Teams can gather information for personas by interacting with users in face-to-face interviews (in person or via video chat tools), distributing surveys, and studying analytics which offers insights into varying user behavior. Different types of users should be grouped into segments, and a persona for each should be created.
A buyer persona is a document which captures a representation of a target consumer, based on data gathered through market research and analysis of current buyers. It helps teams to understand the people most likely to purchase their products and why — enabling them to deliver maximum satisfaction and value.
A user persona is an overview of a potential or existing user of a product, website, or service. These are separate from buyer personas and focus on identifying the needs, behaviors, expectations, and issues users have. You may have several personas across different demographics, industries, etc.
In UX, a persona is used to capture a specific target user — who they are, why they want/need the product, their pains, and gains — to help UX teams recognize the key features and functions a product requires. Personas should be concise (2 pages max) with fictional and factual insights (e.g. a name, short bio, occupation, etc.).