- Get clear on your ideal client’s voice
- Discover what you need from them and more importantly, what they need from you!
- Leave the template with a clarity and purpose!
The most important person in any business – THE CUSTOMER. I know, I know – going into business for yourself, sometimes you think,
“Hey, It’s all about me for a change, right?”
Nope. Never. Try again.
The key to unleashing success in any business marketing related activity is truly understanding your “target customer.” You may be asking yourself right now, well just who is my target customer? I thought my customers were everyone?
Believe it or not, your business is specific and has a key demographic. If you were selling Kobe steaks you wouldn’t market them to a vegan crowd, would you? I didn’t think so. This is why storytelling is so important in marketing.
WHY IS CUSTOMER PROFILING SO IMPORTANT?
Without understanding who your customer is, it’s nearly impossible to communicate your business and market your products and services. Having a clear idea of your target customer, including their demographics, preferences, personality, background etc., means you can know:
- What publications they read so you can advertise to them
- Which social media platforms and website they spend the most time on
- What types of design feel familiar and attractive to them
- How they like to be spoken to that makes them respond best
- Which events to attend to show up and sell to them
- How to tweak your products & pricing to fit them and solve their problems
WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR TARGET CUSTOMER?
Not every business owner goes to great lengths to profile their customers. Some have barely any specifics whatsoever and others, well they create great fiction that could fill library shelves. Personally, I recommend the best detail possible that you can use. Don’t go overboard – but be specific in your target customer information so that when it comes time to begin marketing you know just who you are talking to.
You’ll find that creating a target customer base is actually a lot of fun! Included is an interactive template (with some of the details I try to use) when thinking about my target customer.
- Basic demographics
- Home Life
- What are you looking for from me?
- Personality traits
- Media
IS THIS REALLY IMPORTANT?
Yes, looking at this template you’ll see I gave my “target client” a face and even a name. It’s small in detail and you’re probably thinking it’s a bit insignificant but it DOES matter. The smaller details add up and help you conceptualize this minute template into an actual person – a person who is interested in what you, why you do it, how you do it – and most importantly, wants you to do it for them.
Every time I am feeling a little out of touch with my target client, I reach for one of these and reassess.
