The other day, I contributed to a LinkedIn thread for B2B Sales and Marketing that really got me thinking. The topic was, “You’re juggling multiple B2B buyer personas. How do you craft personalized messages for each one effectively?” Gosh, I’ve dealt with this so many times that it was hard to pick just one example to share!
This is a basic part of running marketing for companies with diverse B2B services portfolios, especially when executing ABM programs that target different members of a buying committee. The key thing to understand is that each member will have different needs and pain points. Each can play a critical role in whether your product or service gets adopted—especially with higher-priced solutions. The bigger the deal, the bigger the buying committee.
So, first things first: understand your personas
Crafting personalized messages for multiple B2B personas starts with deeply understanding each persona. I always segment personas based on function, seniority, and industry. While there are plenty of ways to do this, these three criteria are my foundation for developing tailored messaging. That said, this can change depending on the business type and the audience we’re targeting. It’s essential to know what drives each persona: What keeps them up at night? What challenges are they facing? And what does success look like to them?
Further segment your database
Once you understand your personas, further segmentation becomes critical. On top of the three criteria I mentioned, think about what other segments matter for your product or service. Maybe it’s demographics, like gender, age, or location. Or it could be firmographics, such as annual revenue, number of employees, or the tech they’re already using.
In a previous role, I marketed a solution that spanned several industries. By segmenting the audience, I was able to deliver more relevant content based on industry trends, operational challenges, and specific goals.
Segmentation helps create precise clusters for messaging, ensuring you’re not sending generic content but speaking directly to each group’s unique interests. This is the first step toward ensuring that your communication truly resonates.
Time to get this content up!
Once your audience is segmented, it’s time to create tailored content. Crafting the right message goes beyond using the right words—it’s about delivering the right value. In my experience, dealing with multiple B2B personas requires content that addresses each persona’s interests.
For example, when marketing a digital pricing solution for retailers, you might share a case study with a Marketing Director about how a specific store quickly adjusted prices to outpace competitors using technology. But that won’t fly with a CFO or CEO. They’re more likely interested in how fast this investment will pay off, so a ROI calculator would be a better fit for them.
Messaging, tone, and even the medium will shift based on who you’re talking to. It’s not just about crafting compelling content, but also adapting your vocabulary and choosing the right channels to make your strategy stand out.
Do you know who you’re talking to? Personalization is key!
Personalizing communication isn’t just about adding the recipient’s name to an email—it’s about curating the entire message to speak directly to each persona’s needs. For example, in B2B marketing, the way you talk to a CEO will be completely different from how you talk to a marketing manager.
When running ABM programs, I’ve succeeded by tweaking the tone, vocabulary, and even the format of content. A CEO may prefer a short and sweet ROI analysis, while a marketing manager might enjoy a detailed or interactive case study. This level of personalization makes a real difference in engagement rates and helps build stronger relationships.
Oh, but this takes so much time… Can we automate that?
Yes, we can! And I’m a huge fan of automation. Tools like 6Sense or DemandBase are lifesavers for setting up user journeys and messaging, not just based on your ICP but also where they are in the buying journey. They can automate the delivery of relevant content (emails, ads, etc.) as prospects engage with your brand, and they’re great at identifying other members of the buying committee.
Of course, these tools can be expensive. But even if your budget doesn’t allow for them, there are cheaper alternatives or workarounds. I’ve worked in companies with limited marketing budgets and had to set up some pretty creative engines to replicate the automation that ABM tools provide. While it’s not perfect and the integrations can be a nightmare, it can still get the job done.
Analyze, test, iterate, repeat
Finally, analyzing results is where everything comes together. In my experience, it’s crucial to continuously evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes, certain messages resonate better with some personas than others, allowing you to optimize content accordingly.
Monitoring engagement metrics, open rates, and conversion paths helps refine messaging and ensure you’re delivering the right message to the right persona at the right time. This feedback loop is essential to making sure your personalization efforts are always improving.
Wrapping up
By understanding personas, segmenting your audience, creating tailored content, personalizing messages, using automation, and analyzing results, you can craft personalized messages that resonate with every B2B buyer persona. These strategies have guided me through many complex marketing efforts, and I’m confident they’ll work for you too.