In this blog conversation, we will discuss the one mistake that both Home based Businesses and Small Businesses are making continuously online. It is a key point of their marketing strategy that is usually overlooked.
What am I taking about ?
A clear target market.
A customer profile or buyer persona.
Many marketing experts define a customer profile as a description of a customer or prospect a business wants to work with or serve, based on their demographics, backgrounds, hobbies, interests, problems and desires. It also helps you to narrow the search of finding these persons online or offline.
This mistake of not having a customer profile or avatar is costing sales and many missed opportunities to connect with potential clients and prospects.
You constantly run out of people to talk to and those few you do talk to, are not interested in what you have to offer
Just before we dive deeper in to that, let’s talk about this misconception in Network marketing or MLM and why it is not your fault.
The journey of most Network marketers onto the online space ususally looks kind of like this…
When starting your Home Business offline you may have done the following:
- List of friends and family
- Cold calling persons you have not spoken to in years about your opportunity
- Home meetings
And these strategies worked until that list ran out. Am I right?
Even if you are Small Business Owner, you would have spread the word of your new endeavour among your network hoping to get support.
You might have even done a launch Party or an official opening.
The bottom line is that you eventually realize that you have to expand that network.
So then you hear the buzz about the need to have an online presence and how you can use social media to ‘easily’ acquire customers, clients and business partners or teammates.
So you then start excitedly posting about your great products, services and opportunity and get …
Crickets….absolute silence.
You may even have gotten blocked and unfriended by friends and family.
It is not your fault ok.
So stop beating yourself about it. Just be ready to change and grow.
In Network Marketing, the networking part is stressed while the marketing piece is usually ignored
One thing most Business owners struggle with is the concept of marketing. We were never taught that part. The focus has always been on the Networking piece but we soon find out that marketing is also a necessary piece.
Marketing is not new. It has been around for centuries from horns/drums blasting to radio and tv to now the digital age.
So why aren’t you having customers and prospects flocking to you online?
Your ideal customers or ideal clients do not know you exist …yet. Right now you are just another contributor to the internet noise.
When you post on social media, who are you speaking to?
What was the intention behind the post and what was the next step for the potential customer or prospect?
Yes those things must be clear in your mind before hitting publish.
It must also be part of a wider strategy even if you are using Attraction Marketing.
… and it all starts with knowing your ideal customer or ideal prospect. If you want to be able to target and connect with high quality potential customers thus creating an unlimited pipeline of prospects and customers…
Then as a Business Owner, you must take the time to do an ideal cutomer analyst where you ask yourself some key questions suchas:
- Who are you ?
- Who you can help?
- How can you help them?
There are several other questions that you need to have clear answers for in order to create your target marget and ideal avatar.
You can get a ideal customer worksheet template with examples right here.
You may have been taught that everyone is your potential customer and prospects. Is this really true?
In this video, I share why everyone is not your customer and the importance of having an ideal customer avatar.
Conclusion
In this digital world, the internet is noisy and customers are more informed and have alot of choices.
So not only do you have to set yourself apart, you must be able to rise above the noise to grab the attention of your potential customers or prospects.
On Social Media, that starts with compelling content with a targeted message at the right time.
Having your ideal customer/buyer profile gives you a solid foundation to continually build a list of persons interested in your products,services or opportunity without being aggressive and turning people off.
Even if you know very little about marketing or feel uncomfortable about selling.
When you know WHO you are meant to serve, their pains and desires then you can create targeted messages that will cut through the noise and connect with your ideal person.
They will feel heard and understand. As you continue to post that type of content your target marget will begin to engage with you and the know like trust factor will increase.
Especially when you understand the principle of Attraction marketing, then as a by products, you build a brand, loyal following and persons asking about your business and products.
Isn’t that what we as Business Owners want.
An engaged audience also keeps your advertising (optional) costs low. It also creates a snowball effect.
By now you should realize that even as integrate your offline and online strategies, you are leaving lots of money on table and even wasting a lot of money simply from overlooking this important step of customer analysis.
Imagine you could learn how to effortlessly build your list continuously without fearing rejection.
Every one within 3ft of you or online is not your prospect or customer. Stop pulling teeth trying and wasting time with the wrong people. Get clear on the WHO you want to work with and you can easily create targeted messages that make your ideal persons feel like you can read their minds.
Then you can continually connect to targeted prospects.
- Have targeted high quality prospects and potential customers reaching out to you on social media.
- Have people follow on social media and engage with your posts and videos.
- And turn your potentials into eager teammates and customers.
And you can start getting off the stuggle bus by taking this 1 single most important step to building your Home or Small Business using online strategies.
Who is your ideal customer or prospect. Put your answer in the comments below.
