What is an ideal client and why do I need one?

When it comes to running a business, the goal is to get clients and provide a transformation with your services, right? Being able to work with clients and help them to succeed is a sign that your business is growing and all your hard work is paying off. But when it comes to finding your clients, you have to put the hard work in to finding them and marketing your business in the right way in order to reach them.

If you are in business, it is quite likely that you have heard the term ‘ideal client’ at some point. Going deep on who your ideal client is can help you to determine the type of marketing you need to be doing, what to say and how to say it, where to focus your marketing efforts and how to really connect with your ideal client.

But what is an ideal client and why do I need one?

An ideal client

Your ideal client is the type of client you would love to work with. It’s a detailed profile of the human you want to help in your business. When working out who your ideal client is, you need to be very specific.  Most people assume that knowing their demographic, ie age, gender, location is enough, but if we want to connect on a deeper level, it should be reflective of their psychographics and personality as well.

What interests them…

What keeps them up at night…

What are their pains and frustrations…

Where they hang out online…

What they like to do in their spare time…

What are their values and what do they want to achieve in life…

And so on…

Why do I need an ideal client profile?

By working out who your ideal client is, it can benefit your business in a number of ways.

1. 1. It helps you to tailor your messaging to them and gives you a way to connect through your content. There is no point spending thousands of dollars on different marketing campaigns if you don’t know who to target or what messaging to use.
   2. It can also help your business to grow in the right direction. Rather than taking on every single client that contacts you, it can help you to determine those who you are able to connect with on different levels. Those who have the same values as you, that are mindful of your products or services and that are ready to work with you.
   3. It can also save you a lot of time and money. Rather than spending hours upon hours setting up different campaigns or posting on different social media platforms where your clients may or may not be active, you can spend your time wisely and know exactly where you need to be focusing your message.

How do I determine my ideal client?

When it comes to working out who your ideal client is, the first step is to stop and do your research. The process for creating your ideal client can take a bit of time, but it is worth it!

Firstly, look at what it is that you have to offer. What problems do your products or services solve? How do they make life easier for someone? What are the benefits of your offering? What is the transformation from point A to point B by working with you?

Next you need to start thinking about the different attributes of your ideal client and piecing the puzzle together. Start with the basics:

• Gender
• Age
• Where do they live?
• Relationship status
• Do they have children?
• Income level
• What do they do for work?

And then you need to start going a little deeper.

• What are their core values?
• What is their personality type?
• What things do they like and not like?
• What type of social media do they use?
• What interests them? (books, podcasts, videos)
• Where do they spend their time?

We aren’t done yet! Now you need to go even deeper.

• What frustrates them?
• What makes them happy?
• What are their fears?
• What are their challenges?
• What do they want for the future?

I know this might be all too much but the deeper we go, the more we learn about them. It is the best way for you to determine who is going to benefit from your offering and how you can connect with them, not just on a sales level.

Ways to research this information on your ideal client

1. 1. Start with your existing clients – create a survey and ask them questions and look at patterns of who you are currently attracting ie shared interests, common age groups etc
   2. If you don’t have any clients just yet take a look at social media & online forums – if your ideal client is mums and you’re a yoga instructor, join some mum Facebook groups and see what they are talking about, what are their frustrations, etc
   3. Know and understand your competitors – look at what they are saying and how they are saying it and what the interactions and engagement are on their content. The more likes and comments, the more they are hitting the right messaging.

Understanding your ideal client can seem overwhelming and its something you are continually working on and refining as you go. If you need help with this, I can help guide you into the right direction of what next steps you need to take – by booking a 15 min connection call & strategy session.

I can review your online presence, provide a detailed report on where to focus your marketing efforts and give you clarity and a plan of action to take so you’re not wasting your hard earned dollars on unnecessary marketing.

Book a free 15 min connection call to find out more.