How to define and choose your ideal customer archetype
It is so important and yet it gets overlooked often – choosing your own ideal customer archetype. You might actually think that you don’t really have much say in this, and you will take whatever comes along, but really, there is a much better and more effective strategy to this. And it will actually help you create more meaningful relationships with your customers and a business you feel aligned with.
How can defining my ideal customer help me attract better customers?
Your work so hart and put in so much effort, but for some reason you just don`t seem to attract the right kind of customer? Sounds familiar? I hear this very often. You cannot complain, there is enough work, but you are just not quite happy with the customers you have. This is what can happen if you don´t have your ideal customer defined. Instead of attracting someone very specific, you are trying to attract everyone. And the effect is that noone is fully satisfied.
I know you are putting a lot of time and effort into your marketing. You are constantly thinking about how to improve your Instagram and Facebook, attract new followers, get more likes, you are updating your shop, your website and portfolio. Your are writing new product copy, marketing materials and blog posts. You put in all the hard work to be seen by your customers, sell more products and get more bookings. But if all this is done without an ideal customer in mind, your effort is rather vague, you will attract a random someone at best and nobody at worst.
Here is where having having and ideal customer avatar can make all the difference. Having a very specific person in mind that you are communicating with, will make a huge difference. Creating a customer archetype helps you to communicate with inspiration and creativity. Understanding and knowing your ideal customer is vital for having a successful business and can help you create better services and products. By having your dream customer in mind and knowing how they think and feel allows you to directly connect to them and make them feel understood. This is reeally a win win situation. Attracting better fitting customers will make you so much happier doing your work, this is where you really get into the flow and do your best work. And let`s be honest, your customer will appreciate that and feel connected and taken care of.
How do I choose and define my ideal customer archetype in 3 easy steps?
So now comes the fun part. Get yourself a cup tea, light a candle and grab pen and journal. It`s best to get in the right mood for this and really allow your gut feeling to help you on this.
1. Analyse your current customers
In reality not all our customers are our ideal customers, that is normal and that is fine. We use the now situation as our starting point for improvement. Have a look at all your existing customers and pick the ones that you really enjoyed working with, those who were a great fit, same wavelength kind of thing. That`s the ones you really connected with. Then also look into who were the most profitable, the ones who really appreciate your service and are gladly paying for it. The customers who are loyal to your brand, who love your values and keep coming back.
Write down a handful that feels like the best fit and also note the reasons that make them such great customers. The better you understand what makes a great relationship the better you can use this. If there are no real customers yet, or just not the perfect ones, you can still do this little exercise – just imagine your dream customer…
2. Define your ideal customer Archetype
Now that you have a handful of wonderful customers written down, we will get into really understanding them. Write down as many details as you know about your – existing or dreamed up – customer archetype. Get into the nitty gritty details. The more clearly you can see your ideal person, the better.
Note personal information like age, gender, martial status, where they live. Ask yourself what their occupation and income situation is, how do they live, eat, dress and speak. What are their core values and beliefs? Get as detailed as possible, this will help you see a clear picture.
Define your customers with the following criteria is a good starting point.
Their circumstances:
– name, age, gender
– martial status and children
– occupation and income
– what`s their family life like
Their interests
– what books and magazines do they read
– what do they watch on TV, what are his favourite movies
– what blogs do they love
_what websites are his favorites
– what podcasts or youtube cannels do they consume
Their style
– brands they adore
– clothes they wear
– what does their home look like
– what`s their kind of music
Their values
– what are they inspired by
– do they go to events/conferences/coachings
– what are their core life beliefs?
– what do they value about your product/service?
3. Create a vision board
This is such a fun way to have a better understanding and picture of your dream customer. Use magazines or browse the web for pictures. My favourite tool for creating a vision board is Pinterest. Add a new (secret) board and start pinning. In this board you collect everything that feels right and cretes a good feeling for your dream customer. Again, go to the questions above for ideas of what you can pin in here. Some things to consider are how your customer lives and likes to spend his time off. What would his holidays look like? What kind of food does he like? What products does he like, what kind of packaging would attract him? Think about colors, textures, fonts. What`s his style? Modern, natural, classy, boho, minimalistic…
Go over all the images you saved and check if they are all on point and delete what doesn`t fit perfectly. With the remaining pictures you can create a real life moodboard that you print and put up on your wall.
Use your knowledge to better your communication and service
Now you can use all this newly aquired knowledge to attract those dream customers. Use it to create content that will help him and interest him. Have it in mind when creating new products and services. Having a clear picture of your ideal customer will give you the knowledge you need to attract him more easily and create meaningful relationships.
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