The ancient Greek storyteller Aesop once said, “In trying to please all, he had pleased none.” The same can be said for marketing.
What does your ideal client look like? What are their needs and what problems do they face? It’s important that you know in order to grow a profitable business.
It is perhaps surprising that many business people don’t really know who their ideal clients are. Many will say their product or service can be used by everyone. In some cases this might be true. However, here is the issue: Do you really want to deal with everyone?
Not all clients are created equal; some will help your business flourish while others will just drag it down.
In my previous post, I explained the benefits of looking after your existing customers.
Here are the reasons I gave:
- It is expensive to acquire new customers — in terms of both time and money. And, if they don’t work out, they could end up costing you money.
- They spend more — because they trust you and understand the value you provide.
- They give you more referrals — they know you are good, so they refer you to their associates with confidence.
So, wouldn’t you like more customers like them? It makes sense, doesn’t it?
If you clearly identify who your ideal clients are — the ones you like to work with and who like to work with you — they will become your ‘happy clients’. They will rave about you and refer you to their friends. This is simply because you meet their needs – your product or service is ideal for them.
Be specific
So, to find your ideal clients, you must be specific. The better you know them, the easier it is to address their specific needs and problems and to ignite their interest. A generic marketing campaign runs the risk of exciting no-one.
Knowing who your ideal clients are will also help you understand where they are. For example, do they use Facebook or Linkedin? Or are they from a generation that prefers print media?
Keywords
This leads me to keywords. Keywords are the cornerstone of your key marketing messages and enable you to maximise your digital marketing efforts. So, when you know who your ideal clients are, you can identify powerful promotional keywords with confidence.
Don’t try to please everyone
So, as Aesop says, don’t try to please everyone. Identify your ideal clients instead.
If you are struggling to gain the clarity you need, Signpost Consulting is running a workshop in October called Discover Your Ideal Client. Click here to enrol.
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