What Are Motorcycle Buyer Personas?

With motorcycles becoming more popular than ever, there are a wider variety of riders out there. This means you need to approach your messaging and content with a specific audience in mind. An article that outlines all of the technical details about a specific model will resonate with one type of rider and completely miss the mark with another. What you need to do is create motorcycle buyer personas that you can use as a part of your marketing strategy. Then you can have a particular rider in mind when creating content and speak directly to them. This results in more effective and engaging marketing campaigns and a more engaged customer base.

Marketing personas is a fictional characters that you create. It is the imaginary person you picture in your mind when writing content for your motorcycle business. You could have one or more buyer personas representing the different types of customers. These are more than just a basic listing of demographic information, although this is a good place to start. Each persona will include things like behavioral characteristics, job title and educational background, desires, pain points, feelings, mindset, reactions, and emotional needs. Motorcycle buyer personas take all of this into account but also add the element of motorcycle type, ride style, and gear opinions. You need to understand the motivation for the buyer to get into riding and what they hope to get out of it. Once you understand what real customers are looking for, you take the guesswork out of your marketing messages.

Your target audience is not the same as your buyer personas. A target audience is the broader, big picture view, while buyer personas are much more laser-focused and targeted view. Define your target audience as the generalized group of people who are your customers. In this case, it is motorcycle riders. You could even narrow it down to sportbike riders, Harley riders, or raiders that live in a particular area. 

Within this general category, you will need to create buyer personas. For example, DIY riders want to do all of the work themselves. Then, there are the riders who love and value the camaraderie of riding with others. Others just like the image, and while they never put serious miles on their bike, they want to be seen showing up somewhere on their bike and in their gear. Finally, some love the technical details of the performance stats. Each rider within the target audience has their own approach and way of thinking. 

Talking to your target customers is good, but that only goes so far. A generalized approach is good for creating brand awareness. However, it is not the most effective at converting awareness into sales. Think about it this way, watering down a motorcycle design to appeal to everyone ends up being appealing to no one. That is why there are so many different motorcycle styles and designs. For one rider, the latest Harley-Davidson speaks to their soul. While other riders feel at home on a vintage-inspired cafe racer. Then there’s the rider who loves the adrenaline rush of a performance sportbike. If you tried to build a bike that appealed to all of these people, it would end up so watered down that no one would like it. 

As a motorcycle rider, Decisive Dave is direct, assertive, and protective. He is not afraid to make a design and forge ahead with it. He wants to win, and sometimes that comes off as rude or lacking tact. When dealing with him, you will find that he wants things his way and on his timeline. Dave is not worrying about pleasing the group or getting tied down by rules or data. He’s ok with a bit of risk if it means it’ll pay off in the long run. 

If you want to sell a Decisive Dave, you better be prepared to go toe to toe with him. Do not worry about conflict; he’ll probably thrive on it. Show him that you can be just as confident and decisive as he is. It is also good to make them feel respected and empowered. Their weakness is feeling disrespected or taken advantage of, so you want to avoid anything that will create these feelings. There’s a delicate balance of showing respect without being a pushover. 

Use active statements but keep things brief. A concise proof of product or service will go far. Focus on big picture benefits and results. Highlight the options and features that they have control over. Avoid emotional points; they won’t have an effect here. 

Analytical buyers are critical thinkers. They do not care about slick advertising or perfect social media posts. They want the cold hard facts and data. These are the people that can quote every motorcycle stat for the last three generations of their favorite brand and model. They are also the guy that is totally focused on performance, doing every modification possible to eke out that extra horsepower. These people are not risk-takers, so keep this in mind when selling them motorcycle-related products or services. 

An analytical buyer is not going to trust you right away. You need to earn it. Make sure that every communication is accurate and on point. They may seem indecisive because they are slow to act, but do not get fooled. They are just waiting for all of the information so that they can make an educated decision. At some point, analytical buyers can get bogged down in all of those numbers. It is ok to give a little push and motivate them to act. Do not be critical, though, or they can get their feelings hurt, and you will lose the sale. 

