How to Create AI Personas: 5 Prompts for Smart Marketing Alignment

Imagine that your ideal buyer is sitting right next to you.

They are the perfect representative of your ideal client, and they’re happy to chat. They’re ready to answer any question, on any topic, anytime. No need to schedule a call. No need to even be polite. Just ask away.

What’s most important to you?
What are you hoping for?
What are you worried about?
What builds your trust?
Why wouldn’t you contact me?
What are your cost and timing expectations?

Good news: You can use AI to create a synthetic version of this person. And this AI buyer persona is so helpful that it would be a mistake not to use it. You can use it with all kinds of prompts to get recommendations for your copy and campaigns, making all of your marketing better aligned with your buyer.

If you teach the AI about your buyer, the responses are much better. If you don’t, all of the responses are less targeted and more generic. Lower quality and higher risk.

In this guide, we show how to create an AI marketing persona. We also show how to save it for easy access, share it with your team and use it to drive sales and marketing. There are five prompts below.

The prompt for generating a draft AI persona

Let’s start with a template AI persona prompt. At Orbit, we’ve expanded on this with a custom GPT “AI Persona Generator” that does much more, but for now, this short prompt is enough to get started. Replace everything in brackets with detailed information about your buyer, run the prompt in your favorite LLM.

AI Persona Prompt

You are a B2B persona strategist and market researcher, skilled at creating personas. Create a detailed persona for a [job title] working in [industry/company size/geography] who is responsible for [roles/skills/responsibility]. This individual is facing challenges with [specific challenge/problem/task] and is actively seeking [product/service] to address these issues.

• What are their hopes and goals in solving this problem?
• What are their fears and concerns about finding the right solution?
• What are the emotional triggers that would prompt them to take action or make a decision?
• What are the key decision criteria they consider when evaluating potential partners or vendors?

Like any good prompt, this one starts with roles and skills and asks for a specific output. In this case, the basic elements of a B2B buyer persona:

• Job titles: What are the roles of your various buyers?
• Business category and mission: What does this business do?
• Company size and geography: Small business? Enterprise? How much revenue? Where are they?
• Challenge, problem, task: What is this persona trying to accomplish? What are their pain points?
• Product, service: Which of your offers are they considering?

The second part of the prompt asks for the details that are relevant to how they make buying decisions:

• Hopes and dreams
• Fears and concerns
• Emotional triggers
• Decision criteria for selecting a company in your category

Here are a few tips for creating AI personas for B2B buyers:

1. Make it a “composite persona”
   Give it multiple job titles if you’re planning to audit something that reaches several types of buyers (i.e. homepages). You can still use this composite persona to audit something that reaches one specific buyer (i.e. industry pages, campaign landing page). Just tell the AI to focus on that job title when you run that audit prompt.
2. Forget about demographics
   For a B2B marketing persona, forget about age, gender, marital status and hobbies. This information is unlikely to affect how they make business decisions. The VP of Technology likes long walks on the beach? So what. That’s not relevant to how they research logistics software.
3. Upload your actual user research
   Do you already have traditional personas? Upload them into the conversation. Summaries of sales calls? Market research? Customer feedback from real users? Interview transcripts? Reviews? Add anything that adds insights.

You can expand on this in many ways. Just ask the AI to add more detail for a more comprehensive profile of you ideal customer. For many B2B brands, these are useful:

• Day in the life: A paragraph describing how they do their job.
• Why they value services like ours: What’s the JTBD (“Job to be done”) from their perspective.
• Prior experiences and biases: Have they been down this road before? How does that affect their decision?
• What slows or stops their decision process: Clues for objection handling.
• Buying committee insights: Who else is involved? What kind of power and influence do they have? What do those people need?
• Before and after: What is the change your services make for them specifically?

I asked an AI persona expert and founder of a company that uses personas to track AI brand perception. He explains it perfectly.

