Finding the one- your ideal customer Awaits
Have you ever heard of the spaghetti method? I might be making this one up, but the spaghetti method is when you throw everything at the wall to see what sticks.
While I can’t think of any times that I would use this method, there are times when you can absolutely NOT use the spaghetti method. And that's when defining your ideal customer or ICA (Ideal Customer Avatar).
This is crucial to whatever business you're running. And it can be the easiest or hardest thing to do.
Lucky for you, I'm here to guide you through the secrets to building meaningful connections and igniting your brand's success. Scroll down to the bottom for a freebie to keep you on track!
Creating Your Ideal Customer Profile:
It's more than demographics. Yes, their annual income is important. But knowing where they live will only help you if you're targeting people in a certain area. We're focusing on a few things:
Psychographics: values, lifestyle choices
Behaviors: What are their buying habits? Why are they buying the things they are buying? Where are they buying?
Pain points: What are their problems? What are they looking for?
Motivations: What makes them buy? What makes them tick?
Having this information will only help you when crafting your messaging.
Social Media, aka having a VIP pass to their minds:
Unlock your customers' world with social media. And get a sense of who's already in your brand's orbit by looking at your audience insights on IG and Facebook.
Take a look at the analytics of your social pages, and you'll find a wealth of information.
Online Communities:
Want to know how your ICA speaks? Online forums like Reddit, Quora, & even Facebook Groups will have you speaking like your customers in no time!
But don't just lurk; get involved, share some knowledge, and ask questions.
Customer Surveys and Interviews:
You already have a customer base. Why not ask them what they're looking for?
It doesn't have to be formal; it can be as simple as doing a poll on your IG or LinkedIn page.
Feeling more personal? Send a survey to a segment of your email list with tools like Typeform or Google Forms.
When asking questions, make sure they are focused on their pain points, preferences, etc.
Strapped for time or feeling a little overwhelmed? You can host a "focus group" on ChatGPT, depending on the input- More on this later!
Data Analytics:
Love it or hate it, analytics is your best friend when making ANY decisions for your business.
By taking a looking at this info you can see who's been visiting your website, where they're coming from, and what they're doing when they get there.
Finding patterns and optimizing your marketing efforts has never been so exciting!
Competitor Analysis:
You know the phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer?
Don't take this literally but knowing who and what your competitors are doing can only help you.
Play chess, not checkers with tools like SEMrush, Similar Web, or SpyFy, to see traffic sources, audiences, demographics, and keywords.
You made it! You now have the strategies and tools to define your ideal customer. Things to note- this is not a one-time thing but an ongoing effort. Keep exploring and be prepared to redefine your ICA as your brand grows.
Not sure you’ll remember what to do and where to go? I’ve put together a little freebie with a few of my favorite tools below.
‘til next time!
TLDR: Defining your ideal customer isn’t easy. The steps and tools to make it a little easier.
