As a freelancer, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to be everything to everyone. After all, you’re running your own business and you need to make money, right? But the truth is, trying to appeal to everyone can actually harm your business in the long run. That’s why it’s so important to understand who your target audience is and, just as importantly, who they aren’t.
Knowing who your target audience isn’t might seem counterintuitive. After all, shouldn’t you be trying to attract as many customers as possible? But the reality is that not everyone is a good fit for your business. Some people might not be interested in what you offer, while others might not be able to afford your services. And that’s okay! In fact, by focusing on the people who ARE a good fit for your business, you can actually attract more of the right kind of customers.
Being clear on your target audience also gives you confidence when communicating your offering. A slightly ironic result of this is that you will then become more memorable to customers from outside of your niche!
So how do you figure out who your target audience isn’t?
- Look at your current customer base. Who are your favourite clients to work with? Who do you feel would most enjoy working with you? Conversely, who have you least enjoyed working with? What was it about the job that you least enjoyed? Once you have this information you can start to build up a profile of the sorts of customer you want to avoid, and – more importantly – the ones you want to attract.
- Think about your personal strengths and interests. What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at? By focusing on the things that you’re passionate about, you’re more likely to attract customers who share those same interests. Also consider the things that you don’t enjoy doing. This will help you structure your services as well as identify which clients to avoid.
- Create a detailed profile of your ideal customer. If you’re unsure how to get started on this, you could begin by listing all the traits of the customers that you don’t want to work with. What traits does this leave? For example, you may not want to work with corporate customers, so your target audience becomes freelancers and SMEs. You may find that you have a natural connection with people around the same age as you, so your target audience can be slotted into a ten year age bracket. None of this is hard and fast – and it will likely change over time.
- Consider your competition. Who are they targeting? Are there any gaps in the market that you could fill by focusing on a specific subset of customers? It’s important not to get distracted here. On a few occasions I have offered my services in niches where I have spotted an opportunity, only to then realise that the niche didn’t align with my brand. So find those gaps, but only try to fill them if it’s something you’re passionate about.
Although your personal brand is much more than your online presentation, good imagery is a key part of attracting your ideal client. By working with a photographer who specialises in personal branding, you can create images that appeal specifically to the type of customer that you want to attract.
Once you’ve completed the groundwork in identifying your ideal customer, I can work with you to create personal branding images that showcase the real you and help you attract the right type of customer for your business. By taking the time to get to know you and your brand, I can create images that are tailored specifically to your target audience.
You didn’t become a freelancer only to end up working with troublesome clients. Working out who isn’t your ideal customer will benefit you when talking to prospective clients, and it will help you identify red flags early on.
By creating a cohesive and professional look, you’ll be more likely to attract the right kind of customer for your business.
So If you’re ready to take your personal branding to the next level, contact me today to schedule an initial chat about organising a personal branding photography session that will help you attract the customers you’ll LOVE working with.
