Understand Your Target Audience: Why your Clients Really Buy

When thinking about why your clients choose to buy from you, it boils down to a simple truth: they’re driven by their emotions and a desire to solve a pressing problem. 🫶

Understanding this is the first step.

You don’t need to use slimy selling tactics or go all-in on the latest marketing trend.

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You simply need to get to know your customers better. ❤️

Why? Because you can communicate with your customers in a way that seriously hits home, connects, and resonates with your brand’s target audience.

That’s powerful.

Step 1: Create a target market profile

You’ve probably heard this a lot: “Go after a target audience and get clear on your niche.” Understanding consumer behavior is crucial in this process.

But have you actually done the work to discover who your people are?

1. If you have existing customers, do a bit of manual research and look at your best customers in more detail. Get to know who they are. Get to know their values, the problems they struggle with, and their goals.

2. If you have a website, use Google Analytics to help you discover who is browsing your site.

3. Gather as many hard facts as possible. Then start creating a customer profile for each type of person. Use your best guess when you don’t have actual information. The goal here is to understand them, not to just have every detail about their lives.

• Demographics

• Early 40s

• Two children in school

• Suburban

• Income $55,000

• College degree

Using demographic data can help create detailed buyer personas, representing your ideal target audiences.

• Interests & Attitudes

• Family-focused

• Fitness

• Community-oriented

• Often spontaneous

• Behavioral

• Heavy social media user

• Does research before buying

• Not a casual browser

• Preferred content

• Healthy lifestyle

• Family values

• Recreational

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Step 2: Hang out where your customers are

It sounds obvious, but your main social media platform should be the same platform that your customers hang out. Utilizing social media platforms effectively can help you engage with your target audience and understand their behavior.

Professionals, writers, coaches, business owners: LinkedIn / Twitter Makers, Artists, Musicians, Creators: Instagram / YouTube / TikTok

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Focus on market research to learn more about their problems:

After you’ve created a detailed customer profile (in Step 1), name it—let’s say “Lucy.”

Now, think about the key questions that will help you better understand how your product or service fits into her life. Conducting thorough market research can provide valuable insights into Lucy’s preferences, motivations, and behaviors. Here are five questions to consider:

1. What daily challenges does Lucy face that your product or service can solve?

• This helps you pinpoint the specific problems your product should address.

1. What is the job Lucy needs your product to do?

• Understanding the “Jobs to be Done“ framework can guide you in designing your product to meet specific needs.

1. How does Lucy prefer to receive information about products like yours?

• Knowing whether she likes emails, social media updates, or blog posts can help tailor your content strategy.

1. What factors does Lucy consider most important when making a purchase?

• Is it price, quality, brand reputation, or something else? This informs your marketing and sales approach.

1. What has prevented Lucy from using or purchasing similar products in the past?

• Identifying these barriers can help you address potential objections in your marketing materials.

Step 3: Engage

Get to know their likes, dislikes, preferences, and dreams through focused marketing efforts.

I’m not talking about stalking here. I’m talking about genuine interaction and relationship building.

Choose one platform and engage with your target audience for 30 mins every day.

Leave comments that are authentic and add value to the posts.

By knowing EXACTLY who you’re talking to, you can communicate with them in a way that REALLY connects. Utilizing social media analytics to monitor and adapt your marketing campaigns based on performance data can further enhance this connection.

Step 4: Speak their language

Once you’ve gotten a good grasp of who your clients are and what they need, the next key is to communicate your value through effective marketing strategies that resonate with them personally.

Engaging in personalized conversations where your clients feel heard and understood is not just professional—it’s essential.

1. Heart-to-heart communication: Imagine speaking to just ONE of your customer profiles. Talk to Lucy, not everyone.

2. Highlight the solutions and benefits that speak directly to your customer’s problems and trigger an emotional response.

3. Make each interaction count: consider your service as the perfect answer to a question, the solution to a need.

This approach fosters trust and shows that you’re not just another business, but a partner in solving their problems.

Because when you connect on a deeper level, you don’t just sell a service, you share an experience and help your customers improve their lives.