Don't Target Everyone:
Focus on 2-4 primary personas
Trying to speak to everyone = speaking to no one
Better to dominate a segment than be mediocre everywhere
Use Real Names:
"Sarah the Health Pro" beats "Segment A"
Makes personas feel real to your team
Easier to remember and reference
Humanizes your audience
Validate with Data:
Start with AI-generated personas
Refine based on campaign performance
Customer surveys validate assumptions
Real behavior beats assumptions
Test Persona Assumptions:
Don't assume—test messaging
Personas are hypotheses to validate
Be willing to adjust or merge personas
Kill personas that don't perform
Update Regularly:
Review quarterly
Add learnings from campaigns
Adjust as market evolves
Keep descriptions current
Share Across Team:
Everyone should understand personas
Customer service uses for support
Product team for development
Marketing for campaigns
Sales for pitches
Avoid Stereotypes:
Use data, not assumptions
Respect your audience
Focus on motivations, not clichés
Be specific, not generic