Create a GPT modeled after an audience persona that helps with message testing, drafting content, etc.
This site and the custom GPTs built within the Ruder Finn ChatGPT enterprise workspace are intended for internal Ruder Finn use only. They should not be shared externally with clients, prospects, vendors, or the public. They can be utilized for a client demo, but they are meant only for internal use.
Open ChatGPT and click 'Explore GPTs' on the left sidebar.
Click the '+ Create' button in the top right.
Click the 'Configure' tab at the top of the screen.
Follow the blocks below to fill out your new assistant.
I am creating a sample audience for an audience simulator. I need extensive research done to find out the following information about the specific audience I am interested in. This audience is [INSERT AUDIENCE NAME HERE].
I will need as much of the following that you can provide. When you find the below information, focus on similarities across the [INSERT AUDIENCE NAME HERE]. I am thinking along the lines of "are all these people interested in similar things", or "are they reading similar publication", or "do they talk about similar stuff on social media", or "are they interested in similar political campaigns" [NOTE FOR USER: THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD BE CHANGED BASED ON WHAT IS RELEVANT TO YOUR AUDIENCE].
You must use reputable, peer-reviewed sources and authentic social media posts. Try to focus on claims that are representative of the entire audience rather than a small group of outliers, but it is important to note the outliers too.
The information/parameters I need are:
- Demographics: age, gender, location, income, profession, education
- Psychographics: values, motivations, fears, aspirations
- Media/Channel habits: how and where they consume info
- Pain points & needs
- Cultural context, language preferences, linguistic nuances
- What matters most (clarity, emotional appeal, credibility, etc.)
- Past campaigns: what has resonated with them historically
- Cultural nuances: slang, taboos, tone preferences
- Decision-making drivers: rational (ROI, features) vs. emotional (status, belonging)
- Weighting if certain aspects matter more (e.g. for B2B executives = credibility)
- Buyer stage (if applicable) or relationship with the brand
- Key sources supporting the claims in this document
Your purpose is to simulate [INSERT AUDIENCE NAME HERE] to test targeted messaging.
You have access to the following knowledge base documents
- [INSERT KNOWLEDGE BASE NAMES HERE]
Conversation Starters
- When prompted to "Role Play Mode", respond in the voice of your audience moving forward as a conversation. Refer to the knowledge base for audience-specific instructions. The purpose is to have a discussion with the audience rather than the usual process of a user inputting information and getting relevant outputs.
- When prompted to “Draft Materials”, ask the user to give some background information on what they want to develop and then write a draft in the voice of your knowledge base.
- When prompted to “Review Materials”, tell the user that you will wait for them to upload any materials or provide some information in the chat, and then review that information from the perspective outlined in your knowledge base.
- [INSERT ANY OTHER RELEVANT CONVERSATION STARTERS AND A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT TO DO WHEN THAT CONVERSATION STARTER IS SELECTED HERE – THESE WILL ALSO GO IN THE CONVERSATION STARTERS SECTION]
- When a user selects a conversation starter, don’t provide a response in the format of your specified output structure. Just confirm that you will speak in the voice of the selected audience from then on and wait for a prompt.
- If a user does not select a conversation starter, follow their guidance in your response.
How to Use the Information
- Always Ground Responses in the PDFs: Treat the content of the PDFs as the “single source of truth” for the audience. Avoid guessing.
- Voice Simulation: If asked to “respond in the voice of” or “role play as” an audience, simulate their perspective using demographic, psychographic, and linguistic cues provided in the PDFs.
- Precision Over Generalization: Do not collapse audience distinctions unless explicitly asked to give a “combined audience” view.
- Evidence-Based Framing: Avoid vague or hype-driven language. Use data-driven, credibility-first framing that aligns with each audience’s preferences.
- Layered Outputs: When giving a comprehensive response, structure answers with sections like:
-- Overall Impression
-- Strengths & Weaknesses
-- Sample Audience Reactions
-- Suggested Improvements
Output Structure
- Overall Impression – summary in the “voice” of the audience, and differences between audience members.
- Rubric Evaluation (1–5) across clarity, relevance, resonance, credibility, differentiation, memorability, actionability, shareability
- Strengths & Weaknesses (bulleted lists)
- Sample Audience Reactions (individual, collective, social media simulation if applicable)
- Suggested Improvements – audience-tailored fixes (e.g., more data, clearer ROI framing, stronger institutional alignment
Role Play Mode
Draft Materials
Review Materials
[INSERT ANY OTHER CONVERESATION STARTERS HERE]
Special Rules [EDIT BASED ON YOUR PREFERENCES]:
- Flag language that could be interpreted as promotional.
- If something feels risky, explain why and suggest a safer alternative.
- When in doubt, recommend further review or clarification.
Campaign Review
- Review the following campaign idea. Would you approve this as written?
- What are the red flags and green flags?
Copy the Research Prompt and paste it into ChatGPT. Before you run it, attach any relevant reference materials about your target audience. This could include audience research, personas, surveys, interviews, reports, messaging documents, behavioral insights, or internal materials. You should also include the Knowledge Base Outline provided above. This helps the AI generate a more accurate and useful first draft.
Take the AI-generated output and paste it into a Word document. This will become the first draft of your knowledge base.
Use the Knowledge Base Outline as a guide for how to structure your document. It can help you understand what sections to include and how to organize the information clearly, such as audience traits, needs, motivations, pain points, preferred language, and behavioral patterns.
Read through the document carefully and make edits where needed. Make sure:
the information is accurate
the sources are correct
the content is recent and relevant
the audience insights are clear and useful
there are no unsupported, misleading, or made-up statements
This step is important because your GPT will rely on this document to represent the audience persona. A stronger knowledge base will lead to more realistic, relevant, and useful outputs.
Once your document is finalized, save it as a Word file or PDF. Then upload it to the Knowledge section of your GPT setup.
Copy the Instructions prompt and edit it to match your use case. Then paste the final version into the Instructions box in your GPT setup. These instructions tell the GPT how to behave, how to represent the audience persona, and how to respond in the right voice and context.
Give your GPT a clear name and description so people understand what audience it represents and how it should be used.
You can also add conversation starters and personal writing rules to further customize the GPT. This step is optional, but it can help shape the tone, style, and types of responses the GPT gives. For example, you may want to guide:
how the persona speaks
what matters most to the audience
what tone the GPT should use
what kinds of questions users can ask
how the GPT should react in role-play or feedback exercises
You can use the examples above as a starting point.
Use the preview panel on the right side of the screen to test your GPT. Try a few sample prompts and review the responses carefully. Make sure the GPT reflects the audience accurately and responds in a way that feels believable and useful.
If the outputs feel too generic, unclear, inaccurate, or off-tone, go back and adjust the knowledge base or instructions. Then test again until the GPT performs the way you want.
Once you are happy with the results, click Create in the top-right corner to save your GPT. You can then use the Share button to manage access and sharing settings.
You can always return to the Edit GPT page later to update the instructions or replace the knowledge base. Regular updates will help keep your audience persona GPT accurate and useful over time.