Branding IV:  How to Identify Your IDEAL Client

If there’s one mistake that new—and sometimes even established—business owners make, it’s this: failing to develop a clear vision of her ideal client.

Too often we think our service or product is “for everyone.” And while it might be true that everyone could use your help, it’s simply not possible for you and your brand to appeal to everyone. Your prices might not be in line with what some can afford. Your branding might not resonate with others. Your story may not touch everyone with the same sense of urgency.

And when you try to reach everyone, rather than narrowing your focus to your truly ideal client, you dilute your message, making it even less likely that those perfect customers will find you.

But if you’re just starting out, it can seem an impossible task to know who your ideal client is.

How to define your ideal client

Start with these three points.

1. Gender. Is your ideal client a male or female? While men and women might both read and enjoy your content—and even buy your products—you will most likely find that your market is skewed heavily one way or the other. Men and women are different, and they are affected by stories and branding in very different ways, so what appeals to a man will not always appeal to a woman. Look around at some of the brands you buy, and you’ll quickly see how they form their messages to appeal to one or the other, but very rarely both.
2. Goals. What does your ideal client hope to achieve, and how do your products and services help to realize those goals? Whether she’s trying to build a profitable crafting blog so she can stay home with her children, or he’s working to create an online resource for muscle car fans, if you don’t know where they’re going, you can’t help them get there.
3. His or her point in the journey. Is your ideal client a beginner or well along on the path? How you speak, how you write, what marketing methods you use, and even what prices you charge will all be determined by your ideal client’s level of sophistication.

Whether you’re teaching beginning knitters how to cast on, or helping couch potatoes train for their first 5k, their level of commitment (and willingness to spend) is far different from a long-time knitter who is discovering intarsia, or a runner working up to a triathlon. And you will not reach your market effectively if you don’t know exactly where they are and what they need at this point.

Of course, if you’re just starting out, you might not yet know who your ideal client is. That’s okay, too. But pay attention, because they will tell you. They’ll tell you through the products and services they buy. They’ll tell you by following you (or not) on social media. They’ll tell you by commenting on your blog and asking questions that are relevant to them.

Watch your interactions, study the businesses of those who contact you for help, and take a look at what your competition is doing, and soon enough you’ll have a clear understanding of who your ideal client really is.

Why is it important to define your perfect prospect?

Once you understand the details of your perfect prospect, you can then determine their specific pain points and be able to target your advertising to the very specific pain points that that prospect is experiencing.  That advertising will get you very targeted prospects who will then respond to your products and/or services at a much higher rate than the general public.

Think about it.  If you are a female who has had trouble losing weight after pregnancy, you will be much more tuned in to hear about a way to lose weight that is proven for “females who have had trouble losing weight after pregnancy” than any other ad because it is targeted to your exact situation.

A generic “lose weight” ad would have little interest by contrast even though it might be advertising the same product line or service.

I know it’s contrary to “old school thinking” but narrowing your focus to a smaller, more tightly defined audience will actually get you more sales, more prospects and better response to your ads.

Extra benefit of defining your perfect prospect

Once you know the specific characteristics of your perfect prospect including his pain points and what keeps him up at night, you can then target your advertising to solve those specific pain points.

This sets you apart from the crowd and puts you in a unique situation in the online advertising world.

Few people will take the time to define their perfect prospect.  Those who do, like you, will have specific solutions for those people who no one else will have.  Your unique solutions will sell better and faster!

After I wrote the above five branding articles, I came across this video by Derek Halpern on his “Social Triggers” YouTube channel.

I’ve seen this discussed by three or four major marketers recently, not all using the same wording or nomenclature but all with the same message.

That is that you should not treat all of your customers the same.

They break the characteristics of branding – your ideal client definition, down into three categories based on how much the customer understands his own problems.

1. The Informed Customer:  Knows his problem and knows there is a solution.
   Your advertisement to him should show unique features of how your product or service will solve his problem.
   He will be ready to buy with a good explanation by your advertisement.
2. The Afflicted Customer:  This prospect knows he has a problem but may not know the specifics of it, much about it or how to solve it.
   Your advertising should target his specific issue and explain how this can be solved easily with your product or service.
3. The Oblivious Customer:  This is the biggest segment of your target market.
   These folks don’t know they have a problem and certainly are not looking for a solution.   A series of fundamental education is needed to get them into Category 2 (the Afflicted Customer).  You must develop some serious “know, like and trust” with the prospect to get this message across.

I recommend you listen to Derek’s explanation in this 11 Min video.  He explains this concept much more eloquently than I and it will help with your understanding: https://youtu.be/Xsu0KHBsvpE

Feel free to email or call me at any time.

Here’s to Your Business Success,
Fred Raley
703-203-4648
www.SubmarineGuy.com
Fred@SubmarineGuy.com

Copyright © Submarine Guy. All Rights Reserved.