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Top 10 Essential Marketing Rules to Help You Find Your Ideal Client

By Anne Sorensen, Marketing Is Us

Finding your ideal customer doesn’t have to be difficult. Following these 10 sound strategic planning ideas will ensure you have no trouble locating your perfect client.

1. Plan
We’ve all heard the adage ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’. A good plan provides a holistic approach in the quest of finding your ideal client, ensuring you have considered all aspects. The following steps outline this process and are applicable whether your business is just starting up or already established.

2. Review
Firstly think about the core benefit of your product/service. What customer needs does it fulfil? Clearly articulating this information will guide your target marketing strategies.

3. Identify
Does a genuine need for your product/service exist? If so, what is the market potential? Are there sufficient people who want your product/service? Conduct research. If you are already established, customers’ requirements change so it is important to keep abreast of new trends and needs. The ABS has a multitude of statistics relevant to your industry. Industry articles are also useful.

4. Examine
What are the key influences impacting your customers? For example, is it the economy, increased usage of the internet, lack of time? Do these factors represent potential opportunities for your business or threats to be minimised?

5. Audit
For established businesses - review current marketing activity. Which marketing activities worked, which ones didn’t?

6. Analyse
Review your current customers. How often do they purchase? When do they purchase? Which customers are the most profitable? Profile these.

7. Profile
Who are the types of customers interested in your product/service? Are they individuals or businesses, or both?  If individuals - where do they live, what is their age range, relevant behavioural habits, which media are they exposed to? If they are businesses - which industry sectors do they come from, what size businesses are they, where are they located?

8. Objectives
Set your goals - you know they have to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accessible, Realistic and Timebound)! Goals can relate to Sales, Profit, Numbers of Customers. Set them for a period - for example 6 months - then break them down into smaller units, such as month or week and track.

9. Formulate
Nearly there! Using the information gathered from steps 2-8, identify your ideal customers, formulate your strategy to target these and execute!

10. Measure
How did you go? Measure the results of each activity and then compare against objectives. Ensure you are capturing customer information to add to your customer profile. Seek customer feedback. Feed results and information back into the planning cycle.

Author: Anne Sorensen
Business: Marketing Is Us
Anne is a strategic marketing specialist with more than 20 years  senior marketing management experience in the retail, not for profit and tourism sectors in Brisbane, Melbourne, London and New York. Anne’s passion is clever and innovative marketing activity designed after thorough market analysis.