How to Find Your Ideal Audience

June 5, 2019

You know you have this amazing product.

You’re aware it can help people transform their lives.

And there’s no doubt you’ve wholeheartedly invested yourself in your business.

At the beginning of your journey as an entrepreneur, I know how tempting it is to get excited and think that “everyone can benefit from this!”

But the reality is slightly different.

Unless you market to a very clear and defined audience, no one’s going to benefit from your product.

Every successful business you see out there isn’t only successful because of their strong brand message or delightful packaging and clever web copy.

They’re successful because they’ve aligned themselves with the right audience to sell their products and services to.

And in order for you to do that as well, you first have to very carefully narrow down the market and find your ideal audience.

Narrowing your market does not equal losing profits

I’m aware it probably seems counterintuitive to limit the reach of your business (what about all the potential profits, Stephenie?!) but trust me on this.

If you try to talk to everyone – and sell to everyone! – you’re going to water down your message. It’s going to feel bland and weak and forced, which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to do.

If your business is all about authentic living, your approach can’t be the same for a 20-year college student and a woman in her 50s. It’s simple – they have different interests and beliefs and problems… and probably live their day-to-day life in very different ways!

And if you still decide to be broad, chances are you may fail in winning them both because they won’t resonate with your brand’s message!

You won’t be missing out on anyone!

When you narrow down your reach, there’s this crazy thing that happens: all the right people find their way to you!

Back at the day, I spoke very clearly to women in their 20s and 30s going through the ‘quarter-life crisis’. My website was and still is very feminine.

But, I’ve worked with men and women of all ages because the core of my work speaks clearly to what their experience is. Honestly, in the beginning, more men contacted me for coaching than women, and more women over 40 than those in their 20s! But each and every one was a perfectly ideal client. Remember: defining your audience is less about fitting into a niche and more about finding the people who want the experience you provide.

How to get to know your audience BEFORE actually knowing them

Grab a pen and paper, answer the questions listed here and get the chance to walk in the shoes of your ideal client before you even meet them! Some of this might not be relevant to your audience, but try to answer anyways. You’d be surprised what insights you gain from asking things you might not otherwise.

1) What is their age?

Be as detailed as possible here but don’t just look at plain numbers. Think outside the box.

How do they feel about their age? Are they aging well? Take into account their actual age and mental age. (which may be completely different sometimes!)

2) What do they do?

What does your ideal customer do for a living? How did they end up doing this? How do they feel about their job? Do they love it – or hate it?

3) What is their income?

Think about their spending habits and the way they manage their finances. What do they spend most of their money on? Do they have debt? Do they have savings?

Keep it real here – a recent college graduate very likely doesn’t have a fortune but neither does every 40-something woman!

4) What’s their relationship and family status?

Are they single/married/in a relationship? Do they have children? If yes, how many? If no, are they planning to ever have children?

Above all – are they happy with their current relationship status? Why/why not?

5) What are they doing in their free time?

What do they do in their free time – after work and during the weekends? Who do they spend most of their time with? Is there something they’re passionate about? What do they love to read and learn more about?

6) What is their life like?

What does the typical day in their life look like? What are they spending most of their time on? What would they like to do if they had more time?

But above all – what are their biggest pain points? What does their ideal life look like? How would they be able to live the life of their dreams?

7) Where do they need YOUR support?

How can you use your knowledge/past experience to help them get the life they want? What do they need to learn? What products/services/experiences do you need to create?