Todd Sawicki, Gumshoe “Think of AI as a sales rep in a shoe store. When someone comes into the store, the rep doesn’t grab a random pair of shoes to suggest to the customer. Instead, that salesperson will figure out whether the person is a walker, runner or hiker and then suggest a pair of shoes appropriate to that. LLMs are the same. As a marketer, you need to understand how AI sees your potential customers.”

How did it look? Was it perfect? Not likely. Was it close? Probably! It’s just a draft. It will almost certainly need adjustments…

Check the AI persona for accuracy

Way back when I first tried this AI method, I reached out to my old friend, Ardath Albee. Ardath is the leading expert on B2B persona development. It’s been the focus of her career for 30+ years. So I called her and she watched me use that prompt. I asked her to challenge my approach. Here’s what she said:

Ardath Albee, Marketing Interactions “Andy, do you really know this is accurate? If you incorporate this perspective into your content, what’s the likelihood that this is correct? Do these apply to your market? Your competitors’ market? You didn’t validate this. Check these with your customers before using this. I don’t trust this.“

She is right to be skeptical. It won’t be 100% accurate. Don’t trust the AI. It hasn’t talked to your actual customers. It hasn’t watched the recordings of your actual sales calls. It hasn’t seen the analytics of your campaigns.

Review carefully. If anything is off or missing, tell the AI to fix it. This next step in creating an AI persona is critical.

Add the following to the persona…

Remove the following from the persona…

Go back and forth with it a few times. Tell it more about your buyer, what they care about, how they think and feel. If your AI persona is inaccurate, AI’s responses will be inaccurate. So work hard on it.

Got it dialed in? Now save it so you can use it again and again. There are two ways to do this. One is simple. One is fancy.

Save the AI persona as a separate file…

• Pros: Easy and fast!
• Cons: Requires uploading it every time. If you change it, you’ll need to recreate the file.

Making the persona a separate file will make it easy to use again and again. Copy and paste it into a new document. Save it to your computer. Any format will do.

I used to simply open a blank Google Doc (chrome hack: type “doc.new” into the address bar to start a new document), then copy and paste in the persona, then download as a PDF. Now I use a standard template that looks nice and has lots and lots of detail.

A few tips for managing your AI persona. This is a bit of AI governance.

• Keep it in your “shared prompt library” where others (team members or agency partners) can get to it easily for quick audits.
• Keep a “main version” that you (or whoever owns marketing) can get to quickly for easy updates.

This file is what Christopher Penn calls a “knowledge block.” You can upload it into any LLM with any prompt making the responses sharper and more targeted. We’ll share some sample prompts below.

…or turn your persona into a custom GPT (or Gemini Gem)

• Pros: Share it with your marketing team by sharing a single link. You can add/upload lots of training data.
• Cons: It can only be edited by the person who created it.

The other way to preserve your AI persona is to turn it into a custom GPT. If you’re not an OpenAI fan, you can use any of the major LLMs: Gemini Gem (Google) or Copilot (Microsoft) or Project (Claude). All the AI models have this feature.

Once done, you’ll have a synthetic member of a target audience that anyone on your team can talk to anytime. It’s saved, managed by the creator and shared through a simple link. It’s a quicker path for integrating AI personas into your workflows.

We’ve published step-by-step guides for making two kinds of custom GPTs: process GPTs and clone/advisor GPTs. We’ll review the basics here. It’s easy.

1. Click on “Explore GPTs” at the top of the menu on the left
2. Click on the “+ Create” button in the top right corner
3. In “Create” mode (tab at the top) tell the AI that you’re building a buyer persona together for your brand. It will offer to create a name (some people pick a proper noun) and create a little picture for you (it’ll be weird but you can change it later)
4. Paste in (or upload) the output of the conversation you’ve had together
5. Click on the “Configure” tab and review the instructions
6. Click “Knowledge sources” and upload any files that may add buyer insights (interview guides, research data, sales playbooks, sample RFPs, typical LinkedIn profiles, etc.)
7. Optional: Add some “conversation starters” which are suggestions for initial prompts. Use questions you are likely to ask your AI persona.
8. Click the Create button in the top right
9. For the share options, select “Anyone with the link”

It doesn’t have to be perfect. You can edit it anytime. Your configure tab will look something like this:

Start testing. Ask it tough questions and see how it does. Issues? Tell the AI what’s wrong in the “Create” tab or edit the instructions manually in the “Configure” tab. Share the link with your team and ask them for feedback.

