Surprisingly, the number one mistake startup entrepreneurs make is not clearly defining who they serve.
What’s the big deal? You might think.
Your marketing message is critical to the success of your business online. If your message is too vague or broad there’s little chance of it standing out in a crowd.
That’s where the power of specificity propels you to the front of the line for your ideal customers.
Maybe, you’re thinking…
But my product helps everyone. That’s great. To grab attention online, you must be specific.
I’m new and don’t know who I serve yet. To you, I say pick someone you would enjoy working with.
I have multiple types of people who could be my audience. Again, I say pick the one where you can provide the biggest value and reap the quickest income return.
If I pick one, won’t I be casting smaller net? Yes, and you’ll be doing it on purpose, too.
Why is targeting a smaller segment of people better?
Your marketing message needs to do two things: Attract the right people and repel the wrong people.
For it to do that, you must be specific. Some people will resonate with it and others with be repelled by it. That’s a good thing, trust me!
Which do you think is easier?
Selling 1,000 people on a $100 product. Or Selling 10 people on $10,000 product.
It’s actually much harder to sell more people for a lower priced product than it is fewer people at higher price points.
People who are attracted to a lower price point have a different mindset than those who gravitate to the higher price points.
Being specific about who you serve is kind of like setting yourself up to sell to the few people who will pay higher prices.
It’s ok to repel the wrong people because you only want to build your email list with people who want to be there.
The fact is the people that will follow you want to be on your email list. You teach, train, or coach in a way that really has an impact with them. And they will buy up whatever you put before them. These people are there for a reason. They like your message. They trust you have the answers to their problems. They are willing to the take the next step with you, no matter the price tag.
That’s why getting really clear on who you serve is so powerful.
If you skip this crucial step in developing your marketing ecosystem, all your results will be disappointing to be sure.
How Clear Am I Talking About?
Crystal clear.
Your Ideal Customer Profile is a representation of your ideal customer. It isn’t a real person exactly. But it is so detailed in the definition, it could be.
Let’s test your knowledge of being clear. Which of the two audience examples below is more specific?
Audience 1 People between age of 25 – 35 years old Stuck in a dead in, minimum wage job Income $30,000 – $50,000 Looking for quick win.
Audience 2 Women age 47 Recently laid off from corporate job Earns $150,000 annual income via own consulting business. Works to improve her lifestyle with more control over her time and finances. She is well resourced. Invests in herself and her business. Not afraid to learn what she doesn’t know yet. Willing to ask for help. She does the inner work necessary to keep her mindset a positive asset. Hires experts to fill in for her own weaknesses.
Now, which of these two is more specific?
If you choose Audience 2, you are correct.
While this is not an exhaustive description of Audience 2, you can tell there is more substance there.
The deeper you go in building your ideal customer profile, the better your messaging will be.
Ready to Create Your Ideal Customer Profile?
Watch this mini-lesson below.