It’s one thing to know who you are speaking to and it’s another to actually get through to them.
Here’s what I mean. Often, we become so impassioned by our work or what we have to offer, we forget to really focus on our ideal clients. This can spell disaster in your marketing, advertising and promotional materials because if it’s all about “you” you’re forgetting to show your clients “What’s in it for me”.
Regardless of who you are, how good you are at what you do, or how beneficial your products and services are for your clients, your copy has show your clients how they will benefit from doing business with you. If you’re not “showing” your ideal client how they will benefit from your products and services, you’re wasting precious marketing real estate. One of the biggest challenges I see people struggle with is identifying their ideal client (that’s another article on its own).
Once you’re really clear about who you want to work with, it’s time to make sure know what makes them “tick”. Taking the time to discover the “hot buttons” of the people you want to reach will greatly increase your chances of building relationships, really connecting and making a sale or lasting business partnership. Doesn’t it make sense to really KNOW who you want to do business with, and what they respond to, so you can offer solutions to their challenges?
Identify the psychographics of each of your ideal clients – pinpoint their unique profiles and personalities – likes and dislikes then review who you MOST want to work with (Hint: you can often model them after people you’ve worked with to create your fictitious ideal client and then it’s easier to speak directly them in your marketing materials etc.). Here are some things to explore when creating your personal profile of each client. First and foremost identify who you REALLY enjoy working with. Consider past and present clients. Who was a true joy to work with? If you’re a crime show buff, this is similar to profiling.
Once you’ve visualized the clients you really like to work with consider the following.
-Age & Gender
-Education
-Married or Single
-Children or no children
-Profession/occupation
-Salary/income
-Hobbies
-Geographic location
-Type of home/lifestyle
-Travel and vacation preferences
-Media they consume (including Web sites, blogs, magazines, television shows)
-Activities they enjoy on their own time
-Activities they enjoy with family…
List anything else you think might be helpful in truly connecting.
Create a persona for your ideal client using the characteristics and preferences you uncover. Once you’ve identified some of the characteristics of your ideal client it makes it easier to craft your copy as if you are speaking directly to them.
Who is your ideal client? What makes them tick? Are you really connecting with them?
Lisa Manyon is the President of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. A Professional Copywriter, Marketing Strategist and Published Author, she’s a master of matching your message to market via copywriting and publicity strategies. Manyon offers copywriting, coaching and consulting services. Lisa received the Charles Schwab Financial Literacy Award in The Hot Mommas 2011 Competition, a leadership venture housed at the George Washington University School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence & the world’s largest women’s digital library of role models & mentors. She’s featured as a success story in The Well-Fed Writer and is a published author in the book Success Rituals 2.O –Winning Habits of High-Achieving Women: How she does it and you can too. Manyon publishes a free monthly ezine Manyon’s Musings and offers a complimentary Copywriting Action Plan. For more information or to schedule an interview visit www.WriteOnCreative.com.