There are a great number of small business owners currently trading, more than you might think, making profits and succeeding in business, who don’t know about their ideal client. Do you know who your ideal client is? Is it something you think about? No matter where you are on your business journey, if you have a desire to connect with the online community and develop new relationships with potential customers, then it’s important to understand your target audience.

Your target audience are the people you want to attract into your business. You may have a general idea of who these people are because of your current and previous customers but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve identified who the ideal ones are.

It’s a real person don’t forget. They share your core values and ethos. That’s why they’re attracted to your brand or business. Your social media content is a great way to make this connection because it’s an opportunity to share aspects of your core values and experiences. And you might not know this but your audience like reading about the challenges you have faced and how you overcame them. It adds value to your story, business and the services you provide.

Online Community: They Are Looking For YOU!

Your ideal audience or online community are just like you. It’s likely you’re, in many respects, your own ideal customer. You identified a need and began to offer the solution. But think about it, there’s thousands of like-minded people out there and they are looking for you. Right now in this very moment someone is searching the internet for YOU. But it’s just so difficult to navigate this online world because it’s saturated with choice.

This ideal client, it helps to give them a name. Say hello to Claire. Claire keeps settling for other businesses who kind-of-offers what she needs but it’s not perfect. They aren’t ideal. There’s something not quite right about it but Claire’s not been able to find the right fit so she continues to work with her not-so-ideal provider.

What else is she supposed to do?

She has no choice because Claire hasn’t found you! Not yet! Is it Claire’s fault? No. And it’s not 100% yours either. There is a missing link in the chain which could bring the two of you together and somehow, it’s your job, as the provider of a service or product, to identify it and put it in place so Claire can find it. And use it. And become your ideal client and part of your community.

How do you find Claire?

Understanding Your Target Audience Produces Ideal Clients

That’s right. Understanding your target audience, Claire, produces the ideal client. Here is a practical exercise to begin formulating an idea of who your ideal client is.

From this moment on, please add your own name for your ideal customer. Or possibly don’t name her/him until the end of the exercise.

Identifying your target audience by asking the following questions:

• Who buys your products or services and why?
• Is your business designed to target a particular gender?
• Where else do they like to shop?
• Where is their ideal holiday destination?
• Do they have children?
• If you were going to a restaurant with your ideal customer, where would they like to eat?
• What television shows do they like?
• Do they have the time to watch the television?
• Are they physically active? Gym membership? Country walks?
• What other hobbies do they have?
• Are they fellow business owners? Self-employed? Employed?
• Why would they choose you over a competitor?
• What is the problem you can help them solve?
• What do they expect from you as a service provider?

Once you’ve answered all those questions, write a few more. Personalise and tailor the questions to fit what you currently know your recent customers and what might be important to consider about the future. Once completed, if you haven’t already, give this ideal client a name and voila, you have identified your ideal client.

Engaging With Your Ideal Customer: Think SEO

Now it’s time to start engaging with your ideal customer and the best way to achieve this is to begin thinking SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is how you get ranked higher in search engines such as Google. Claire looks for you by using words, or phrases that best describe what she’s looking for. She’s looking for that link that will connect you together. You supply that link by ranking higher in search engines by optimising your written content to showcase your products and services. The more visible you become the more Claires can find you.

We want to attract as many Claire’s as possible because she is a quality visitor. Someone likely to convert into a customer once she’s engaged with your website or social media. You don’t need a thousand Bobs looking through our online content because they are not your target audience.

Optimising your website is vital but this should be developed in conjunction with a well planned social media strategy. This is how your ideal client learns about your story and makes that personal connection. To find out how to create a 30 Day social media strategy and about all things SEO, contact us today for further details.

And good luck with identifying your ideal client and drop some of their names below when you’ve completed the exercise and tell us about who they are.