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I can't stand spam, in a can or online and I don't take it lightly that you're sharing your valuable email with me so I'm compelled to 10x the value in return.
Want in? Just drop your email and click the button below, we'll gently place you on the waitlist and I'll get it to you as soon as it's finished!
I can't stand spam, in a can or online and I don't take it lightly that you're sharing your valuable email with me so I'm compelled to 10x the value in return.
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Looking to take your business to the next level? There is one essential tool every successful business needs - a guide map crafted by you. It may seem like a simple idea, but it can make all the difference in achieving success and growth.
Don’t take my word for it – the big companies use it to stay at the top. With it, you will be able to navigate through any messaging-based challenge that comes your way. Imagine being able to act with confidence and clarity no matter how complex or difficult the situation is – that’s what this technique offers!
So why not join a growing group of successful business owners who have adopted this art as their own? Continue reading to discover this essential tool for navigating your business! Unlock its secrets today and start using it right away so you can see real progress quickly...
In the last post, I challenged you to guess what the first principled strategy was that I'd be covering in today's post; and I hinted that the post itself gave clues as to what it would be. So have you guessed it? Before moving forward on this post, go back and see if you can pick it up; what this post is about today...
It's honestly one of the most powerful tools that I've come across and it takes a real shift in perspective to grasp but once you do it's pretty simple and makes everything you do in business moving forward easier. Unfortunately, almost every business owner that I've talked to in the last decade about it, either shrug it off as unimportant or is deeply afraid of the idea...
I'm grateful this is a concept that I digested and understood early on in my entrepreneurial endeavors before going full-time as a business owner because this one is hard for many businesses to accept and practice.
While last week's post was largely centered around my business ChiroTunes, who I serve, and why; It's the "who I serve" part that fully encapsulates the premise of today's blog.
I mentioned the concept; without naming it twice, or going into details in last week's post...
The first was regarding the chiropractic practice owner, and the second was about "creating sacred space within motherhood." I worked silently with my wife and her sister who ran "Raising Wildflowers".
It's an idea often referred to as the Ideal Customer Avatar or an ICA. I don't know where this originated but I'd like to spend time with you today to help you understand more about this amazing tool.
Many business owners struggle with this one for sure; mistakenly writing the idea off as hokey and unnecessary; and I understand the hesitancy…
Let's say, for instance, you own a water vending company and I'm asking you to clarify who your ideal customer avatar is… Your natural tendency would be to respond with "Everyone because everyone drinks water!"
So for me to say, "You need an ICA, or else your messaging will fall on deaf ears, because it'll likely become too milquetoast with no chance of standing out in your marketplace", I get it, that's a hard pill to swallow.
Choosing an ICA isn't going to completely repel everyone else that isn't your ICA, although it might shoo away your less than ideal, tire kickers… And is that so bad?
However, more importantly, what it will do is aid you in crafting a specific message to the right people in a way that will capture their attention so you can help them out with what you are offering.
And believe it or not, the more dialed you are, the more you become attractive to the outliers beyond the ICA that you've defined; like those that aren't quite your ICA, but are becoming or have a desire to become.
So it's my goal throughout the rest of this post to help you create and utilize this awesome framework.
Step into the shoes of your audience and imagine their world - this is the core principle behind creating an Ideal Customer Avatar. But what exactly is an ICA and why should we pay attention to it?
Your ICA, aka Persona, is someone who fits with what you offer. To find this person, look at data about the people who already buy your products or services. It captures in detail who you are trying to reach with your messaging, products, and services.
I know it can be scary to change things that have been working for a long time. But you don't need to do a big makeover to get better results.
You just need to refine and focus on what you are already doing. This can help your business without needing too much effort.
If you've been in business, even for a little bit just reflect on those, you've already served and ask yourself who your favorite has been. It helps if you've been the ICA or at least bear an appreciation and respect for them.
It's usually the people or businesses that you're able to make the greatest impact upon with your products or services, and can't rave enough about how amazing you are, and what you've done for them.
It doesn't hurt either if this ICA does't want for money and is easily able to afford what it is that you're offering, regardless of your pricing model.
