This is part one in a five part series about identifying your target audience.
We all do it when we are just starting out. We join tons of crafting communities to promote our handmade shops. In theory, hey, it's hundreds of eyes on your products, right!? Up until several months ago, I was marketing in a similar manner - then I shifted to marketing only to my target audience - young, married, trendy parents who live in the suburbs with 1-3 kids who like organic, natural and ecofriendly products for children - and my sales went from 1.38% conversion rate to 3.87% conversion rate in less than two months. Whoa, right?
While networking with other shop owners has serious advantages, like a supportive community & a place to gather advice for your creative journey, odds are others makers aren't your target audience to sell your handmade products to. Investing the time to identify your target audience & developing a marketing strategy to approach them is invaluable. I am so glad I spent the time doing the research & incorporating new marketing tactics to help me reach my target customers, resulting in in rapid growth in my social media channels and almost 50% increase in new customers over four months, and I am eager to use this series to help other makers grow their businesses by helping them identify who their target audience is, what they like, where & when they spend their time online & how to approach them!
Who is your target audience may seem like an easy to answer question but it's probably more complex than you think. So below I have created a series of questions for you to ask yourself. Concentrate on each one. Visualize your dream client, the person you want to see holding your products. Imagine where they live, how they live, what they do.
Are they male or female?
What is their style like?
What is their style like?
How old are they?
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment?
What kind of hobbies do they have?
What sort of job do they have?
What is their average income like?
Are they blissfully single, or happily married?
If neither, are they planning a wedding?
Are they parents?
If yes, are they natural parents?
Do they have pets?
To participate in this exercise: in the comment box, copy these questions and your answers to them. Remember, this is not about your current clientele but your DREAM clients. The people you want to see buying, using, wearing, and sharing your products!
Expand on as many questions as you can - the more you can identify about your target audience, the easier it will be to learn to market to them! If they are parents, how many kids do you think they have? If they live in the city in an apartment, how do they decorate & use their space? If they are trendy, describe how you imagine their personal style.
Over the next few weeks, we will use your results from these questions to determine your target audience & how you can use this knowledge to your advantage, so even if you don't want to publish your answers here, print out the questions, write down your answers and keep them handy!
Great advice. .I've done this for my larger, longer term business plan but not for what I'm doing right now. Good reminder.
ReplyDeleteAre they male or female? F
ReplyDeleteWhat is their style like? Simple, with a little bit of flare. dress simple, casual, but like to have fun accessories.
How old are they? 28
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment? suburbs, house
What kind of hobbies do they have? running, hiking
What sort of job do they have? PR
What is their average income like? 35k
Are they blissfully single, or happily married? married
If neither, are they planning a wedding? no
Are they parents? no, but planning soon.
If yes, are they natural parents?
Do they have pets? yes. 2 medium-large size dogs.
Great responses, Nicole! You really have drawn out exactly who your target audience is, love it!
DeleteMy dream client is 20-45 years old. Their style is woodland, country, natural. They love to learn and discover new woodland flora and fauna. They enjoy bringing nature designs into their home. My dream client cares about the environment.
ReplyDeleteMy client dwell in a suburban to rural home that has natural colors, raw woods, led lights, hiking boots by the door, and a catch all display of outdoor treasures.
In their free time they enjoy camping, nature walking, geocaching, hiking, and animal watching. It's not unusual for them to start their day before dawn with a hot beverage and a stainless steel water bottle (no plastic here) to go.
Work pays the bills, but it's work, so any form of nature is a relief. They can't wait to get outdoors, absorb the fresh air and sounds of nature. Bringing my woodland art into their home will make them feel more "at home" where they feel the most relaxed and alive, in nature.
When it comes to parenting, they desire to live and parent responsively and consciously. My client is nomadic, taking their children on great adventures and believe in unschooling their kids.
This is great, so many things I just haven't thought about and obviously need to think about more.
ReplyDeleteAre they male or female? female
What is their style like? a little funky. they like to have fun but enjoy the piece and quiet, they prefer to buy handmade, and enjoy unique items. They appreciate well made items that are multi purpose. Items that can be played with and/or keep you company while you work.
How old are they? 28 - 60 (parents & grandparents)
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment? The ideal client lives in the suburbs to the country, in a home that is well lived in, busy, and loved.
