Who is your Ideal Customer?
“Why is it important to know WHO your Ideal Customer is?” is a topic we address frequently with our clients. Most of our clients are small business owners, entrepreneurs, or nonprofits that are looking to improve their own marketing for a variety of reasons. When they first started in their current business, they had expertise or provided a service or product in an area that they knew they could monetize. Then they began the process of identifying and closing sales leads.
Sounds simple, right?
Here’s why this is a difficult scenario. Businesses that fail to identify and articulate their target audiences set themselves up for failure because they aren’t clear who they’re selling to. If you think EVERYONE needs your product or service, then your business will be lost in the noise of all other competitors; no matter how direct or indirectly related they are to what you offer. These businesses wonder why they struggle to close sales or find customers that are interested in their products.
Not everyone wants their teeth whitened, or needs landscaping help, or can afford a new car; for example. You need to figure out what type of person needs these things and WHY.
When you identify the specific problem you solve, you get a window into WHO needs your product.
You need to narrow down the traits of the IDEAL customer who’s unique problems are solved by your offers, as they are the folks who will more likely buy your product or service. Suddenly, it’s super clear what to say to that person to sell your product. As a result, your marketing is more focused, and your messaging is more specific.
We often ask our clients if they’ve created a customer avatar, buyer persona, or client profile for their Ideal Customer(s). When the client has those details in hand, it helps inform new products or services, identify new potential leads, build customer loyalty, and other bigger picture areas for their business. For us, it also helps give clear direction to our social media marketing strategies.
Here are some questions to help you identify your Ideal Customer.
What are the basic traits of your Ideal Customer?
Look at your current best customers and ask yourself: how old are they? Where do they live? What is their marital status? Do they have a family? What is their occupation? Are they homeowners or renters? What life stage are they currently in? What is their average household income?
When you can articulate these basic psychographic details, then you begin to get a better picture of who you’re selling to. You’ll need to query your sales team or even poll your best clients to get some of these details.
What are their buying behaviors?
Do they make purchases online or do they only buy in-person? Are they frequent shoppers? What brands do they buy from? Are they impulse shoppers or bargain hunters? Are they likely to conduct a lot of research before making a purchase or will they buy the cheapest/easiest solution? Survey your best clients to collect their general buying habits.
What are their goals, wants and needs?
What are they currently looking for? Is it something that you offer? What problem are they trying to solve? Is it an expensive problem? What kind of solution are they looking for? Are they the DIY type or are they looking to outsource?
In the marketing world, we call these customer “pain points“. Once you can identify your customer’s pain points, then you can position your product/service as THE SOLUTION to their problems, wants, or needs.
Applying the Ideal Customer persona or avatar
Let’s say you’re a local pet treat bakery that offers baked products and gift items for pets. You have a brick and mortar location in a small suburban town, and your website makes most of your products available online. Your Ideal Customer may likely be a local pet owner that frequently buys treats and other products for their pets. Their pain point is they want to purchase baked treats for their pet, but they’re staying home during the pandemic. Their goal is to find online options; ideally from a local small business. Your business solves their problem by offering your locally-baked pet treats through your online shop, which includes convenient home delivery options.
As a result, your business would now craft its messaging to emphasize (along with their Unique Service Proposition or USP) their local small business status, their online offerings, and their delivery services targeted to all the local pet owners in their area.
Know, Like, Trust
Done properly over time, your Ideal Customer begins to know, like, and trust your business and ultimately, become a loyal ambassador for your brand. Even if their pain points or goals change, they will continue to be fans of your business and recommend your services to others whose pain points align with your solutions.
Developing these customer avatars or buyer personas takes some time, research, and teamwork. However, it’s time well-spent that will laser-focus your marketing and drive your business efforts.
If this post was useful to you, please share it with others. If you’d like help with your social media marketing, schedule a complimentary Discovery Call or Contact Us to discuss your needs.
