The Persona Canvas Exercise

The persona canvas is a useful tool for developing your communications strategy. It forms a visual representation of the key characteristics of your target customer, covering their pains, gains and jobs to be done, then maps these back to what your product actually delivers.

As well as a useful way to spot gaps and weaknesses in your value proposition, the persona canvas can help you create a story about your product that will resonate with your target customer.

Gains

What aspirations do customers have for their work/lives, and how is your product a unique solution to help them achieve that?

For example, let's say you are a founder of a yoga app. Your target customers will aspire to be fitter and healthier, maybe even happier.

Paint that picture for them; show them the amazing transformation they could achieve by being your customer. By understanding these aspirations, you can create the perception that your product is their ticket to a better version of themselves.

Pains

What risks, bad outcomes, or obstacles are our customers concerned about, and how does our product relieve those pains and/or fears. Let's say you are a founder of a security app for online transactions. Your target customers are worried about the security of their personal information when making online transactions. Your app can relieve this pain by providing advanced encryption and other security features that protect their information; but those are just proof points.What they’re really after is peace of mind - a life where they don’t have to worry about that - so tell a story with that promise at the centre. By demonstrating a deep and empathetic understanding of your customer’s pain points, you can generate an enduring sense of trust.

Jobs to be done

What task(s) do customers need to complete (sometimes a list), and how does our product meet those practical needs? Let's say you are a founder of a Saas company that specialises in project management tools.

Your target customers will have an array of tasks to complete as part of their day to day, managing multiple individuals and teams, ensuring that projects are on track, budgets are in check, and so on.

Your software can meet these needs by providing a variety of tools for task assignment, scheduling, collaboration, etc; so make that into a narrative arc, where those solutions are the story points. Demonstrating the practical value and efficiency your tool could bring to their workflow, can help your product stand out in a crowded market.

Be careful though. Great product marketing should tell a story about the benefits of using a product, not just list features. Try to tie your features(scheduling tools) back to experiential benefits (less stress around meetings).