Now the change in tone is a little different with its humor, but if I were to complete the point, written to a chiropractic practice owner; I'd suggest...
Allowing the innate intelligence of your practice to flow by understanding your ideal audience; their interests, values, and buying habits.
With demographic, psychographic, and socio-economic information at your fingertips, you'll have a compass to guide you toward success.
Don't struggle to align with radiant content, enable a subluxation-free practice by understanding, creating, and applying your ICA today.
Alright, that's enough demonstration of my ICA through ChiroSpeak, the point is that it's clear and easily understood by your ICA...
If you’re not a chiropractor those last few lines may be a bit difficult to digest… Understanding this is like discovering the secret ingredient to success.
As we move forward, we'll dive a little deeper. Why exactly should we be concerned with the benefits of having an ICA for your business?
This exploration will help us further understand the value that an accurately defined ICA brings to the table.
So we've shed some light on what an (ICA) is and its implications for your business. Now let's look at how this idea can help, giving you some real benefits.
Having an ICA can help make business better, helping create content that your people will understand and like. Write messages that are special and fit those who read, instead of writing things that do not fit or are too general.
You can quickly identify changes needed to increase conversions both macro and micro. Every seemingly vane micro conversion is the building block to the macro impact you're looking to make.
You'll have clarity about who your customer is, how they think and feel, and the challenges they face - allowing you to provide solutions tailored specifically for them.
Helping you…
- Speak to your audience in a way that they can relate
- Increase engagement with tailored messaging
- Identify where changes need to be made quickly
The icing on the cake of course is that having an ICA can save you time and money - as you'll be able to quickly identify which marketing channels are most appropriate for reaching your market; helping to make campaigns more effective and efficient.
You can also use your ICA to inform the the products or services you offer as a valuable asset, if you take the time to create an accurate and detailed profile, you'll be able to better understand and launch successful offers - saving time, money, and resources in the process.
It's not just a theoretical tool but a fundamental resource able to yield significant results, no matter what kind of business you run. It'll help get the most out of your investment.
How can we make something valuable? It might sound hard, but if you do it in an organized way, you can figure out who your ideal customer is...
In the next part, I'll help you create an ideal customer avatar. This will save you time and money. Are you ready? Let's get started!
Creating an ideal customer avatar requires research and data gathering. Start small - focus on collecting information about your current customers, identifying the common traits they share, and use this to create a fuller picture of who you’re targeting.
After utilizing your ICA you'll be able to...
- Narrow down efforts to what will produce the best results
- Unlock data that will lead to better conversion rates
- Enjoy the satisfaction of a successful campaign
You can also look at competitors or similar businesses in your space to see who their target market is. This will give you an idea of the size of your potential market, what problems people are trying to solve, and how they go about finding solutions.
A huge benefit of defining it is that you don't need a lot of money to do research for an ICA. You can use what you already know about customers and their data to make one without spending much money.
Next, think about the type of language people use when discussing issues related to what you offer; which social media platforms are most popular among your target audience; and any other relevant information such as income level and lifestyle choices.
Finally, create a profile that's as detailed as possible. Include information like...
- Age range
- Gender
- Job title or profession
- Location/region
- Interests and hobbies
- Values and beliefs
- What makes them tick
- What problems they face
- What solutions they want
- What solutions they need
- Their fears
- Their dreams
- Income level
- And so on...
Doing this will help you to better understand who to focus on and what motivates them when making purchase decisions, by helping...
Connect on a deeper level
Gaining insights into their needs, wants, and desires
Build meaningful relationships by communicating in their language
For me, for instance; I've deeply studied and fallen in love with chiropractic... I'm not a chiropractor but I'm sure to tastefully integrate the language that these doctors use to better serve them. In a way that's fun and playful or clear and serious when necessary.
When you take the time to put yours together, you're left feeling...
- Secure that you are reaching the right people with your message
- Reassured in knowing you've got a clear plan
- With a personalized approach to connecting with customers
If you can answer these questions within the demographic and psychographic points mentioned earlier, you'll have a much better understanding of how to craft the perfect message and offers that will resonate with them.
Don't sail without a compass - plot your path with an ideal customer avatar. It's not something you can set and forget, it's something that should change as your business and customers do.
