Marketing a sports business to the people you want isn’t always easy; maybe you offer multiple sports training, serve different ages, or see various groups come to your sessions. Creating a customer persona can be immensely helpful if you’re operating a sports business and facing uncertainty about your target market. This guide will explore the importance of having a customer athlete persona, provide steps to create one, and offer some tips to use for your business.
A customer persona (also called a buyer persona, user persona, or client persona) is a character that represents your target client. Think of this “person” as your dream athlete or ideal client. What age or skill level are they? Which types of training are they looking for? What barriers are they running into when it comes to being successful?
Your persona is created based on data and research and can help you solidify your messaging. Maybe you serve mainly high school athletes or a specific sport; you may have a few different personas depending on who you serve. Reflected through your business’s current and past customers, a persona includes geographical information (age, income, number of household members), wants, barriers, and more.
Developing an athlete persona offers several advantages. It positions you toward finding the best-fit athletes for your programs, aids in identifying the specific needs of your target clientele, and aligns the messaging of your business more effectively. When you can keep a consistent image across your brand, you will attract customers who align with that message.
One way to determine your ideal customer is to notice trends in your business. Consider this example: if your middle school boys’ basketball camps consistently fill up, while high school boys’ basketball camps always have open slots, it indicates that there may be more demand and interest among middle school players. This suggests that the target audience for middle school aged kids might be more engaged. So, you may look to build an athlete persona around the aspiring middle-school-aged basketball player seeking skill development and fun experiences to get better.
Based on this scenario, let’s say you call your customer persona “Basketball Bret.” Bret is a 12-year-old male who wants to improve his basketball skills so he can play for the school team. He practices in his neighborhood and doesn’t have anyone to teach him.
By understanding your target market, you can devise strategies to attract more clients that have these characteristics, wants, and needs.
Related: How to Use Data to Better Understand your Clients
Creating a customer persona mainly requires research and data. In your case, think about which sessions or clinics always sell out, and determine which client group constitutes the majority of your business. Perhaps 6th-grade girls’ soccer sessions are the most popular; you may create an athlete persona, Soccer Susie. Additionally, you can send out surveys to gain insight into your customers’ preferences. If you want to collect more geographic data, try listing persona-related questions on your athlete registration form.
Communicate with staff members for additional perspectives on your customers. Client-facing positions like trainers or front desk staff interact with athletes often. Ask these employees if they have heard any requests or complaints. Collect information and pay attention to trends in your customers. This information will help you in the “goals” and “barriers” section of the customer persona.
Consolidate all of this information into a single document, where you can make note of things like age, skill level, goals, and barriers. Consider incorporating the following details/ answers:
In conclusion, crafting an athlete persona enables your sports business to tailor strategies and offerings to better meet the needs of your ideal customers. Understanding your ideal client, identifying your target audience, and customizing your approach can significantly enhance engagement and bring more of your dream athletes.
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