Hey all! Hope you had a good weekend.

Here’s a simple question: “who is your ideal customer?”

Obvious, right?

And yet, as I’ve asked that question to small business owners throughout the years, I’m always surprised by how few people have an answer at the ready.

If we don’t know who our ideal customers are, then how can we market to them? How do we know what problems they have that need solving? How do we know where they hang out online?

So, this week’s topic is all about your ideal customer. In ten words or less, please tell us who your ideal customer is.

Then feel free to add any additional content on why they’re your ideal customer, where you think they hang out online, and what’s the biggest problem they struggle with that you can help with.

Have at it!

@rich-brooks

My ideal customer is someone who understands the value of social marketing while also understanding they do not have the time nor the knowledge to do it all themselves.  The problem is I have only found a few of those people willing to admit it. 

I am hoping by presenting my seminars on introduction to social media marketing, I will find more of them out there.

@rich-brooks Ideal customer, in 10 words or less? OK, here I go:

Brand advocate, loyal, high margin & low maintenance.

So there. Do I get a bonus for nailing it in 7 words??? Jokes aside, allow me to explain:
Brand advocate: a customer that likes the product and service enough to share his experiences with friends, colleagues and relatives. Word-of-Mouth rules!
Loyal: repeat business is more profitable than always trying to acquire a new customer. Loyalty is not easy to achieve, even less to maintain, but it’s the ideal we need to reach in conducting business.
High margin: yup, the ideal customer is the one willing to pay the right price for a product or service, not always bargain hunting (nothing wrong with this every now and then, but something is wrong when it’s the norm)
Low maintenance: some customers are good in theory, but then they suck the life out of you and your whole call center staff with repeat calls, letters, and so on. Ideal customer? He or she buys, doesn’t complain, and keeps doing so. Sure, they will provide feedback when something is unusual, or a service not rendered, but they are not toxic per se.

My ideal customer is one that knows what he/she wants.

I find part of creating a proposal, project is sitting down (or on the phone, email, remote) and determine what the client really wants and needs.  Sometimes in discussion you find that what they think they want is not really what they want.

But in the end, as long as you come out with a list of requirements and specs, then you can go from there and both parties know what’s expected and desired in the end

@jeniferswanson LOL, thanks Jenifer!

My targeted client/ customer is someone who has paid at least $300 for their BBQ/grill, they might be a working professional, 50+/senior, already accustomed to hiring a cleaning company, resorts/ hotels that have BBQ’s in their pool area, someone who has an outdoor kitchen or commercial kitchen appliances and military families moving to another base (their req’d to have their BBQ’s cleaned before moving to a new base…at least here in Colorado).

Might sound like a broad range or spectrum of my ideal client but it’s actually pretty narrow and pin pointed.

Great question and necessary to have the answer! Can’t hit something you don’t aim at. (forgive the poor grammar) Ideal customer: willing to spend for quality and uniqueness  @rich-brooks on top of the list from our dear friend Frederic @fredericgonzalo

Great idea for a post!

My ideal customers:

1- Brands wanting to learn to protect themselves from social media attacks2- Agencies and firms wanting to learn to protect their customers from social media attacks

A really GREAT book on identifying your ideal customer or “buyer persona” is David Meerman Scott’s “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” – I 100% recommend this book to all entrepreneurs or marketing individuals who really want to understand how, not just identify your ideal customer, but develop real and lasting relationships with them!

@rich-brooks

In Duct Tape Marketing Land we use two criteria to establish your ideal customer: Profitability and Referrals. How’s that for less than 10 words

Actually that’s for existing customers, but they are the ones that can help you define a broader ideal customer profile if you take the time to know all you can about them and why they bought from you and continue to do so.

I would also second the recommendation from @melissaagnes for David Meerman Scott’s book. Excellent resource, but make sure you get the revised revised version.

@rich-brooks

Rich this question has caused me great heartache for months and is the biggest problem I have right now in our business.

I could easily state in 10 words or less what I think and would like our ideal customer to be for our handmade silk business BUT to be totally honest with you and everyone here on this thread, after lots of customer surveys and research…..

I DON’T KNOW ….HELP ANYONE!

@amnuaibeckenham I definitely recommend reading “The New Rules of Marketing and PR” (third edition) by David Meerman Scott. You’ll get all the answers and help you’re looking for within it!
Good luck!Melissa

My ideal client is what  @FredericGonzalo described, in a small to mid size business.

@amnuaibeckenham

Awesome! Message me after you read it and let me know how it helped you!

Enjoy!

This is such a great question @rich-brooks.  And, one that all entrepreneurs should have a clear and concise answer to. When you know who your ideal client is you can craft your marketing message to appeal to their needs specifically. You could give voice to the following bullets to hone in on your target market/ideal client – what is their:

• gender (this does not limit you to one or the other but your message may be different for each)
  
• age
• values (what is important to them)
  
• business or lifestyle focus (where your products or services can help them)
  
• challenges (why do they need you/products/services)
  

Have clarity about WHO you serve, Up-level your focus on WHY they need your products/services, HOW to serve them most effectively. 

I help determined entrepreneurial woman create a new strategy to take their business to the next level of success with action steps to become more effective as they infuse their business with their passionate purpose.