If you follow all of the social media "gurus," you'll hear them talk a lot about attracting your ideal client. They'll give you tips, tricks, and secrets on how to say or do things that appeal to your dream client. They'll say something like...
"Get specific! Think of all of the traits your ideal client has!"
"What's stopping them from buying? Be ready for all of the objections!"
Or "How does what you have to offer solve their problem? Talk about it all the time!"
And while they're not wrong, it can be challenging to process all of their excellent advice and turn it into something tangible.
We're going to break down what an ideal client avatar is, give you a practice to identify yours, help you audit your content and strategy, and define goals to attract the right ideal client for your business or offers.
So, what is an ideal client avatar?
An ideal client avatar (ICA) is a detailed description of your ideal customer or client. It's a fictional representation of the person most likely to benefit from your product or service. An ICA includes demographic information, such as age, gender, location, and income, as well as psychographic information, such as values, interests, and behaviors. The more detailed your ICA, the better.
When you think detail, we're talking all the way down to the thoughts that keep them up at night and what they listen to on their way home from work. Digging deep like this is a process, but trust us, it works. Some experts will even tell you to give this person a name and to craft your messaging and content as if you're speaking solely to that one person.
Where most people go wrong
They think the "fluff" is good enough. For example:
"My ideal client is a white-collar dad committed to his family. He works a 9-5 to provide for his wife and kids, and they live in the suburbs and have a dog. He likes to play basketball with his kids and watches sports to relax."
It's decent, giving some insight into your ideal client's life. However, it gives you very little data about them when you really need to understand how to show up and solve a problem for them. This is crucial because, in most cases, the way you write and/or create content will slowly revert back to what you feel comfortable with or what is trending.
So, say you're trying to market products or services to the ideal client described above. Do you fit that exact description? If so, you'll find the ideas coming to you naturally, but most of us are not seeking ideal clients that match the same qualities and characteristics we possess.
Now, ask yourself this question:
Am I marketing to myself, or am I marketing to my ideal client avatar?
Get radically honest with yourself. Are you designing pretty Canva templates that resonate with you? Are you writing content that feels good to you? Or are you using your ideal client avatar to lead the way, using colors, branding, strategies, and messaging that resonates with them?
More often than not, we see people falling flat right here. They are creating what THEY want to put into the world, which ends up being wildly different from what will attract potential clients or customers. If you are cringing because you relate, don't worry! We have some tools for you, so keep reading.
How to assess if your content is working for you
Check your engagement & check conversions
For social media:
This step can feel like a gut punch sometimes, but look at the people liking most of your posts on social media. Are they friends and family members? Or are they potential clients or past clients? Look, we're all about having a hype squad; we don't encourage curating messaging and content for the people that are just cheering you on... because that doesn't pay the bills.
Take this a step further and dive deeper into your post insights and analytics. Are your ideal clients engaging with your content? Are they commenting, sharing, or liking your posts? Here's an excellent video explaining what metrics to pay attention to and links to some great free resources in the description.
For email marketing:
Are people opening your emails? Is your call to action converting? Are they marking them as spam or unsubscribing? Is your list growing? Are they sharing your emails or forwarding them? Take a peek at this blog from HubSpot to see what analytics you should pay attention to.
For websites:
Do you have funnels or lead magnets set up to get people on your email list? Are you taking your client through a specific customer journey when they land on your website? Is your call to action clear? Can you tell where traffic is coming from and where they spend their time on your website? If you need more clarification, look into Google Analytics or Hotjar. You should know what buttons are clicked and which pages or blog posts are popular. Also, what keywords are your ideal clients using? Google Trends is a free tool to see what's trending now.
Assess the conversion rate
If your content is aligned with your ICA, your content will show conversions. Conversions can be opt-ins, sales, or sign-ups. If your content attracts the right clients, you should see conversions. Some months will be better than others; keep going! Just make sure your content is converting. The goal is to see your conversion rates increase, so track your data.
Identify your ideal client avatar
If you're still waiting to see the conversions you'd like, this is your chance to get it right. When the experts say, "Get specific," they mean DIG DEEP. Get curious about the client you're calling in, and do the research to back yourself up. If it helps to give them a name and speak in a way that's as if you're talking to them directly, then do it!
Grab this free Ideal Client Avatar exercise to help you define (or redefine) your ideal client avatar.
Audit your content & strategy
We always suggest doing this AFTER completing the ideal client avatar exercise to avoid any bias. Auditing your content and strategy requires some tough love and brutal honesty. Try to separate yourself from your business and put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client avatar.
First, look at your content through the lens of your ideal client. Does it address their needs and interests? Is it straightforward? Does it provide value to them or solve a problem for them? Are you calling in someone who is wondering if they need a product or service like yours? Or are you clearly attracting someone who knows with certainty they need your product?
Are you using the platforms correctly? For example, are you considering the demographics of the person using each platform for social media? Are you changing up your language on each platform? Are your profile bios optimized? Are you sending consistent emails? Does your website guide them in making an informed buying decision? Does your website have a clear call to action? How often are you posting? Are you engaging with your followers, or are you just letting them engage with you?
This step is crucial because it helps you see how close or far off you've been on hitting the target. Sometimes, it may even help to look at your top competitors or industry leaders to get some ideas on what they're doing that's working—just don't get caught in the weeds and become a copycat. Instead, use your differentiators to your advantage.
Define your goals
After identifying (or reidentifying) your ideal client avatar and auditing your content and strategy, you must define your goals. We understand you want to turn a profit, but to do so, you'll need to clearly understand your goals and can track them.
Consider both short-term and long-term goals: Short-term goals should be achievable within a few months, while long-term goals may take a year or more. Setting both goals will help you stay focused on the present while working towards your future objectives.
Determine your key performance indicators (KPIs): Identify the metrics you will use to measure progress toward your goals. KPIs are how you measure your conversion rate and include website traffic, social media engagement, leads generated, and sales revenue. Read more on KPIs here.
Align your goals with your overall business objectives: Your marketing goals should support your overall business goals. This ensures that your marketing efforts are working towards the bigger picture and contributing to the success of your business.
Regularly review your goals: Regularly reviewing and adjusting your goals will help you stay on track and ensure you are making progress toward achieving your objectives. Your goals may need to be adjusted based on changes in business, services, or offerings. Changes to the economy and trends also need to be considered.
We know it's a lot of work to market your business online, and easy to get sucked into what everyone else is doing. We hope this blog and our Ideal Client Avatar exercise have helped you reconnect to your purpose and attract the people you desire to serve.
We're always a click away if you need more help! Contact us today to see how we can develop a magnetic marketing strategy for your small business.