What kind of hobbies do they have? They are busy and always seem to be on the go. Kids activities (sports, dance, art classes,) they love the outdoors, enjoy a good storm and some piece in quiet on the porch with a cup of tea and honey.
What sort of job do they have? SAHM or WAHM primarily the others have a job they enjoy and don't dread going to. They are imaginative and think outside the box. They are creative and love color.
What is their average income like? 50-100k
Are they blissfully single, or happily married? can you do both? blissful single but have friends with kids or friends that are pregnant. and the blissfully married
If neither, are they planning a wedding? no
Are they parents? yes & grandparents
If yes, are they natural parents? yes they prefer to be around all natural materials or materials that have been up-cycled.
Do they have pets? yes and cat and 2 dogs
Are they male or female? Mostly female, but theatrical and unique gift seeking men as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat is their style like? Celtic, Historical, Gypsy, Boho, Steampunk, Fantasy, Theatrical
How old are they? Literally all ages... 7 and up. My 90 year old grandmother was the first person to ask me to make an ear cuff and I recently had a lady buy a tiara as an 80th birthday present to herself.
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment?
What kind of hobbies do they have? All manner of magical geekery-renfests, LARP, Music, pagan festivals,
What sort of job do they have?
What is their average income like? This also varies greatly. $30,000 and up? Lots of students still at home shop with us as well.
Are they blissfully single, or happily married? both
If neither, are they planning a wedding? Many of them are, yes
Are they parents? not required to be a fan of our stuff.
If yes, are they natural parents?
Do they have pets? yes.
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ReplyDeleteAre they male or female? Female
ReplyDeleteWhat is their style like? Trendy, but with a flair for old-fashioned.
How old are they? 20s-30s
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment? House in the suburbs
What kind of hobbies do they have? Shopping, Crafting, Baking, Cooking
What sort of job do they have? Home-Maker, Teacher, Lawyer, Doctor
What is their average income like? Upper-Middle Class 60-100,000
Are they blissfully single, or happily married? Happily married
Are they parents? Yes
If yes, are they natural parents? No
Do they have pets? Maybe
Are they male or female? Female
ReplyDeleteWhat is their style like? Eclectic with a touch of bohemian. She dresses professionally for work, but on her off time you’ll either find her in jeans and a tee-shirt or a long flowy skirt, a cute top and sandals. She walks to the beat of her own drum. Her home reflects her personality… full of color and unique items that she’s picked up over the years. Her favorite item is a hand-woven suzani rug that she found in a cute little shop while vacationing in New Orleans. Her walls are filled with art and sculptures from around the world.
How old are they? She is 39 years old.
Do they live in the suburbs, city or country? In a house or apartment? She lives in a funky little house in an artsy community. While she lives in the suburbs, it is NOT a Stepford-like, cookie cutter community. The town was established in the late 1800’s and has houses of all ages and styles, from Victorian to modern. Her house also has a pool and a cool little guest house that she and her husband converted from an old carriage house. The house has a comfortable and welcoming vibe that people really enjoy when they visit.
What kind of hobbies do they have? She likes to travel, read, and visit art openings. While she enjoys doing arts and crafts, she wishes she could do more. A huge supporter of the arts, she loves to buy things that are handcrafted.
What sort of job do they have? She is a professional, working in a public relations firm. She’s been there forever, having started at the bottom as an intern. Her current position as an account manager has her supervising a group of more than 10 employees. While they like her as a person, they know she’s boss and have respect for her. She finds real joy in her career and co-workers.
What is their average income like? Her income alone is 40-50K per year. When you add in her husbands income, they live a very comfortable life.
Are they blissfully single, or happily married? She is happily married; on her second marriage. He is a little bit older (45) and has also been married before. They met through friends and both feel like they’ve finally met their soul mate. When you see them together, you know they’re in love. He dotes on her, and she absolutely adores him!
If neither, are they planning a wedding?
Are they parents? Both she and her husband have children, but from their previous marriages. She has 2 daughters, aged 17 and 20, with one in high school and one in college. He has 1 son, aged 24, currently working in NYC.
If yes, are they natural parents? Yes.
Do they have pets? Yes. They have 2 dogs (golden retrievers) that they got together and 1 cat (a rescue) that she had before meeting her husband. While they do have ‘people’ children, they consider their pets as their ‘other’ children. They are both huge animal lovers and supporters of various charitable animal causes.