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Indianapolis & Ft. Wayne, Indiana
260-602-8043
Taylor@HowenstineDesigns.com
Why it’s so important to have a firm grasp on the target audience?. What are the benefits of having a clear target market? Why is it important to know who you don’t want to target? Want the playbook/workbook that can be used to better understand and identify customer needs/wants/motivations?
One of the most important steps in building your brand is identifying your ideal client. First off, because your customer is who keeps the lights on so why not cater everything to their needs and wants. Second, time is valuable, and pinpointing the most worthwhile customers will ensure your sales team isn’t wasting hours marketing to people who aren’t likely to want or need your services in the first place. When you go fishing, you usually aim to catch a specific species using a particular bait or rig. You may have nibbles of success here and there with a generic all-purpose worm, but trophy fish are caught with specific lures.
“When you try to be everything to everyone, you accomplish being nothing to anyone”
Bonnie Gillespie
One way to find your ideal client is to create an ideal client profile (ICP). Identifying your ICP will help you get the most value out of your marketing strategy and provide the highest probability of future success. An ICP is created through a mixture of customer surveys, reviews, interviews, and internal missions and visions. In a game of darts, the ideal client would be considered the bullseye. You want to throw your dart as close as possible to that client, instead of throwing your marketing anywhere and hoping it finds the right customer. Equip your dart throwing form with the training and exercises to increase your chances of hitting a bullseye.
What is the lowest possible cost a client would have to pay for your services? Some clients might not even have the budget for your products. Are you targeting the clients with budgets that match your expectations?
Are there specific niches or markets in which you work best? Are there any in which you know you would struggle?
Is there a specific region in which you’d like to stick? What distance would you be willing to travel to work with a client in another city, state, or country?
Would you be able to meet your clients demands or guarantee response times?
What is the lowest possible cost a client would have to pay for your services? Some clients might not even have the budget for your products. Are you targeting the clients with budgets that match your expectations?
Would there be any restrictions on your goods or services? Such as location, government, or age restrictions? This is big with sports gambling right now. Sportsbooks don’t waste time trying to find customers in states where it’s not legal.
Consider how social media tracks your likes and favorites and uses them to advertise. Someone who likes or favorites posts that offer men’s grooming care is likely to see future advertisements for those products. It wouldn’t make sense for a women’s shoe company to waste advertisements on a male in his 30s who often likes posts about beard products. Knowing your ideal client will save your business time and money while marketing your brand.
Want some light reading and a few exercises on how to save time and money? Check out our brand strategy E-book, this asks 5 simple but important questions and gives you exercises with a workbook on how to answer these questions for your business. If so, follow this link below or if you are interested in a full brand strategy workshop call or text us at 260-602-8043 Or email at Taylor@howenstinedesigns.com.
