Many people who run businesses online — especially in the popular coaching and consulting arena — often jump right into content creation before doing any of the real work to determine who their ideal client is and how to go about finding them. All they know is that they need to be creating content in order to attract buyers; however, they don't have a real clue on what they should be creating or why. There's no type of strategy or plan for it.
Often, it's easier for them to simply copy whatever the current trends are at the moment, especially when it comes to social media. Yet, their feelings are hurt and they start questioning everything about their business when they get “crickets” from their content. The thing is this — yes, you can put stuff out there to attempt to gain awareness, but if you're not tailoring the message to those who specifically need to hear it (and hear it from you), then you're wasting a LOT of time. And you definitely won't get the response you're expecting.
It's important to do a little research first to make sure that your marketing messages and other content are hitting the mark. Here are four (4) steps to help you out when it comes to uncovering your target audience so you can create content that speaks directly to them.
1. Create an image of your ideal client in your mind.
You know that you don't want to work with “just anybody,” so think about who your “perfect client” is. This goes well beyond the general audience that you could serve with your product or service. Think about your client base in terms of your overall business and how you want the business to fit into your life — and quite honestly, how you want to feel while running your business. (We don't talk about how we want to feel in our businesses enough, but we'll save that for another post.)
Who are the type of clients that will value your offerings as well as your time? Who are the type of clients that will be a joy to work with and will also sing your praises to all of their friends? Of course you want to nail down the usual ideal client demographics, but think BIGGER. Once you have the image of this “favorite client” in your mind, it makes it easier for you to imagine yourself speaking to them, ultimately attracting them to your business. It also cultivates a sense of appreciation and peace within that you'll have working with these types of clients.
So don't be afraid — go ahead and picture all the good things you'll experience working with the right clients and serving them to the highest and best of your capabilities.
2. Complete an Ideal Client Avatar worksheet.
Your Ideal Client Avatar (ICA) helps you visualize your future clients, their personalities, and how you will be able to relate to and interact with each other. It also makes your content more relatable, as you will be picturing this person and speaking directly to them when you're creating social media posts, showing up on video, or penning those emails. Give your ICA a name, and imagine everything about them — from their beliefs, their education, the type of car they drive, the places they shop, and even where they live. Get to know this client, and where they hang out, extremely well.
Write all of these things down in your business notebook, in a Google doc, or on an actual ICA worksheet. These things will not only help you craft what to say to your ideal client, but also where to say it. For example, if your aim is to connect with corporate decision makers, then you would need to craft messaging and positioning that showcases your expertise on a platform like LinkedIn or some other professional networking site. Not to say it doesn't happen, but you're less likely to connect with that type of buyer looking for that type of professional message on TikTok.
3. Connect with your ideal audience both online and offline.
As previously stated, knowing where to find your audience is just as important as knowing who that audience is. When looking to connect with your target market online, there are tons of tools and resources created to help you. You can also craft a killer digital marketing plan that attracts those ideal buyers to you. Using lead generation techniques and tactics like search engine optimization (SEO) can be pretty useful in finding your audience online. You can even find various groups on social media sites that are full of people interested in your topic. Just make sure when you're joining these groups, you respect the rules and you're using strategies that make you appear helpful and knowledgeable, not spammy and salesy.
Because so many people spend most of their efforts (and money!) on online marketing, we tend to forget how beneficial marketing offline can be. It has become so easy to get onto a search engine and find virtual networks with a few key words that we fail to realize we can do that to find in-person connections. Start searching for local business networking groups, the Chamber of Commerce in your city (or city nearby), and other community events. You'll also be shocked to learn of the number of opportunities available to you by simply connecting with another mom at a soccer game or PTO meeting. The key is being present in places where your potential client hangs out. Authentically connect with people, be “in the moment”, and don't be shy about talking about the lives you have helped change.
4. Continue to learn about your market and what they need help with.
The thing is, when you're in business, you're always doing some type of market research. It's never really done. Because the market can often change, as well as the need of your potential clients, you want to make sure you have a way to keep a pulse on what they really want. There are numerous stories out there about entrepreneurs creating entire programs and full product suites — spending thousands of dollars to bring it to market — only to launch to crickets because nobody asked them for it. Don't make the mistake of simply creating an offer based on what you want to deliver. That's a big part of it, because your energy and motivation matter, but you want to make sure you're actually offering what people want.
You don't have to guess at it either. There are tons of ways to do simple market research and find out what your audience is primed and ready to buy. You can hang out in virtual networking groups to see what their problems are and how they are talking about those problems. You can also be extremely direct and create polls to survey your audience. It can be as formal as emailing your list a survey you created using Google Forms, Typeform, or something similar. Or it can be a poll you created in your Instagram stories. The point is — get the data.
If you'd like help uncovering your target audience so you can begin attract and working with your favorite clients, be sure to download your Ideal Client Avatar worksheet. Then feel free to book a Business Review Session with us to review your business goals, assess your digital presence, and see how you can craft a winning plan to help accelerate your business growth.
