Target Customer Profile – The Questions You Need Answers To!
If you don’t know who your customers are then you have little chance of building a sustainable business. Here’s how to create your target customer profile.
Hi Trish Davies, here and today’s focus is to gain clarity on who your ideal audience is. You must be clear on your target customer profile so that you can create effective marketing and advertising campaigns.
There is a saying that “if you try and sell to everyone, you sell to no one”. Blanket marketing and advertising has very limited impact. That’s because there is only a small percentage of people who are interested in your products and services.
These are your target market, and this is where your focus should be. I have in the past used the analogy of fishing when it comes to marketing. Canny fishermen, and women, know exactly what part of the ocean, lake or pond to cast their bait.
They know where the fish congregate and then use the relevant tools and resources to land their catch. As a marketer, who is what you are if you are in business, you must adopt the same principles.
You must create a target customer profile so you know that when you cast your hook they will bite. So how do you create that target customer profile?
What I am going to share with you are 8 questions that you must ask to create that target customer profile. This post requires you to take action on the questions that I share so I will be to the point so you can get on with the job.
Target Customer Profile – Answer These 8 Questions
Q1 – Where Does Your Target Customer Hang Out & Congregate
Here you want to look at both offline and online locations that your target customer hangs out. You must be very specific and detailed in your research. That specificity is crucial, for example.
You can’t just say that your target customer hangs out on Facebook as that is far to general. You must go deep and identify specific Facebook groups. Also, you can’t just say that they read articles online, you must pinpoint specific blogs and websites. Likewise, you can’t just generalise YouTube, you must identify specific channels.
Q2 – Where Does Your Target Customer Get Their Information?
Your target customer profile is someone who researches online, they are looking for information, solutions. As you are fully aware the internet is a vast informational ocean, but you must pinpoint where your target customer does their research.
Is it Google? Maybe it is YouTube? Or possibly it is through online publications and magazines? Then think about what type of device they use. Maybe it is a laptop, a desktop, their phone or tablet?
Once you have found this out create a vision of a person and write a simple sentence. For example – “When John want to find thing out he uses his iPhone and heads over to YouTube”.
Q3 – What Are Your Target Customer’s Frustrations & Challenges
Here you must get into the head of your target customer profile. They have challenges, they are frustrated but what are they? Once you know this your customer target profile will start to come to life.
What you need to do is wrap yourself up int heir skin. By doing this you will gain clarity on just what products and services you need to create. These products and services will address all the pain points that your target customer is experiencing.
For example, your target customer may be someone who wants to create a healthy lifestyle. They may have grandchildren and are scared that they may not live to see them grow up. Once you have this kind of detail you can craft your marketing and advertising message around this pain point.
For example – “Our fitness and health program is designed to help you live a long and healthy life to see your great grandchildren grow up”.
Q4 – What Are Their Hopes & Dreams?
You target customer has hopes, dreams and desires? This helps your create your products and services based upon a desired outcome. As a marketer you then leverage that desired outcome and help take them to that place of euphoria.
What you can then do is create stories around how that desire outcome will affect their lives. How their hopes, dreams and desires can be met and then some.
Q5 – What Does Your Target Customer Fear Most?
Your target customers will have deep fears, things that keep them up all night, tossing and turning. Fear is a crucial element that must form part of your target customer profile and is something that many business owners overlook.
If you can address those fears in your advertising and marketing copy it inspires them to take action. That action then helps them move away from the fears that they have.
It highlights the desires they have which will only manifest if they face their fear and overcome them.
Q6 – How Does Your Target Customer Communicate?
The digital age delivers a plethora of communication channels and formats. There is email, the written word such as blog posts, YouTube videos and podcasts. Much of this information will become apparent from your research on where they hang out.
For example, maybe your target customer profile is someone who hangs out on Facebook. They may also like to consume video content which means doing Facebook Live’s is the perfect communication channel.
Q7 – What Language Do They Use
Your target customer profile fits into specific niches and industries. With that comes “local” language so to speak. Define specific niche or industry terminology or terms. Use these in your advertising and marketing material because it speaks direct to your target customer.
Tone and context also comes into play. Is your niche quite formal and professional? Maybe it is a bit more laid back and humorous. Whatever it is craft your message in the language and tone that your target customer understands and relates to.
Q8 – How Does Your Target Customer Live Day By Day
Start with the time they wake up and define what their morning routine is before they leave for work. How do they travel to work and what are their tasks when they get there.
Do they have meetings, are they on a production line, are they mobile? What time do they knock off work and what does their journey home look like. Then when they get home what is their routine? Do they fix the family meal? What television do they watch? Have they got kids that they need to get ready for bed?
These are all general things that you must gain clarity on. Put time stamps on when they do what they do. All of this information will then be used in some context in the marketing and advertising copy that you will create. Copy that will connect with your target customer, they will think you are talking to them specifically.
Create Your Target Customer Profile
Once you have got the information and answers you need from these questions you can then create your target customer profile. Take this information and create a comprehensive paragraph that clearly defines who your target customer is. What they do, their challenges in life, their fears hopes and aspirations.
The target customer profile is something that I cover within my 9-week program. I help you delve deep into what makes your audience tick and then help you create strategies that attract your audience to your business. To learn more about this process click here.
The important things is that you take action on what I have shared with you today. Create your target customer profile before you even think about creating advertising and marketing material. Then you will see positive results in all your advertising and marketing efforts.
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
Recent Comments