Combine the persona with clever audit prompts

You’re ready for AI persona-powered marketing. There are limitless uses for your persona. You can talk to it about marketing campaigns, web copy or anything at all, day or night. But some of the best use cases are AI marketing audits. Any marketing effort can be checked with the persona before you make it live.

Not sure what to review with your new synthetic buddy? Here are four more prompts to get you started. Pick your favorite LLM, paste in the prompt and upload the persona. As always, when looking for insights, it’s best to keep ChatGPT in “Thinking” mode.

If you made a custom GPT, just paste in the prompt.

Caution: A detailed buyer persona may not work well for content strategy topic research. The AI’s recommendations will be too narrowly focused on the buyer. For top-of-funnel topic research, broaden AI’s suggestions by using a job title rather than a detailed buyer persona.

Persona Alignment Prompt for Webpages

One of my favorite methods. This is AI persona-powered gap analysis for your most visible brand touchpoints: your website. For your homepage, use the composite, which covers multiple personas. For pages targeting specific audiences, use the same persona but tell the AI to focus on that type of user.

You are a conversion optimization expert with deep knowledge of B2B buying behavior. Evaluate a webpage from the perspective of a specific persona to identify how well it aligns with their: Information needs, objections, emotional triggers, and decision criteria. Use this structured process:

Step 1: Create a “Persona Alignment Table” comparing the persona’s needs to what appears on the page. For each row: • List the persona’s key need or emotional trigger, • Score how well the page addresses it (1 = not at all, 5 = fully), • Provide a short comment explaining the score, • Include suggestions for improvement. Format: | Persona Need or Emotional Trigger | Rating (0–5) | Homepage Evidence & Comments | Suggestions for Improvement |

Step 2: Create a “Color-Coded Heatmap Matrix” translating the ratings into a table with color indicators: 🔴 = Low alignment (1–2), 🟠 = Moderate alignment (3), 🟢 = Strong alignment (4–5)

Step 3: Create a “List of Missed Opportunities” by identifying where the page fails to meet the persona’s expectations. For each missed opportunity, include: • What’s missing, • What to add, • Example copy, layout idea, or CTA that could fix it. Format: | Missed Opportunity | What’s Missing | Recommendation | Example Copy or CTA |

Call to Action Generator Prompt

This one is from our guide for creating high clickthrough rate calls to action. The goal is to guide user behavior toward conversion. Again, the inputs are the persona and a screenshot of the page you’re working on. The recommendations are often excellent.

You are a conversion copywriting expert skilled at creating high clickthrough rate Calls to Action (CTAs) for B2B lead generation websites. I’m giving you a buyer persona and a screenshot of a webpage. Create CTAs for the page

1. Primary Navigation Button (Top-Right): Write 5 short button text CTAs (2–4 words) that fits in the top navigation. Prioritize strong action verbs and clarity. It must feel low-friction and high-reward.
2. Primary Hero CTA Button (Page Block): Write 5 larger, primary button text CTAs for the main page block, such as the hero area. This can be slightly longer (up to 6–7 words). Beneath each button, include supporting subtext (kicker) that reassures or answers a likely objection or fear (e.g., fast response time, no obligation, transparent pricing).
3. Secondary CTA ideas for soft conversions: List 5 secondary CTA buttons or links for visitors who aren’t ready to contact sales. (Download a guide, View case studies, Try a demo) Focus these CTAs on reducing commitment but keeping engagement high.

