Small Business Marketing Strategy: 4 Tips for Creating Your Ideal Client Avatar
Apr 11
Hey friend, I’m back with another video all about small business marketing strategy — specifically, how to develop that oh-so-important Ideal Client Avatar. If you’re still trying to figure out that “ideal client thing,” let me help! Do you have that one client — you know the one — who was so just so… perfect?
- They loved your work. ✔️
- They fit your style. ✔️
- They were great to work with. ✔️
- They were… yeah, perfect. A perfect fit for your brand. ✔️
And you just loved them! You probably find yourself wondering: why can’t every client be just like them?
Well guess what — they can be!
Yes, girl, it’s possible to have a roster full of amazing clients whom you absolutely love.
Don’t believe me? Well, I’m living proof!
My business is booked with exclusively ideal clients, who value my work and pay what I’m worth.
If it sounds too good to be true, it’s not — but as I mentioned in this post, it does take some serious strategy and work to make it happen!
But I’m here to help!
This post and video are actually the second in a series dedicated to helping you figure out and effectively market to your ideal client. Be sure to check out last week’s video — Small Business Marketing Ideas: Why You Need To Figure Out Your Ideal Client — to get you started.
Then you’ll be ready for video 2:
Small Business Marketing Strategy: 4 Tips for Creating Your Ideal Client Avatar
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Small Business Marketing Strategy #1: Get Super Specific With Your Ideal Client
When it comes to figuring out your ideal client — the more detailed you can be, the better!
During a Brand Intensive, my one-on-one brand strategy coaching sessions, I help my clients define their ideal clients… and we get SUPER specific.
I ask questions about their ideal clients:
- Demographics
- Psychographics
- Beliefs
- Behaviors
- Lifestyle
- Values
And every time, without fail, my clients will say — Whoa, what? You want to know that?
Yeah, I sure do!
Because the more specific you can be, the better you’ll know your ideal client. And when you KNOW (I mean, reallllly know) your ideal client, you also know where to find your ideal client, how to market to them, and how to connect with them. Those are really powerful tools for a creative small business owner!
Better than that, your ideal audience (i.e. those real-life-people who resemble your ideal client profile or “avatar”), are going to connect with you — and your brand!
This will develop trust and loyalty to your brand — which is so incredibly valuable!
Just Imagine a loyal following that connects so deeply with your brand values and your ‘Why’, that you become their ‘one.’ You’re the ‘one’ that they want, that they need, and they’re willing to pay for it!
You’ll also have the added benefit of repelling those audience members who aren’t an ideal fit — because, girl, it’s high time that you stop wasting your expertise and time on people and projects who aren’t a good fit for your brand!
Small Business Marketing Strategy #2: Give Your Ideal Client A Name
Alright, I know, this one sounds a little crazy… but believe me, this is where the real magic happens!
Like I mentioned above, you want to create an in-depth profile for your ideal client — you actually want to create an avatar for them.
By avatar, I mean a persona, or a character — a fictional character — that is your “Ideal Client.”
The reason this works is because when we’re thinking of our ideal client or ideal audience, the tendency is to be fairly vague.
When going through this process with my Brand Intensive clients, I’ll typically hear something like, “My ideal client is a woman, age 18-50, who lives in the United States.”
That’s not an ideal client! It’s way too general.
So, by turning your ideal client into a person — an avatar — you can get super specific. You go from “a woman, age 18-50, who lives in the United States,” to, “a 32-year-old, mother of three, who works part-time as a substitute teacher, loves yoga, knitting, and hiking with her family around her home-state of Vermont.”
See the difference?
So how about that name!
By giving your ideal client avatar a name, it just takes the whole concept one step further. Instead of trying to market to a nebulous, nondescript audience, you instead are crafting your marketing to this one specific person (your avatar!).
While your avatar doesn’t exist in real life, by being so precise in your marketing strategy, you’ll begin to attract people who have similar beliefs, values and lifestyles to your avatar. It’s pretty amazing!
So, if you’re wondering how to get started, I’ve got you covered! I’ve created this free Ideal Client Avatar Worksheet — to help you.
Small Business Marketing Strategy #3: Figure Out Your Ideal Client’s Values
Here’s the thing about your ideal client — most likely they’re fairly similar to you.
We tend to be our own ideal clients, and with good reason. There’s a story of the Why behind your creative entrepreneurship — and some pretty strong beliefs and values that got you there. So, it makes sense that your ideal client would share those beliefs and values with you.
Now it’s time to figure out what those values are — and see them through your ideal client’s eyes. When you can define their values you can start to communicate with them on a much deeper level — about those shared values!
As humans we crave connection and understanding, and nothing makes us feel more connected than shared beliefs and values.
So ask yourself, what does your ideal client value? Here are some prompts to get you started (don’t forget to write your answers down on your Ideal Client Avatar worksheet!):
- What do they spend their time on?
- What do they work for?
- What do they believe in?
- What do they stand up for?
Small Business Marketing Strategy #4: Make a List of the Brands Your Ideal Client Loves
This one is a huge (but often overlooked) part of figuring out your ideal client avatar — what other brands do they align with?
The trick here is to think outside of your industry, and since you already know that your ideal client has a lot in common with you — what brands do you align with?
After you’ve made a list of your avatar’s favorite brands, take some time to really study them. What is it about those brands that attracts your ideal client and yourself?
Take some time to analyze their:
- Brand messaging
- Logo and visual branding
- Website
- Brand experience
- Products
- Services
- And more!
By studying other brands that would attract your ideal client, you have a better understanding of how to approach your own brand foundation, visual branding, and brand experience!
I’d love to hear what your favorite part of creating your own Ideal Client Avatar is — let me know in a comment below!
And don’t forget to grab your free Ideal Client Avatar worksheet.
Ready to dive deeper into your marketing strategy? Check out this post I wrote for Bloom Hustle Grow: How To Strategically Market To Your Ideal Client: The Secret To Consistently Booking Clients You Love.
