How to Create My Own AI Persona?

Question Type

User Manual Question

Quick Answer

Two primary methods: Upload interview transcripts or use Social Media Scout.

Recommended Approach:

✅ Have interview data: Upload interview transcripts directly (supports TXT, PDF, Word, audio)
✅ No interview data: Use Social Media Scout to observe target audiences on social media

In short: For most cases, uploading interview transcripts is fastest; if you want to study specific social media demographics, use Social Media Scout.

Detailed Explanation

Method 1: Upload Interview Transcripts (Recommended)

Use Cases:

✅ Have existing real interview transcripts✅ Have customer interview data to reuse✅ Need to simulate specific real users✅ Want to reuse historical research data

Steps:

Step 1: Go to Persona management page→ Click "Create Persona"Step 2: Select "Upload Interview Transcripts"→ Upload filesStep 3: Choose file type→ Supported formats:  - Text: TXT, PDF, Word, Markdown  - Audio: MP3, M4A, WAV (auto-transcribed)  - Multiple files can be batch uploadedStep 4: AI automatically analyzes→ Extracts key information (demographics, values, consumption habits, etc.)→ Generates personaStep 5: Preview and save→ Review persona information→ Save to "My Persona Library"→ Can be used for any future research

File Requirements:

Ideal interview transcript contains:✅ Basic information (age, occupation, income, city)✅ Lifestyle and values✅ Consumption habits and decision logic✅ Pain points and needs✅ Daily behaviors and attitudesFile length:- Minimum: 1000 words (basic persona)- Ideal: 3000-5000 words (high-quality persona)- Multiple short interviews can be merged

Examples:

Example 1: Upload Single In-Depth Interview

Scenario: Have a 1-hour in-depth interview with recording and transcriptSteps:Step 1: Upload interview transcript (5000 words)Step 2: AI analyzes and generates persona "Zhang Li"Step 3: Save to persona libraryPersona includes:- Basic info: 28 years old, Product Manager, monthly income 20K, Shanghai- Values: Pursues work-life balance, values health- Consumption habits: Willing to pay for quality, prefers online shopping- Pain points: High work pressure, needs convenient health solutionsFuture uses:→ Test new healthy snack products→ Validate packaging design preferences→ Test pricing sensitivity

Example 2: Batch Upload Multiple Short Interviews

Scenario: Have 10 customer short interview transcripts (1000-2000 words each)Steps:Step 1: Batch upload 10 interview filesStep 2: AI generates 10 personas separatelyStep 3: Save to persona libraryValue:→ Create 10 real customer personas at once→ Can be reused multiple times without repeat interviews→ Team can share and use

Method 2: Use Social Media Scout

Use Cases:

✅ No interview data available✅ Want to study specific demographics on social media✅ Niche groups not found in Public Persona Library✅ Need to understand latest user behaviors

Steps:

Step 1: Go to Social Media Scout function→ Click "Create New Scout Task"Step 2: Describe observation target→ Example: "Camping enthusiasts on Xiaohongshu"→ Example: "Young environmentalists on Weibo"Step 3: Scout three-phase observation→ Phase 1: Observe (collect social media content)→ Phase 2: Infer (analyze behavior patterns)→ Phase 3: Validate (confirm demographic characteristics)Step 4: Generate persona→ After Scout completes, automatically generates persona→ Save to "My Persona Library"Step 5: Use persona→ Select persona in Interview→ Conduct interviews and tests

Examples:

Example 1: Study Niche Demographics

Scenario: Want to study "coffee enthusiasts" but public library has insufficient coverageSteps:Step 1: Create Scout task "Observe specialty coffee enthusiasts on Xiaohongshu"Step 2: Scout observes for 3-5 daysStep 3: Generate 5-10 personasStep 4: Save to persona libraryGenerated persona characteristics:- Based on real social media behavior- Reflects latest consumption trends- Includes specific brand preferences and pain pointsFuture uses:→ Test new coffee products→ Validate pricing strategies→ Test marketing copy

Example 2: Cross-Platform Observation

Scenario: Want to comprehensively understand differences in "fitness demographics" across platformsSteps:Step 1: Create 3 Scout tasks  - Fitness enthusiasts on Xiaohongshu  - Fitness Up master fans on Bilibili  - Fitness content consumers on DouyinStep 2: Observe separately and generate personasStep 3: Compare and analyze differences across platformsValue:→ Understand characteristics of users on different platforms→ Develop targeted marketing strategies→ Choose appropriate distribution channels

Method 3: Manual Creation (Not Recommended)

Why Not Recommended?

Problems with manual creation:⚠️ Need to write detailed persona information yourself⚠️ Time-consuming, inefficient⚠️ Quality depends on your writing ability⚠️ May lack key dimensionsIn comparison:✅ Upload interviews: AI auto-extracts, fast and accurate✅ Social Media Scout: Based on real data, quality guaranteed

Scenarios Still Requiring Manual Creation:

Very special hypothetical personas (like "future users")
Need precise control over every detail
Teaching or demonstration purposes

How to Use After Creation?

