21:56
Faizan
I know... you hear ALL the freaking time about how you need to know your ideal client, be specific, blah blah blah.
Well, I hate to tell ya, but it's really true. You MUST be able to specifically describe your ideal client.
Here's the #1 reason why that's hard: you want to be of service. You have gifts to share. Your genius helps light up the world. From that place, you want to help the world! And so you say, "I can help everyone! Everyone needs my services!"
While that may be true to some degree, it's difficult to market to a generic "everyone." Your most effective marketing is the one that connects and resonates with the end-user, so much so that she says, "That's me!!! Wow, you really get me!" You can't do that if you're genericizing your marketing in order to not possibly leave anyone out.
Smart Business Tip: Give your ideal client a name. Visualize what she looks like, what she thinks about, what she's afraid of... then write directly to her. Let's call her Betty for now.
Here's what you need to know about Betty:
Demographics - We're talking census-type information: age, gender, education, profession, income, family size, marital status, color of eyes. Okay, just kidding on the eye color, but the more detailed and specific you are, the better. Start to see who Betty is.
Psychographics - This is what happens on the inside as opposed to what you see on the outside in the demographics area. What are your ideal client's values, opinions, attitudes, interests, lifestyle, personality? What is Betty like?
Challenges and Problems - This is where you start to zero in on how you can help your ideal client. What keeps her up at night? What are her biggest, most immediate pains? What words does she use to describe her issues? Once you know all this, you can speak directly to Betty through your marketing about how you can be of service to her.
Location - Where does she hang out? This is some of the most important research you can do, and a piece many entrepreneurs and small business owners leave out. If Betty, your ideal client, is an HR manager working full-time and making $100,000, are you going to find her at a Starbucks during the day? Is she networking? Probably not, if she's employed full time with a company. So, you have to figure out where to find her.
Once you've detailed all this, you now have a pretty descriptive sketch of Betty.
How do you use your sketch of Betty?
First, any time you write any material, from a sales page to a Facebook status update, read through your Betty sketch. Tap into your inner Betty-ness and draft your marketing material from that place. Using her words and really seeing her is going to make your marketing that much more effective. Secondly, once you find out where she hangs out, go there! Whether those are conferences, networking groups, associations, or other places, you need to be where Betty is. Finally, remember to review your sketch of Betty and tweak as you find out more information or your services evolve and perhaps become more niched.
Well, I hate to tell ya, but it's really true. You MUST be able to specifically describe your ideal client.
Here's the #1 reason why that's hard: you want to be of service. You have gifts to share. Your genius helps light up the world. From that place, you want to help the world! And so you say, "I can help everyone! Everyone needs my services!"
While that may be true to some degree, it's difficult to market to a generic "everyone." Your most effective marketing is the one that connects and resonates with the end-user, so much so that she says, "That's me!!! Wow, you really get me!" You can't do that if you're genericizing your marketing in order to not possibly leave anyone out.
Smart Business Tip: Give your ideal client a name. Visualize what she looks like, what she thinks about, what she's afraid of... then write directly to her. Let's call her Betty for now.
Here's what you need to know about Betty:
Demographics - We're talking census-type information: age, gender, education, profession, income, family size, marital status, color of eyes. Okay, just kidding on the eye color, but the more detailed and specific you are, the better. Start to see who Betty is.
Psychographics - This is what happens on the inside as opposed to what you see on the outside in the demographics area. What are your ideal client's values, opinions, attitudes, interests, lifestyle, personality? What is Betty like?
Challenges and Problems - This is where you start to zero in on how you can help your ideal client. What keeps her up at night? What are her biggest, most immediate pains? What words does she use to describe her issues? Once you know all this, you can speak directly to Betty through your marketing about how you can be of service to her.
Location - Where does she hang out? This is some of the most important research you can do, and a piece many entrepreneurs and small business owners leave out. If Betty, your ideal client, is an HR manager working full-time and making $100,000, are you going to find her at a Starbucks during the day? Is she networking? Probably not, if she's employed full time with a company. So, you have to figure out where to find her.
Once you've detailed all this, you now have a pretty descriptive sketch of Betty.
How do you use your sketch of Betty?
First, any time you write any material, from a sales page to a Facebook status update, read through your Betty sketch. Tap into your inner Betty-ness and draft your marketing material from that place. Using her words and really seeing her is going to make your marketing that much more effective. Secondly, once you find out where she hangs out, go there! Whether those are conferences, networking groups, associations, or other places, you need to be where Betty is. Finally, remember to review your sketch of Betty and tweak as you find out more information or your services evolve and perhaps become more niched.
Posted in: business