As you get more information about who your customers are and what they need, update your avatar with this new knowledge.
It's an important tool that'll help you make good choices. Now you can use it to create messages that people will understand and like. It's the compass and the map guiding your ship.
Let's navigate further into this topic in the next section: 'Where to Use Your Ideal Customer Avatar'.
Once you’ve created your ICA, you can use it to craft copy that resonates with your target market. Consider using the language of your ICA in all the content you create, from blog posts and social media updates to emails and websites.
You'll be able to use your ICA to...
- Create loyalty programs tailored to your target market
- Surprise and delight your customers with special rewards.
- Make customers feel valued by providing exclusive offers and discounts.
It's important to keep the information up to date as your target market evolves. Consider revisiting your ICA every few months or a year to make sure that it's still relevant and accurate.
You may be thinking that every customer is different and deserves special treatment. You're right, it won't make your treatment toward all customers the same, but it help you decide what messages to send and what products to make so you can give customers what they need and want.
An ICA can also serve as a guideline when it comes to setting price points, as well as the level of customer service and support required.
This allows you more freedom when it comes to making decisions about how best to serve your target market; taking into consideration their preferences around cost, service, delivery times, etc. So you can...
- Be confident you're creating the best possible product
- Make customers feel as though their needs are seen and heard
- Grow a successful business that resonates with your ICA
Consider their values, motivations, and whatever else it is that they need to know to make an informed decision about what you have to offer.
You can use the information to create products that people want and need. The...
- Features
- How it works
- How it looks
- And even the price can be made tailored for your target market.
Helping optimize your website, blog and any other platform your using by knowing exactly who is visiting, and tuning into the messages that work best for them can help make improvements.
You can also use it to create effective campaigns and ads. Knowing who you're specifically speaking to is and what they are looking for makes it easier to create ads that'll grab their attention, and direct them to where they need to go.
Helping create special rewards for customers will tell you what people are buying and why they buy it, increasing customer loyal to your business; building long-term relationships.
When you finally utilize this tool, you'll...
- Feel in control of the direction your company is taking.
- Be able to enhance customer experiences with personalized offers.
- And manage loyalty programs and referrals to create long-term relationships
Finally, an ICA can be used to create effective email campaigns - knowing your target market makes it easier to craft emails that not only get opened but also deliver the right messages.
Writing emails to your ICA's interests and needs can help you stand out from the crowd and make sure your message gets through.
Don’t underestimate its power! Get as specific as possible - it's worth the time to craft the perfect message to reach your desired audience.
Now that you know more about creating and using an ICA for messaging, you can identify and start crafting messages specifically for them now!
Achieving success in business can sometimes feel like a tale of the Odyssey. To help you, think about your ICA to decide what to say and do to make your business successful.
Here is a tool that helps you understand what customers need, want, and how they use your products. You can use it to give customers things they like and make smart decisions. It will tell you what to say and do so that your company can be special.
While your competitors are talking about how great they are and the products and services they provide, you'll be speaking directly to your perfect customer in empathy with actual solutions.
Creating an Ideal Customer Avatar is not just a game. It helps your business save time, money, and resources. It makes sure that you are sending your marketing messages to the right people.
We studied what an ICA is, and how it can help your business. It can also help you make products and decide what content and offers to put out.
To conclude this journey, don't sail without a compass. Let your ICA guide you towards success. Use this tool to learn more about your customers and grow your business.
Take the helm, plot your course, and navigate confidently to an unforgettable future!
Author of "The Unforgettable Business" blog and Host of "The Unforgettable Business" Show
Founder Of ChiroTunes
If you own or manage a chiropractic practice, then...
Now, where you'll learn strategies to...
- Attract new patients
- Keep ideal patients around longer
- Strengthen your brand practice consistency
- Create a lasting impact within your community
Also for my business owner entrepreneur family, I'm putting together a quick guide to creating...
Just click the button, we'll gently place you on the waitlist and I'll get it to you as soon as it's finished!
I can't stand spam, in a can or online and I don't take it lightly that you're sharing your email is valuable so I'm compelled to 10x the value in return.
