Why NOT Having an ICA (IDEAL CLIENT AVATAR) will RUIN your business! | Janelle Copeland

When it comes to MARKETING your business, I’ve often heard people say, “It’s all about spreading the word to AS MANY PEOPLE as you can.”

And to be honest, everytime I hear this, I roll my eyes. And this is why… 

One of the most important things about running a business is getting the word out there. You have to talk about your business, you have to get out into your community, you have to reach different audiences. 

And yes, you SHOULD be using hashtags on social media and talking about what you do when you meet new potential customers.

But if you think that marketing your business just means talking about your business, posting whatever content you want, with no idea who you’re speaking too and what you can do for them, consider this blog post a long-overdue INTERVENTION. Because sis, this is exactly why your SALES suck! 

To reach (and attract) the right customers, you need to focus on reaching the RIGHT people first. These are the people who will be HAPPY to pay YOUR PRICE for your products, who’ll talk about you in the correct rooms and send MORE clients your way, and if they like what you do, they’re the ones who’ll be LOYAL to you and keep coming back for more. 

Let’s just say that if you specialize in custom themed birthday cakes and you’re trying to sell a Frozen cake to a mom of three who has other moms in her network, this potential client is going to be MUCH more profitable than trying to sell it to an investment banker who lives on the same street. (See what I mean?)

So, how do you reach the “RIGHT” people? And how do you define who’s right for you?

You create your IDEAL CLIENT AVATAR. And it’s EXACTLY what it sounds like: This is your DREAM client who sticks with you beyond the first sale and gets more people into your circle. Defining your ideal client will help you understand WHO you need to to reach out to, and eventually, it’s going to help you make more sales and grow quicker.

And if THAT’S not convincing enough, here are 3 more reasons why NOT having an ICA is a bad idea. 

When you try to serve EVERYONE, you end up serving no one. 

Fun Fact: Out of 100 people who pass by your store or scroll through your Instagram page, only 10 step inside or take the time to send you a DM.

As a business owner, your job is to speak to these people. 

You need to know their STORY, why they like your products, and what you can do FOR them. Why? So that you can continue doing more of what’s working to serve them and people LIKE them.

NOT the ones who chose to go to order from the big box stores or scroll past your page instead.

This way, not only are you increasing your chances of getting sales, but you’re also MINIMIZING your marketing efforts by knowing who to target.

That means creating LESS content (which means less overwhelm and work) but getting MORE in return. When your messaging is clear (not confusing), you collect more social proof over time (in the form of reviews and testimonials), and you’re not attracting “cheap customers” or customers that don’t see the value in what you have to offer. 

It’s QUALITY over quantity, friend.

It helps you become a BETTER entrepreneur.

When you spend MORE time focusing on people who’re more likely to buy from you, you learn more about their problems and how you can better SERVE them. 

You need to ask yourself: What trends are they following? What gets them excited about their day? What’s the big new thing in their lives? What do they value? 

And then, as a follow-up, you need to say to yourself, “How can I replicate those things in MY business to resonate with them better?”

For example, if your clients are 30-something-year-old moms who visit your store often to get cookies for their children but have a tough time buying something for themselves because they’re struggling with losing weight, you’re going to want to have low-calorie options for them. THAT’S how you’re solving a problem and making a sale while doing it. 

But if you don’t take the time to LEARN who your ideal customer is, you’ll never be able to implement these solutions.

You can TRUST your data.

Once you have a SOLID ICA in place and you’ve made enough sales to people who fall under that category, you will have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t. 

And no matter what form this data takes (customer list, reviews on specific products, feedback, suggestions), this is data that you can RELY on 100%, no questions asked. 

So the next time you have a shiny new business idea, you can RETRACE your steps and see how you can put it to work while still serving your IDEAL customers, i.e. the ones who are EXCITED and willing to hand over their wallet and work with you. You get to cut out the GUESSWORK and find SMARTER ways of growing your business. 

If you have zero idea of who you’re serving, you’re not gonna know HOW to implement an idea effectively or have a good starting point. 

You don’t wanna be throwing ideas at the wall and hoping they stick. You want a TARGET you know you can hit every damn time. 

So there you have it! 

If you haven’t thought about who your ideal client is yet, this is your friendly push to stop sleeping on it, and start thinking about who you wanna attract and where you may be missing the mark. And start MAKING SOME SERIOUS PLANS about how you wanna market your business moving forward. 

Don’t forget to reach out to me at @janellecopeland or @thecakemamas on Instagram and tell me how it went!