7 Tips for Identifying your Ideal Clients

The hustle is real for small business owners like me. I work with a variety of different clients to help their businesses succeed. I’ve had to identify who my ideal clients are—and they have, too. It’s easy to say that you want everybody to patronize your business, but it’s better to have a niche customer base. Reeling in a few really great fish is always better than casting a wide net. But to get the ahi tuna and not the blob fish?

1.) Take a look at your current clients

Look at your current client base. What kind of individuals and businesses do you currently work with? Who’s the most enthusiastic? The most loyal? If you’re looking at individual customers, identify gender, age bracket, industry and other key details. This will help give you an idea of your “who’s who.”

2.) Ask yourself who you’d like to work with

It goes without saying that if you like what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with, you’re more likely to be successful. Ask yourself who you’d like to work with and find clients whose businesses, goals and projects excite and motivate you.

3.) Analyze their habits

Let’s say your best clients are fashionistas and beauty enthusiasts. What are they Googling? What products are they interested in? Which brands? What social media platforms do they use? Knowing what they want and where they’re looking for it will help you reach them more easily.

4.) Get in touch with your clients’ goals

Staying with our beauty-lover example, what is that person’s goal? Is it to achieve the perfect smoky eye? Maybe it’s to grow their own business as a makeup artist or esthetician. Knowing what their goals are can help you put together marketing content that appeals to them and engages them with your business.

5.) Provide solutions

According to Forbes, people make purchases for one of two reasons: they have a desire to be fulfilled or they need a problem solved. Your best bet is to find a way to identify a product or service your clients need, or a solution to their problem.

6.) Analyze buyer behavior

Buyer behavior is actually really interesting. There’s a science behind everything, from which direction people usually go when they first enter a store to what compels them to buy impulse items at the register. Take some time to learn how your clients behave and what their buying habits are. Understanding this will help you better serve your clients, whether they’re individual consumers or other businesses.

7.) Give ‘em what they want

Forbes uses a great example: If you’re trying to sell motorized wheelchairs and run a Facebook ad, you don't want it showing up in the newsfeed of a 21-year-old frat guy. You don’t do yourself any favors by targeting everyone when you should be targeting one specific group. Make a list of what your clients are looking for and give them what they want, where they want it.

Whether your services are catered to a broad or specific target audience, taking the time to rethink what your unique business goals are and the type of client you want to attract is worth it! Need help identifying your target audience and how to reach them all the better? Whether you’re a small business in Milwaukee or beyond, we have your back! Be sure to check out how our social media management and branding design can help you stand out amongst your competitors, or just give your online presence a revamp.