Who’s Your Ideal Client? A Quick and Easy Tip


One reason why so many entrepreneurs are feeling frustrated with social networking and marketing in general is because of an unclear idea of who their ideal client is.

“Everyone”, “women”, “people”… those aren’t really great answers. And if you follow my blog, you know I’ve touched on this subject before…  and it bears repeating.

Lorrie Morgan Ferrero of Red Hot Copy uses a word “tarket” to identify a specific person you profile to embody your ideal client.It’s an extremely helpful exercise to identify your tarket. I take myself through this process a few times a year to keep my “voice” fresh and my content relevant.

Here’s a breakdown of the process:

You start with your Target Market: that big demographic description such as empty nesters with a high disposable income, or urban moms with toddlers.

Then you create a profile of ONE person in that Target Market who embodies the typical member of that group.

You get really deep into this profile, going so far as what keeps her/him up at night, marital status, political preferences… you name it.

I don’t suggest you make something up out of thin air. When I do this,  I find it helpful to base this on a client I’ve worked with before. I pick my pet clients, the ones who were an absolute joy to work with. I want more of them!

Once you identify an ideal client, several things start to happen:

  1. You begin to understand what words are music to your ideal client’s ears. This makes writing articles, blogs, naming programs, etc, much easier.
  2. You know who to say Yes to and who to say No to (perhaps the single most important skill an entrepreneur can have)
  3. Joint venture opportunities can be easily identified, as you’ll begin to see how your ideal client’s needs can be met through strategic alliances.
  4. Pitching the media or bloggers is easier because you have a clear understanding of an ideal match.

Having a clear idea of your ideal client eases your marketing, but in the long run it eases your mind.

Rather than trying to be all things to all people, you can be the obvious solution to a select audience.


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About Nancy Marmolejo

I'm a soul-driven strategist who teaches entrepreneurs how to turn followers into fans and fans into clients using social media and heart based marketing. My approach integrates proven strategies and intuitive hits so each client finds her special way to stand out and sizzle in the spotlight.

  • http://www.michelepw.com/blog Michele PW

    Hi Nancy,

    I am SO glad you covered this again — this is one of those topics that is always good as a refresher. I think what happens is people get so worried they're missing a potential customer and then they start broadening their target market. And this is especially true now, with the economy, people can start operating from fear (and perfectly understandable) so they start to worry they're losing business. But the ironic thing is they'll attract MORE business limiting their target market then by broadening. If they can keep remembering that, they'll have an easier time with their marketing.

    <abbr>Michele PWs last blog post..Business Success — How to Create the Twilight Series Success in Your Business</abbr>

  • http://www.vivavisibilityblog.com Nancy Marmolejo

    Michele, I remember about a million years ago you and I did a teleseminar that touched upon the importance of an ideal client, and it remains relevant today. I always try to explain that I market to a mindset more than a demographic, and exploring the "tarket" zeroes in on that.

  • http://big-sister-coaching.com Marlowe

    Hi Nancy – I just LOVE what you said about marketing to a mindset rather than a demographic.

    Can you point me to anywhere on your site where you speak further on this – I want to learn more.

    Warm regards,

    Marlowe

    <abbr>Marlowes last blog post..Millions Of Millionaires In The US – How To Become One Of Them</abbr>

  • http://www.essdreamteam.com Karen Brunet – ESS

    Excellent topic. Knowing your ideal client is the foundation for everything you do online from developing keywords to site design to writing articles and marketing.

    I really like the way you started broad and narrowed it down. This was truely a quick and easy tip!

    Karen Brunet – ESS

    It's not just a website…It's the Mother Lode!

  • http://www.vivavisibilityblog.com Nancy Marmolejo

    @Marlowe, with that encouragement I think I'll write more about marketing to a mindset! I weave it into all my work, maybe I'm not as overt as I could be. Perhaps the time is now! Take a look at my Stand Out, Get Noticed, Get More Business Mastermind because that for sure is driven by a mindset of high achieving, soul driven entrepreneurs.

  • http://tw-utorial.com Donna @WWAHHMpreneur

    I have been working hard on pinpointing my market audience lately. Then I came across this blog article and jumped for joy.

    Thanks so much.

    Your writing / lessons are always so simple and actionable.

    I really appreciate it, and I am putting this and your audio tips to good use. Will let u know my progress. Thanx!

    <abbr>Donna @WWAHHMpreneurs last blog post..Getting Twitter: Understanding Community in Online Networking</abbr>