Do you know that one rider who seems to know someone everywhere they go? They are a relationship buyer. They are outgoing, friendly, and love social interactions. They tend to focus on the big picture and the end result. Give them a topic, and they are off and rolling; no need for you to contribute to the conversation. 

Focus on relationships and less on data when selling to a Relationship Rachel. They get excited and do not need you raining on their parade with facts or a voice of reason. Show them how your product or service will improve or elevate their relationships or interactions with other riders. It is ok to show some personality and be funny. 

Are you ready to have your boundaries tested? Innovator Ivan thinks rules are suggestions, and they are not afraid to ignore them. While other buyers crave consistency and predictability, innovators want something new and different. Think of them as riders who buy gear with the latest built-in technology. Or their test riding the concept bike that looks more like a sci-fi creation than an actual bike. 

If you are selling to an Innovator Ivan, appeal to their sense of risk and adventure. Do not be too formal or stuffy, as that is boring. Show them how your product or service can help them reach their riding goals. Remember, you need to fit into their agenda, not the other way around. They can seem a bit chaotic, but there are sales in all of that defiance. Help them identify with your brand by showing its rebel side. Perhaps your product pushes boundaries? 

A rider who is collaborative likes to do things with other people. They are thoughtful in their communications in an effort to be respectful and considerate of others. Think of these people to be the opposite of the Decisive Dave. This rider wants to participate on social media, ask questions, and get involved in the online boards. They want to feel as though you and they are working together towards a unifying goal. 

These buyers are going to take some time before they decide to buy. Do not give up on them; they just need to form a relationship with you before they feel ready to commit. Be friendly and establish a rapport that makes them feel comfortable. Consistency is key with collaborative people. These people will respond to digital marketing efforts that are on social media platforms. These potential buyers love to see what exiting customers think and experience.

When a rider is an Objective Owen, they tend to be introspective. They are skeptics by nature and take a long time to develop trust. Earning their trust earns you lasting loyalty, though, so they are worth the effort. They pride themselves in sorting through the flowery marketing language and getting down to brass tacks. Emotions do not influence their decision-making, so these are not the people falling in love with a bike and “just having to have it”. Instead, they love a good comparison that outlines the pros and cons of each potential bike to make an informed decision. Your marketing efforts to these riders should include white papers that feature product development analysis.

Do not over-promise because they will expect your service or product to perform to these standards and will hold you accountable when it doesn’t. Provide testimonials, case studies, and testing reports. Repeat the information and keep the sales pressure to a minimum. These buyers probably do not want to meet you or talk on the phone. However, you will have their ear through text or email. Do not get discouraged by their lack of engagement or feedback. They may not give you a lot to work with, but they pay attention. 

Creating buyer personas requires you to do some research. You need to base them on data and facts rather than your perceptions or assumptions. Letting your motorcycle industry prejudices sneak in can sabotage your efforts. 

One method for doing your research is conducting multiple interviews, sending out questionnaires, and working through lengthy checklists. This is time-consuming and tedious. However, it will help you create the most detailed and accurate picture for each of your buyer personas. 

If you do not have a large customer database, you need to find other strategies for sourcing information for your personas. While these methods should never completely replace traditional methods, they can help new and small businesses get a start on their buyer personas. 

As you gather information, compile and sort it. You can then form it into personality groups that you will develop into your motorcycle buyer personas. Download my helpful template that gives you an easy-to-follow guide for creating your buyer personas. 

Creating buyer personas will help you create content that speaks directly to your customers in a way that will resonate with them. It will also help you create a wide variety of content, which will positively affect your website’s SEO performance. Start by creating your motorcycle buyer personas. Then create a post calendar where you rotate posting content for each persona. I can help you develop and create content that engages your buyer personas and helps move them through the marketing funnel.