Identifying your ideal customer

July 6, 12:46 AMSan Diego Small Business ExaminerJoseph Dang

Previous

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the San Diego Small Business Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

You have the perfect product or service.  You've been working on it for years, not for the sole purpose of making money but because you enjoy your work.  You know for a fact that people will love it once they find out about it.

Now, how do you get people to find out about your product?  Marketing.  Easy right?  Take out some ads in the local paper, maybe some direct mailing, radio or even television ads.  Once they see your ad, then those who would want your product will want your product, and will immediately run out and purchase it.

Of course that does not happen unless you have a huge marketing budget and can put your brand out there enough for the general public to recognize your products.  As a small business you probably have a niche service or product, which requires unique marketing strategies.  This is where you must tailor your marketing, beginning by identifying your ideal customer.

By identifying your ideal customer, you can then tailor your marketing and business efforts to engage and retain those ideal customers.  By identifying your ideal customer, you can now:

1. Determine where to advertise to maximize your marketing dollars.  Why spend money on an ad that will reach a target audience completely different than the ones you service?
2. Determine what your ideal customer is looking for.  This will help you understand your target market.
3. Develop an ad focusing on the benefits your customer receives by purchasing your product.   Developing an ad that lists your services or credentials doesn't differentiate your product or service.  It's as if you're telling the customer they need your product but the customer has no idea why they do.  Your ad should be explaining this, focusing on them, not you.
   
4. Develop products and services tailored to your ideal customer.  What better way to market a product that is perfect for your customer than to develop a product to be perfect for them?

These are just some of the benefits of identifying your ideal customer.  Every small business has a unique customer demographic.  You must identify this customer in order to take that next step in marketing your products.  Imagine if an ad you develop is guaranteed to reach 1,000 sets of eyeballs.  You want those eyes to belong to people similar to your ideal customer base.