Ah, the mythical perfect customer. You know, the cheerful one who orders your product ahead of time, schedules regular service appointments, or never has an issue or complaint. They accept your advice on the best item or service, rave about you to all their friends and family, and pay with a smile.
And they probably don’t exist.
However, in terms of marketing your company there is the ideal customer or client and it’s very important to identify them in order to attract the right business and increase your profits.
Identify Your Goals
To make your marketing budget more effective and successful, you’ll want to identify your own particular goals for the business. Rather than just “wanting more customers,” be specific.
These objectives will most likely align with your product, specialty, or key services offered, such as:
Health and wellness supplements
Homestyle cooking
Personal fitness training
Heating and cooling products or servicing
Beauty products or treatments
It goes without saying, if your business specializes in HVAC services, you won’t be targeting renters. Likewise, if you provide cosmetic treatments, you will likely target clients in a certain income bracket.
Who you serve – and who you want to serve – will shape the profile of the customer for whom your marketing is tailored.
The Ideal Client’s Profile
Once you’re clearer on what your business’s objectives are, it’s much easier to create an ideal customer or client profile. Age and income are just two of the factors to consider when outlining your target demographic.
The first consideration is geographic. If your brick-and-mortar company is in a rural area, your net may be cast wider than a similar business in a high-density city neighborhood. Do you offer a specialty that clients are likely to drive a long way to receive? Are you a family-oriented business seeking new customers in a rapidly developing neighborhood?
Companies that provide pricier services or products will be looking at potential customers in certain income, education, and occupation brackets.
Even the ideal client will have challenges, and it’s wise to look at their pain points to determine if it’s something you already address. Do they need more flexible hours for a busy family? Are they looking for vegan or gluten-free food options?
Defining the facets of your target customer will make it all the more simple to reach out to them.
Reaching the Ideal Customer
Now is the time to use the knowledge you’ve acquired about your ideal customer and determine where to find them – and how to attract them to your business. Thanks to technology, there are a variety of advanced digital marketing tools with which to help with this task. A few include:
• Geofencing. By creating a virtual fence around your target locations – and subsequently your target client – you can use their mobile location to send ads for just pennies. Health-conscious adults can be found at local fitness centers. Target new clients in town at a recently developed housing community.
• Website Retargeting. When locals are looking for any new business, they almost exclusively use the internet to do their research. With website retargeting, prospective customers will see your ads – and their desired service or product – for 30 days following a visit to your site, whether they reach out or not. This vital tool is cost-effective and easy to customize for the ideal client.
• Keyword Retargeting. Keywords are the specific words and phrases potential customers use when seeking out a particular business. So, if you’re hoping to gain more clients for a certain service such as skincare or esthetics, you’ll integrate those keywords into your website, social media, and other SEO marketing tools.
• Facebook Ads. When advertising on Facebook, you’re able to really zoom in on the details of your ideal customer by making sure your ads fit their criteria. Their Core Audiences tool includes location, demographics, interests, as well as consumer preferences.
Whichever marketing tool you use, make sure your messaging speaks directly to the ideal prospective customer. For example, don’t use trendy terms on TikTok if your primary target is the senior market. But do use encouraging and wellness-minded language for the personal fitness market.
If you’d like more information on identifying and speaking to your ideal client, we can help. RAMP Marketing for Business can provide the insights needed as well as the marketing tools required to reach them. The ideal customer in marketing is not a mythical creature. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.