Maybe you just started your business . . . or maybe you’ve been in business for awhile, but you’re struggling to make consistent sales so it’s got you wondering: “How do I actually figure out who my ideal client is for my product/service?” Whichever situation you’re in, I want to share with you the simple, three-step formula I teach my clients on how to figure out EXACTLY how their ideal client is, and how to market to them in order to achieve massive benefits!
The first question you want to ask yourself is: “Who are my ideal client?” When it comes to figuring out this question it can sometimes be simple, but sometimes it can also be quite difficult. Say you’re a product-based business that sells stationery, so things like notebooks, planners, and notepads. You could cater to business owners, as they as a huge demographic that knows the importance of your products. But that doesn’t mean that other people, say students for example, coudln’t benefit from using your products as well . . .
This is where things can get complicated. You want to figure out who is your ONE perfect ideal client for your product/service but that doesn’t mean that other people can’t or won’t want to use it. I’m a business coach that caters specifically to women, but that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t coach men in business, or that I haven’t. In some respects, you’ll never know who sees your product/service and thinks, “I could probably benefit from this!”
The reason you want to pick one specific person is that this will allow you to cater your marketing and your content creation to that one specific person, like you’re having a conversation with them. Maybe you’ve heard the phrase: “If you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one?” Well that’s definitely true when it comes to your ideal client.
So think about who they truly are? Is it a man or a woman? What’s their age? Where do they live? What kinds of jobs do they have? Do they have kids? What do they watch on tv? What are their hobbies? Try to think of 25-50 questions like this that you can answer, with the main goal by the end to be that you know them like they’re you’re best friend.
The next question you want to ask yourself is: “Where exactly does this person hang out?” Now that you know who they are, you want to know WHERE they spend most of their time. Is this on YouTube? Instagram? Google? The clearer you can figure out where they spend their time online, the easier it will make it to market to them.
The easiest way to figure this out is to research your competitors and find out what sites they’re on, then look at the engagement that they’re getting. Chances are good that if they’re getting good engagement on say, Instagram, and they’re posting consistently on that platform, that they’ve done their research and came to the conclusion that Instagram is a great place to be.
Now, let’s bring it all home by asking one final question: “What are their challenges?” So in the case of the product-based business that sells stationery we were talking about before . . . what would be some of the problems that their ideal client is experiencing? Some of their problems could be:
A lack of organization
A need to analyze better
To increase their productivity
I’m sure while you were reading this, you even came up with a few of your own. The goal is to really hammer down the 3-5 problems that they’re experiencing, and how your product or service can help them alleviate these problems. When you figure these out, they will become the focal point of your marketing and your content.
When you know what kind of content to create, you now have your ideal client, who they are, where they hang out, and the problems that they’re experiencing. This is all you need to get started OR get back on track. Now, all you have to do is start creating content speaking to their problems and letting them know why your product is a solution, what it does, and most importantly, how it will help them solve their problems.
Nothing is more important than knowing exactly WHO your ideal client is, because when you know that, it sets your business foundation on solid ground and allows you to always be speaking and marketing to the RIGHT people.