How often should you audit and update your buyer personas?

[JorieMunroe]

Buyer personas can be created through research, surveys, and interviews — all with a mix of customers, prospects, and those outside your contacts database who might align with your target audience.

But like all data, even information you gather on your audience (your personas) can go out of date. After all, business models change, companies merge or shift direction, and your audience can (and likely will) evolve. In your professional opinion, how often should you audit and even update your buyer personas?

*To learn more about this, check out the Using Buyer Personas in HubSpot lesson via HubSpot Academy. 

[DSAJID]

The frequency at which you should audit and update your buyer personas can depend on various factors, including the nature of your industry, the pace of change in your target market, and the resources available to you. However, in my professional opinion, a general guideline for auditing and updating buyer personas is every 12 to 18 months. Here are some considerations to help you determine the right frequency for your specific situation:

1. Industry Dynamics: Some industries and markets change rapidly, while others evolve more slowly. If you're in a fast-moving industry where customer preferences, technologies, or trends change frequently, you may need to update your personas more often.

2. Customer Feedback: Pay attention to customer feedback and their changing needs. If you notice shifts in their behavior, preferences, or pain points, it's a sign that your personas may need updating.

3. Market Research: Regularly conduct market research to stay informed about industry trends, competitor strategies, and emerging opportunities. This information can inform updates to your personas.

4. Company Changes: If your company undergoes significant changes, such as entering new markets, launching new products, or rebranding, your personas may need adjustments to align with your new strategic direction.

5. Data Analysis: Analyze the performance of your marketing campaigns and sales efforts. If you notice that your messaging or targeting isn't as effective as it once was, it may be time to revisit and refine your personas.

6. Technological Advancements: If there are technological advancements that impact how your target audience interacts with your products or services, consider updating your personas to reflect these changes.

7. Resource Constraints: The frequency of persona updates can also depend on the resources available to you. Smaller companies with limited resources may update personas less frequently, while larger enterprises with dedicated marketing teams might do so more often.

8. Seasonal Variations: Some businesses experience seasonal fluctuations in customer behavior. In such cases, it may be beneficial to update personas before each high-demand season to tailor marketing efforts effectively.

Remember that personas are not set in stone; they should evolve along with your audience and business environment. Regularly reviewing and updating your personas ensures that your marketing and sales efforts remain relevant and effective in meeting the changing needs of your target audience.

[ABenchetrat]

@DSAJID 
I presume it is B2B right?

How do you conduct interviews? How do you pick the person you would like to talk to?

[faddzi]

Regularly auditing and updating my buyer personas is essential to ensure that your marketing strategies remain effective and aligned with your target audience. Here's my recommended schedule:

1. Quarterly Reviews: Conduct a thorough audit of your buyer personas every quarter. This frequency allows you to stay agile and adapt quickly to any shifts in your audience's behavior or preferences.

2. Annual Overhauls: Perform a comprehensive update and overhaul of your buyer personas annually. This more in-depth review ensures that your personas remain accurate and relevant in the long term.

3. Trigger Events: Additionally, consider updating your buyer personas when certain trigger events occur, such as significant changes in your industry, new product launches, or expansion into new markets. These events may necessitate immediate persona adjustments.

4. Feedback Loops: Continuously gather feedback from your sales and customer service teams. They are often on the front lines and can provide valuable insights into changes in buyer behavior or pain points that require persona updates.

5. Market Research: Keep an eye on industry trends, market research, and competitor activities. If you notice shifts in customer behavior or preferences in the broader market, adjust your personas accordingly.

In summary, regularly auditing and updating buyer personas benefit my company M19 Lab by ensuring that its marketing and sales efforts remain relevant, efficient, and customer-centric, ultimately contributing to business growth and success.

[ABenchetrat]

@faddzi 

How do you audit your quarterly personas? Do you use specific questions?
Who is your IPC and the persona you talk to?

Also, where do you keep records of these audit and personas updates? On HubSpot or Notion, or maybe somewhere else?

[MHorne7]

Every three years

[tvuong76]

three months will give you more accurate because trends nowdays through quickly

[WilliamC]

The differences in the marketing career path can take a different amount of time with each market. 
For example
With regular buyer personas for the standard market, you usually want to audit and update them every 6 to 12 months to see where your sales team could be struggling to reach and try different approaches with them.

