113: "Should you chuck buyer personas in the bin?" with Copywriter, Diane Wiredu

Wi-re-du doo doo push pineapple shake the tree as we catch the messaging expert helping brands sing with a hula melody. This week, it’s Diane Wiredu (doo doo*). 

Founder of Lion Words, Diane is laser focused on customer research and brand strategy. She’s a top writer getting SaaS and B2B companies to simplify their message, attract more perfect-fit customers and get better results from their marketing.

She roars to us on her favourite Dave, her penchant for hotel lift music (and people with pointy ears), the legendary Jacqueline Wilson, stacking shelves, her love for languages, a pandemic pivot to copywriting, fighting the ‘fluff’ in B2B and SaaS, approaching and justifying research, putting buyer personas in the bin, the “so what?” test, over preparing, and a treasure trove more. 

*Good luck getting that one out of your head. 

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Follow Diane on LinkedIn 
And check out Lion Words 

Timestamps
(01:54) - Quick fire questions
(05:35) - First ever job
(07:22) - Studying languages and her pandemic pivot  
(13:09) - Finding the ‘fluff’ 
(16:08) - Research > strategy > tactics 
(19:03) - Justifying the research phase with clients
(20:36) - Should you chuck your buyer personas in the bin?  
(24:55) - Why customer interviews are king 
(29:47) - Building your messaging strategy post-research
(33:35) - Balancing customer vs competitor insights  
(37:41) - Listener questions (h/t Dave Harland)
(47:06) - 4 pertinent posers 

Diane's book recommendations are: 
Different by Youngme Moon 
Alchemy by Rory Sutherland 
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling 
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson 

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