Usage Flow

After creating persona:Step 1: Persona saved in "My Persona Library"→ Click sidebar "Persona Library"→ Switch to "My Personas" tab→ View all custom personasStep 2: Use in Interview→ Create new Interview project→ Switch to "My Persona Library" in persona selector→ Select custom persona→ Start interviewStep 3: Multiple reuses→ Same persona can be used for multiple studies→ Stable consistency, comparable results→ Extremely low marginal cost

Manage Personas

Persona management functions:✅ View: Click persona to view detailed information✅ Edit: Modify persona basic information✅ Delete: Can delete unneeded personas✅ Share: Team version can share with team members✅ Tags: Add tags for easy categorization and search✅ Notes: Add notes explaining persona purpose

See detailed management methods at: How to Manage and Organize My Persona Library?

Best Practices

Recommended Strategy

Scenario A: Have Interview Data

Fastest method: Upload interview transcripts directly→ Complete in 5 minutes→ Quality depends on interview depth→ Ready to use immediately

Scenario B: No Interview Data, Need to Study Specific Demographics

Recommended method: Social Media Scout→ 3-5 day observation period→ Based on real social media data→ Quality guaranteed

Scenario C: Continuous Product R&D, Need Core Personas

Recommended strategy:Step 1: Initially use Scout to create 10-15 core personasStep 2: Continuously use these personas for multiple studiesStep 3: Team shares, forming company's "user assets"Value:→ Create once, use many times→ Extremely low marginal cost→ Unified team understanding of users

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What format is needed for uploaded interview transcripts?

Supports multiple formats, no special processing needed.

Text formats:✅ TXT, PDF, Word, Markdown✅ Can paste text directlyAudio formats:✅ MP3, M4A, WAV✅ Auto-transcribed to text then generates personaInterview transcript format:✅ Dialogue format (Q&A): Recommended✅ Narrative format: Also acceptable✅ Mixed format: No problemNo special processing needed:→ No need for standardized format→ AI automatically recognizes and extracts key information

Q2: What if interview transcript is too short?

Recommend supplementing with more information or using multiple interviews.

If interview transcript <1000 words:⚠️ Information may be insufficient⚠️ Generated persona may not be detailed enoughSolutions:✅ Upload multiple interview transcripts (merge into one persona)✅ Create basic persona first, supplement with interviews later✅ Use Social Media Scout to supplement informationRecommended length:→ Minimum: 1000 words→ Ideal: 3000-5000 words→ Multiple short interviews can be merged

Q3: Can I batch create personas?

Yes, supports batch upload.

Batch creation methods:Method 1: Batch upload interview files→ Upload multiple interview files at once→ Each file generates one persona→ Automatically saved to persona libraryMethod 2: Batch Social Media Scout→ Create multiple Scout tasks→ Observe different demographics simultaneously→ Generate personas separatelyMethod 3: Import Excel (if supported)→ Upload user data spreadsheet→ Batch generate personasUse cases:→ Have large amounts of historical interview data→ Need to study multiple segments→ Enterprise customer data batch import

See detailed steps at: Can I Upload Multiple Users' Interview Data?

Q4: Can created personas be modified?

Yes, supports editing and supplementing.

Modification methods:Method 1: Direct edit→ Go to "My Persona Library"→ Click persona → Edit→ Modify basic information, tags, notesMethod 2: Supplement interviews→ Upload new interview transcripts→ Link to existing persona→ AI automatically updates persona informationMethod 3: Regenerate→ If original data is unsatisfactory→ Re-upload better interview transcripts→ Generate new persona

Q5: Will custom personas be visible to other users?

No, completely private.

Privacy protection:✅ Only visible to creator✅ Other users cannot search or use✅ Data completely isolatedTeam version exception:→ Can choose to share with team members→ Need to manually set sharing permissions→ Default is still private

Q6: Does creating personas require additional payment?

Depends on creation method and plan.

Upload interview transcripts:→ Free/Professional versions: Both can upload→ No additional fees→ Unlimited quantitySocial Media Scout:→ Requires Scout quota→ Free version: 2 times/month→ Professional version: UnlimitedRecommendation:→ Prioritize using existing interview data (free)→ Scout for special needs (consumes quota)

Q7: How long does it take to create a persona?

Depends on creation method.

Upload interview transcripts:→ Upload file: 1-2 minutes→ AI analysis: 2-5 minutes→ Preview confirmation: 1 minute→ Total: 5-10 minutesSocial Media Scout:→ Set up task: 5 minutes→ Observation period: 3-5 days (runs in background)→ Generate persona: 5-10 minutes→ Total: 3-5 days (but you don't need to monitor it)Manual creation:→ Fill information: 20-30 minutes→ But quality may not match other methods

Final Takeaway

"Best way to create custom personas: Upload interview transcripts (fast, accurate) or use Social Media Scout (based on real data). Avoid manual creation - AI auto-extraction is more accurate and efficient than manual writing. Create once, use many times, forming company's 'user assets'."

Remember:

✅ Priority method: Upload interview transcripts (complete in 5-10 minutes)
✅ Alternative method: Social Media Scout (3-5 days, based on real data)
✅ Ideal length: 3000-5000 word interview transcripts
✅ Can batch create: Upload multiple files at once
✅ Completely private: Only you can use (team version can share)
✅ Multiple reuses: Create once, use long-term