Yet with Example B, we see that the technology market tends to change up their buyer personas every 3 to 6 months with how much technology is changing and with how much competition there is, making it more important to make sure your buyer personas are more closely together. 

[AlbertDominic]

The frequency with which you should audit and update your buyer personas depends on a few factors, such as:

• The speed of change in your industry or market.
• The size and complexity of your business.
• The resources you have available.
• The level of accuracy and detail you need in your personas.

In general, it is a good idea to audit your buyer personas at least every 6 to 12 months. However, if your industry or market is changing rapidly, you may need to update your personas more often. For example, if you are in the technology industry, you may need to update your personas every 3 to 6 months.

Here are some signs that it is time to audit your buyer personas:

• Your sales team is not hitting their targets.
• You are not getting the results you expected from your marketing campaigns.
• Your customers are complaining about your products or services.
• Your competitors are making gains in your market.

You can conduct surveys or interviews with your customers and prospects to get fresh insights into their needs and wants. Once you have updated your buyer personas, you can use them to improve your marketing and sales strategies.

By regularly auditing and updating your buyer personas, you can ensure that your marketing and sales strategies are always aligned with the needs of your target audience. This will help you to improve your results and achieve your business goals.

[CPKnight]

Thanks, this was helpful.

[MPadilla007]

There isn't a blanket answer for this one, it seems more industry specific. I'm currently in the fintech industry - secure MICR printing - and our personas don't change often. If we are launching new software or a new banking kiosk that can do a million things for your branch, yes, we would need to address who the product audience would be... but it's not going to be that different from our MICR toner audience. 
I came out of the hospice industry and I would say the same thing - not a lot of change there either. Either you are dying or you are caring for someone who is going to die. We would address our buyer persona if there was a change in eligibility requirements or updates in EOL coverage. It's not like I've worked in the health food industry. Good heavens. I bet they change their buyer persona quarterly!

[MStephen]

An organization or company should only change their buyer persona when they want to sell to another target audience. The need to audit and update a buyer persona should arise when they notice poor result from marketing campaigns conducted based previous information from the buyer persona.

[SPanda6]

Ggggg

[SKidman2]

anually, quartlery, after any consumer behaviour shift

[Rdhaka]

I believe that a company should keep doing monthly reporting on the campaigns and if the metrics see a sudden drop which is followed by a few more months. One should look into the buyer persona. It should also be done after any major change.

[psebastiany]

I agree with @Samzaras, but most importantly, after any major product updates/changes and/or based on customer behaviour shifts

[Samzaras]

1. Annually: At a minimum, you should review your buyer personas once a year. This will help you account for any broad shifts in the market, industry trends, or changes in your company's strategic direction.

2. After Major Company Changes: If your company undergoes significant changes, such as launching a new product, entering a new market, or undergoing a merger or acquisition, it's a good time to review and possibly update your personas. These changes can attract a different audience or alter the needs and preferences of your existing audience.

3. When You Notice Shifts in Customer Behavior: If you observe changes in how your customers interact with your brand, products, or services, it might indicate that their needs or preferences are evolving. For instance, if there's a sudden drop in engagement with content that used to perform well, it might be time to revisit your personas.

4. After Conducting New Market Research: Whenever you conduct new market research or gather fresh customer feedback, it's an opportunity to refine your personas. This can be from surveys, focus groups, or feedback from sales and customer service teams.

5. When Introducing New Products or Services: Before launching a new product or service, it's essential to understand who it's for and how it meets their needs. This might require creating a new persona or updating an existing one.

6. If There's a Major External Event: External events, such as economic downturns, global pandemics, or significant technological advancements, can influence customer behavior and needs. In such cases, it's essential to review your personas to ensure they still align with the current reality.

7. Quarterly Check-ins: While a full audit might not be necessary, it's a good practice to have quarterly check-ins. These can be brief reviews to ensure that your personas still align with your observations and any new data you've gathered

[AStahler]

You should do it 2-3 times a year to keep track of your audience and newer information you may miss.

[alexiamartinez]

how often should you audit and update your buyer personas?

About every quarter businesses in should audit and update buyer personas to keep track of new updated information that may help them.

[AsadButt84]

In my opnion it should be checked and updated every 6 months.

[ACasareo]

Atleast 1-2 times a year. especially if re-evaluating business goals, mission vision ect.

[TQuyên1]

once a month