Who is your ideal customer?

When marketing your business, it can be tempting to try and appeal to as many people as possible with a broad sales message. But the reality of trying to speak with ‘everybody’ is you end up connecting with nobody.

Think about the people you work with now and who you want to work with in the future, and dissect the characteristics of these people down into two or three ‘ideal’ customers.

Who are they, what do they like/want/need, what problems do they have, how can you fix them and why should they come to you?

Also think about what your ideal customer would prioritise; are they looking for a quick fix, a quality product that will last years, or do they require advice and a personal service?

Once you have created your ideal customer profiles, rewrite your sales message as if you were talking directly to them. You will then have two or three really strong sales messages that will each resonate with a particular segment of your audience. Sharing different aspects of your message in three different ways will connect three different types of customer.

For example, if you sold shoes, a generic sales message might attract people who need shoes but they might be looking for walking shoes, party shoes or children’s shoes. But if you sold specialist hill walking boots, then you would be more likely to attract customers with a targeted sales message about outdoor shoes. Likewise, if you specialise in wide fit ladies party shoes or soft Italian leather children’s shoes, then a sales message that focuses on the problems that particular type of customer may experience will highlight the benefits of how you can solve that problem for them.

Once you know what to say, think about how you are going to communicate your message. Read our article about ‘Brand Language - How To Find Your Voice’.

Your message will target your customer through keywords and phrases they might be using, through use of language, and through design, including typography and imagery, to attract a specific type of customer.