavioral patterns and hurdles. Unlike a target group, it is not about average values, but about concrete decisions in concrete situations.
Create personas: The structured process
A good persona is not created "from the gut", but from a clear, data-based process. Here is the process in five steps that build on each other.
3.1 Goal definition: What do you need the persona for?
- Before you collect data, clarify the framework conditions: What do you want to achieve with the persona? (e.g. optimizing campaigns, prioritizing product features, opening up new markets)
- Who will work with the persona? (e.g. UX team, marketing, sales)
- How detailed does it need to be? (Rough orientation or in-depth psychographic model?)
3.2 Data sources: Combining quantitative & qualitative
Quantitative data:
Numbers help to recognize patterns, but they do not explain motives.
- Web analytics & tracking (e.g. Google Analytics, Hotjar)
- CRM systems, purchase histories
- Online surveys
- Social Listening
Qualitative data:
They provide the why behind the behavior.
In-depth interviews with users/customers
- Customer service feedback & sales meetings
- User reviews & forum posts
- Shadowing, diary studies, usability tests
3.3 Clustering & segmentation: recognizing patterns
Now it's time for grouping: Find users with similar goals, frustrations or decision-making paths in your data.
- Cluster similar behavior patterns (e.g. "comparers", "impulse buyers", "doubters")
- Use tools such as affinity mapping or card sorting
- Spanning personas along relevant differences (e.g. frequency of use, decision complexity)
3.4 Profile structure: The persona gets a face
Here, the cluster becomes a tangible figure - with a narrative that makes behavior understandable.
Checklist for a complete persona profile:
- Name & photo (fictitious, but realistic)
- Demographics: age, profession, life situation
- Goals & needs (What does she want to achieve?)
- Frustrations & barriers (What is stopping them?)
- Decision logic (e.g. rational vs. emotional)
- Information behavior (e.g. channels, touchpoints)
- Quote or leitmotif
- Psychographic profile, if applicable (see next section)
3.5 Validation & iteration: real or invented?
As soon as the persona is created, you need feedback - otherwise it remains hypothetical.
- Tests with real users: Does the persona match reality?
- Comparison with new data: Does the behavior change over time?
- Coordination with teams: Do marketing, UX & sales recognize each other in the persona?
Psychology meets marketing: the depth of good personas
Many personas fail not because of the method, but because of their superficiality. If you only know age, occupation and income, you hardly understand your customers any better than before. Personas only become really useful when they make the psychological drivers behind the behavior visible.
| Dimension | Sample questions |
|---|---|
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Goals & motives
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What does the person want to achieve? What is their "why"?
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Values & attitude
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What is important to her? What does she reject?
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Purchase barriers
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What is holding her back? What doubts does she have?
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Triggers & emotions
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What triggers lead to the decision? How does she feel about it?
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Avoiding errors in thinking: Why demographics alone are not enough
Just because someone is 35 and lives in a big city doesn't mean you know how they make decisions. Two people with identical data can think, buy and use things completely differently.
❌ Typical error: Personas based on "Daniel, 42, marketing manager, married" - without context, motive structure or decision-making logic.
✅ Better: "Daniel needs certainty in his selection. He compares intensively before making a decision. Price is important to him - but trust is even more so."
Psychological models that deepen personas
Use established thought models to fill personas with substance:
- Jobs-to-be-Done: What "problem" is the person actually trying to solve?
- System 1 & 2 (Kahneman): Does the person think more intuitively or analytically?
- Regret Aversion: To what extent does fear of making the wrong decisions play a role?
- Customer decision journey: When in the process can it be particularly influenced?
Toolbox: The best tools and templates for creating personas
Whether workshops, remote teams or one-person start-ups, the right tool saves time and brings structure to the persona process. Here you will find the best tools for different purposes
| Tool | Special features | Link |
|---|---|---|
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Miro
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Interactive whiteboards, templates for personas
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HubSpot
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Simple, free persona tool with PDF export
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Canvanizer
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Fast & simple, no registration necessary
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Conclusion
Personas are far more than just beautifully designed user profiles. Used correctly, they make complex behavior tangible, bring focus to teams and help to make measurably better decisions. They replace vague target group phrases with concrete motives, barriers and expectations. The key lies in depth: those who collect real data, understand psychological patterns and continuously develop personas create a clear advantage. It's not about perfection, but about relevance. That's why it's better to start small, test, adapt and build up a step-by-step understanding of users that really works.
