You hear it all the time. Define your ideal client. But you wonder, “What does that mean, and how do I do it?”. Well it doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems. Let’s dig in and define your ideal client.
What is an Ideal Client?
First off you need to know what an ideal client is. This is the person you want to attract and connect with, who is crazy about your work, buys what you create and gets inspired by what you do. Without this person, we are not really creating a brand or a business, but a hobby. If we want what we do to become a legit business, then we really need to be clear about who this person is.
Marketing to anyone and everyone does not work. As the saying goes, ‘If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one”.
In other words, you need to find a specific audience or a “niche”. Having a clear understanding of your ideal client will enable every touch point of your business to be succinct and effective. From your visuals to your marketing to your products or services themselves, you’ll be better able to target the right types of clients you truly want to be working with!
How to Niche Your Audience.
Sometimes finding a niche audience can be difficult. You may feel like your product or service would benefit everyone. That may be true, but you need to find that ONE person who will be a die hard fan and market to them. Everyone else is a bonus! If you are unsure who your ideal client is, first start broad and narrow down. Don’t be afraid to narrow in a specific group of people. Doing so will attract those people to you quicker and repel the others who aren’t a good fit.
Then think how you can refine that down further based on :
- Who you feel a connection to or drawn to help.
- The people you are excited about helping.
- Your own values or beliefs.
- Any gaps in the market you think you could fill.
You want to be strategic and thoughtful about picking a niche audience, not choosing one at random. Remember you want to be excited about helping them, and always on the lookout for ways to encourage them and share things with them, so there needs to be some level of connection or similarity.
Consider Your Ideal Client When You Brand.
Your audience can’t be an afterthought, and you can’t just hope that “brand it and they will come” will work. When you define your ideal client, it is the first step in building a solid foundation for your business. It is vital that you consider them from the start, before creating any branding, so that your visuals, your marketing, and your products or services themselves, can be tailored to your ideal client.
YOU + YOUR AUDIENCE + YOUR BUSINESS = YOUR BRAND. Each has its own unique character and elements that you can bring to the brand. But what is particularly important about considering your audience, is that these are the people that will make or break the business.
By considering your ideal client before you start branding, you are ensuring you know who you are marketing to, and considering what it is that will attract them and keep them.
What to Consider About Your Audience.
You need to consider who these people are and why they need you. Once you have decided how you will niche down your audience and who they are, think about and research the following about them.
- What are their hopes, dreams, or big goals?
- What styles and trends are they into?
- What kind of lifestyle do they have?
- Any behaviours or habits particular to what your brand does?
- What language do they use? Any words or phrases?
- How do they feel and how do they want to feel?
- What is your ideal client struggling with? Where do they need help?
- What other brands do they buy from and why do they opt for those brands?
- How do you want your ideal client to FEEL when they work with you?
- Where does your ideal client spend his/her time online? What social sites do they use, what blogs do they read, etc?
By identifying what challenges/pain points your ideal clients have, the goals they want to achieve and the blocks stopping them from doing so, you are able to create branding and messaging that speaks directly to them.
Ready to start creating your brand? Contact me to set up your complimentary consultation!
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