Be direct, specific, and persuasive. Avoid passive or generic wording. Use clear, benefit-focused verbs (not vague words like “Submit” or “Learn More”) and favor verbs that suggest gain, ease, or security. Where useful, trigger cognitive biases like:

• Certainty (“See the full process”)
• Loss aversion (“Don’t miss the demo”)
• Social proof (“See how companies like yours solved this”)
• Time sensitivity (“Get started today”)

Prompt Prediction Prompt

How does your buyer use AI to research your category? It’s a central question in modern marketing and step one in GEO. This is a small part of our big guide on AI search competitive analysis.

You are an expert in B2B buyer behavior and AI-assisted vendor research. I’m giving you a detailed buyer persona. Based only on that persona’s role, goals, pressures, constraints, and evaluation style, predict how this buyer would prompt an AI when researching vendors. Provide a concise list of 25 likely commercial-intent AI search prompts, queries or keyword-style phrases this buyer would use to research possible providers, including [your brand].

Prompts should reflect:

• The “job-to-be-done” by the potential providers
• Success metrics and risks
• Budget, timeline, and implementation concerns
• Internal pressures (leadership, compliance, scale, proof, credibility)

Write prompts the way a real buyer would phrase them (specific details that align with the industry and business outcomes). Avoid vendor names. Focus purely on buyer intent and decision framing.

Scan through the response. Any prompts that align well? Open a new tab, go to an AI (whichever LLM you think they’re most likely to use) and try that prompt. Is your brand in the mix? If not, start optimizing your brand for AI recommendations …or just hire Orbit Media.

• Non profits: Create an AI persona of your ideal donor. Give it fundraising emails and landing pages. Ask it what to change to trigger emotion and action.
• Product teams: Create an AI user persona of your primary user. Give it onboarding flows, user journey maps, feature pages or UX screenshots. Ask it where confusion, friction, or drop-off would happen.
• Job seekers: Create an AI persona of a typical hiring manager. Give it a full-page screenshot of your LinkedIn profile (with sections expanded). Ask it what’s missing based on their expectations and the role.

Bonus! Sales Deck Audit Prompt

Finally, we’ll go beyond marketing and into sales. An AI buyer persona is a fantastic tool for auditing sales materials. The inputs for this prompt are your persona and a PPT or PDF file of your capabilities deck. With a few adjustments to the persona and prompt, it could audit an investor deck.

You are a B2B sales expert. Review a sales deck (PDF or PowerPoint) from the point of view of one specific buyer persona. The deck is used in a live sales meeting, and the goal is to earn the persona’s buy-in to move forward. I will provide a buyer persona PDF and a sales deck (PDF or PowerPoint). Work only from the persona’s perspective. Keep everything concise and in bullet points. Your output should include:

1. Persona alignment table
Show how well the deck addresses the persona’s key needs and decision factors. Include gaps, slide references, and specific improvement ideas.

2. High-impact slide improvements
List the most important changes (8–15). For each: slide reference, related persona concern, what’s not working, and a clear recommendation.

3. Claims and proof check
Map the deck’s main claims to the persona’s decision criteria. Note what proof exists, how strong it is, and what would make it more convincing.

4. Sales-deck best-practice issues
Call out major problems with structure, text density, headlines, visuals, and consistency. Suggest practical fixes that would build clarity and trust for this persona.

5. Summary and priorities
Briefly assess overall fit, then list the top 5–10 fixes by impact and effort.
Anchor all feedback in the persona’s needs or proven sales-deck best practices.

AI = Average Information

The AI was trained on the web. It ingested at least 80% of the public web, and when prompted, it summarizes what it found. Generative AI is the average of the internet. That’s why when you ask for marketing recommendations, the responses are often generic or off-target.

But if you start with AI generated personas, the responses are specific to your ICP, your ideal client profile. Responses are more targeted and better aligned with your ideal buyer.

AI simulations may be the future of digital marketing.

One day, we may look back and say, “I remember when we didn’t have AI personas. It’s crazy just how risky and inefficient marketing was back then!”