you ready for a new weekly column that’s all about helping you?? 3 cheers if you said YES because that’s what i’m kicking off today! every week, i get emails asking me biz questions…so i thought it would be cool to answer some of the most frequently asked questions and give specific examples and/or steps. if there’s one thing i can’t stand, it’s not having a checklist, steps & actions to take…oh, and VISUALS!
that’s my mission – to help you navigate the twisty, turny road of entrepreneurship! think of it like your biz road map!
i’ve asked my intern, mariah, to lend a hand on some of these posts since she’s an award-winning graphic designer, marketer AND she just co-founded the create + connect project - a program that helps creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit. (i’m excited to be a part of this program – i’ll be doing a live call at the end of it – check it out, this 8 week class kicks off 6/6!)
we’re kicking the series off with an important, yet somehow incredibly tough question…who is your ideal customer?
take it away, mariah!
10 Questions to Ask About Your Ideal Customer
One of the first steps to take when you decide to start your own business is to figure out who you want your customer to be in an ideal situation – who exactly would you like to work with?
This is a great thing to figure out early on because you can learn to market your products to the exactly right people from the start, saving you months or years of dealing with customers that aren’t fun to work with.
You’ll want to get to know everything about this person and you’ll need to get inside their mind and dig deep into what they think and feel.
Here are 10 key questions to ask yourself about your ideal customer (Use this worksheet we’ve provided to write your answers on):
- What are their demographics? (Location, Age, Gender, Income, Family Life)
- What are their likes/dislikes?
- What are their hobbies?
- What are their core values?
- What are their favorite blogs or websites?
- What conferences do they attend?
- What fears do they have about your product or service?
- What would they need to hand a dream experience with you?
- Who influences their decisions? (Family/Celebs/Mentors)
- What words describe their style?
Once you get to know your ideal customer in depth, you’ll be able to develop marketing messages that speak directly to them, and you’ll have happier customers that you’re excited to work with.
piper says: it’s okay to start with yourself but it helps if you can even think of a friend that would be your ideal customer. start there & write down all the things about her. and it really does help if you name her!
if you have questions you want answered, feel free to leave a comment or email me or send up a smoke signal – we’ve got you covered 
Great series! I can’t wait to read more! My question is about marketing. Have any low-cost ways to market creatively and what lessons have you learned when marketing through social media?
Great questions!! be on the lookout for some advice/tips in the next ones!! thanks Ashley