Over the past few weeks, I’ve covered a lot of social media tactics on this blog — from how to use hashtags and get more engagement on Instagram to the best free social media tools for small businesses.
But today, I want to talk about something that speaks to the heart of your business — something that should form the foundation of all of your marketing activities, including your social media.
Specifically, I want to talk about who you’re talking to when you post on social media, write your website copy or send out an email blast.
I want to know: Who exactly is your ideal customer or client?
Who is your ideal customer or client?
When I first ask my clients to describe their ideal customer or client, one of the most common responses I get is this:
“Oh, I can’t really narrow it down — my customers are everyone! All kinds of people shop here, eat here, purchase my services, etc.”
Is this your response, too? If so, keep reading…
Why “everyone” isn’t your ideal customer
So here’s the thing…
Your customers or clients may very well be “everyone” — women, men, teens, urbanites, country dwellers, newlyweds, parents with young kids, seniors, impulse shoppers, animal lovers, travel enthusiasts, whatever — and that’s great.
But when it comes to your marketing — including your social media — you need to be laser-focused on speaking directly to your ideal customer or client.
Why?
Because if you try to appeal to everyone in your marketing messages, whatever you end up putting out there is going to be seriously watered down. And then it’s just going to get lost in all the other online noise.
Your social media posts aren’t going to get attention. They’re not going to win you any new fans. They’re not going to make an impact on anyone, let alone your ideal customers or clients.
In other words, if you try to speak to everyone, you’ll end up not being heard by anyone.
Some real-world examples
Think of some of the most successful brands out there: Apple. Nike. Lululemon. Coca-Cola. Louis Vuitton. Budweiser. Mercedes-Benz.
All kinds of people buy their products. But their marketing is very specific. They target a specific niche. They have an ideal customer in mind.
For example, Apple targets creative, tech-savvy, urban professionals, ages 25-40, who appreciate good design.
Are those the only people who buy Apple products? Definitely not.
But they are who Apple targets in their marketing because, at the end of the day, those are their ideal customers — the linchpin for the rest of their success.
What is an ideal customer or client?
So what exactly makes someone an ideal customer or client is? Let’s break it down:
➡️ They’re the person who’s going to become a regular customer or client, or a high-value customer or client
➡️ They’re going to love shopping and/or working with you so much that they tell everyone they know how great you are
➡️ They represent the bread and butter of your business — the people you know you need in order for your core business to succeed
➡️ They’re the person you’re best at serving and/or working with
➡️ They’re the type of customer or client you enjoy serving or working with the most
So who is your ideal customer or client?
Go through the points above and start mapping out what an ideal customer or client looks like for you.
Think about things like age, location, marital status, parental status, life stage, occupation, hobbies, interests — anything to help you hone in on who your people are.
Once you figure this out, you can start diving deeper:
➡️ What are their biggest struggles, and how does your business help with them?
➡️ What are their greatest desires, and how does your business help fulfill them?
Once you understand your ideal customer or client, you can start using the words, messages, visuals, etc. that are going to resonate with them in your marketing, including your social media posts.
You’ll be able to cut through the clutter in the sea of online noise and finally reach your people — the people who are going to become your best customers and make running your business more profitable and more rewarding.
The bottom line
Knowing who your ideal customer or client is isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely essential to your success.
Need help honing in? Send me a message and we can figure it out together!
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