Recently, we’ve been talking about your core purpose and main business objectives – so today I want to share a graphic with you to better illustrate how these concepts apply to your business – and what the heck they have to do with content/copy creation and promotion! 
As you can see from this illustration, your core purpose forms the “hub” of your entire operation – it is your reason for being and should be the driving force behind the business decisions you make.
Having a clear picture of your core purpose makes everything else so much easier – it can help you set well-defined and measurable objectives (goals), plus identify (and ultimately target) – your ideal customers.
Why is it important to have a clear picture of your Ideal Customer?
You may be familiar with the Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 Rule) which states that 80% of all results come from 20% of the effort made. The same concept can be applied to your customers. Therefore, identifying your best current or potential customer is the first step to maximizing your sales and growing your business. Further, this key piece of information can help shape the content and copy you create and will determine what methods you use to promote and market your products or services.
How do you create an Ideal Customer Profile?
The first, and most obvious, place to start is with your current customer base. Who are your top 10 customers in terms of overall profitability (in terms of both time invested and money)? Among your most profitable clients, who do you most – and least – enjoy working with? (If you are just getting started, look at your industry and you main product/service offerings. Then, identify what core problems or needs they solve and start brainstorming on who might benefit most from them).
While creating this profile, here are a few factors to consider:
- (If your target is a consumer-oriented market): age, gender, income level, shopping habits, marital and family status, hobbies, and needs/wants that need to be met (that you can fill)
- (If your target market is business-oriented): ultimate decision maker’s position within the organization, budget, length of sales cycle, company size, main competitors, industries or markets served, and problems they have (that you can solve).
See where I am going with this?
The goal is to identify your best customers, find out what characteristics they have in common – and then use that knowledge to craft content and copy that appeals specifically to that type of individual or group.
Before you write a word – it pays to do this ground work because it allows you to really focus in on the absolute best prospects for your business. This will help save you a lot of time, money and aggravation while you build the absolute best business you can.
Til Next Time,
09/10 Update: Need help developing a structured Content Marketing strategy for your online business? Join the 90-Day Content Marketing Challenge! You will receive a series of 12 weekly worksheets and action plans via email to help you develop a content creation and promotional schedule that works for you. (You can join at ANY time thanks to the wonders of email autoresponders!)
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This is such an important post.This is indeed a topic which has been ignored by many experts & professionals. You have done a great job by bringing this topic into light. I hope quality discussions follow this post. Good luck with the challenge and with your business.