User persona template

You’re probably going to come up with more than one persona – which means you’ll want to give them each a name. Don’t be afraid to get creative here, but keep in mind that it’s also helpful to capture something specific about that persona directly in the name (think “Outdoorsy Oliver” or “Perfectionist Polly”). You’ll also want to include some information about the person’s career, including their job title, a brief job description, and details about their industry and the company they work for.

Even the most basic customer personas should include demographic information. How old is this person? What gender are they? What’s their estimated income and education level? Where do they live? You’ll list that information in this section. It’s probably not going to be a perfect descriptor of every single customer that falls into this bucket, but taking your best guess at these details gives you a more complete picture of who this person is.

You shouldn’t just pull these personas out of thin air; your real customers should inform what you note here. This section is all about connecting the hypothetical to what’s real about your customers. In this table, include a quote from an actual customer who resembles the persona you’re building, as well as a short bio that captures the gist of who they are. Where did they come from? How did they end up in their current role? Stretch your creative muscles and think outside the box.

Now it’s time to really dig into what makes this person who they are. You’ll use the bottom table to outline four key things about them: their professional goals, challenges, motivators, and sources of information. Writing all of this out will not only force you to think through the ins and outs of what drives and frustrates your target customers, but it will also require you to noodle on how your company actually helps them overcome challenges or achieve their ambitions. For the last section, figuring out where each person collects their information to create a valuable list of outlets where you are sure to reach them.