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Hi there!
This week I spent some time doing some work on who my ideal customer is. My ideal customer has changed a couple of times now, so it doesn't have to be set in stone. But it's useful work to do so you can be really clear on who your services are for.
1 What does ideal customer mean?
It's having an idea of the person who is going to be buying your products or services. I like to use the example of a radio station. Imagine the sort of person who listens to Classic FM. Now imagine someone who listens to Planet Rock. Are they different people? What do they look like? How do they dress and where do they shop?
Each radio station has an ideal client in mind and they create everything around that person. If you had a radio station that put on dubstep one minute, then heavy metal, then Beethoven...it would be very confusing to the listener and many people would find it hard to relate to. By narrowing down and serving less people, you get more engagement, connection and loyalty and actually start to attract true fans.
2 Connection
When you work out the type of person that would be interested in what you are offering, you can tailor your language and offering to them. This helps you stand out. I went to a market last summer and there was one stall offering bottles of alcohol of all kinds, like a big jumble sale of bottles of vodka, rum, gin and more. And then there was another stall that offered just one type of gin but it was handmade in Plymouth. The second stall got my business because it was unique, and uncluttered and they were serving just people like me who want local handmade things. And because it was exactly my kind of thing I recommended it to other people who went and got some too. Sometimes appealing to everyone can prevent you from appealing to anyone.
3 Increased Sales
You will find that by attracting the people that you want to buy your products, that you will also repel people that don't like what you are offering. To use the music example again, some people just cannot stand some types of music but are totally passionate about another genre. By being specific about who you serve, you will shed followers but attract buyers! The people who love what you do and will not only buy but recommend you to others.
How to start...
Grab a pen and see if you can write 100 words about your ideal customer. Are they male or female? How old are they? Which supermarket would they shop at? Where do they buy clothes? Which magazines do they buy? What job do they have?
By asking these things you can tailor your offering to a specific person and start getting clearer on your marketing to them.
If you need further help come and join my membership here where I go into detail about how to turn your hobby into online sales.
Have a great day!
Kat Xx
