Before diving in, let’s talk about exactly what and who your ideal client is!
The words “ideal client” are buzz words that many entrepreneurs use to describe the best-fitting clients for their services. An ideal client means something completely different to each individual business, and it allows every business to define and strategically market to those who need their services.
How do I define my ideal client? Answer the questions below as a starting point to recognize who those clients might be. These questions just scratch the surface of defining your ideal audience, so you should always dig much deeper to have a more precise understanding of your ideal audience!
(Pro tip: It’s perfectly fine to have multiple ideal clients in your business! Just be sure to create very specific profiles for each type of client so you can speak directly to them!)
- What is the general age of your client?
- What is the general location of your client?
- Are they married, engaged, single?
- What is their average household income?
- What are their favorite stores to shop at?
- Is your service a necessity for them, or is it a luxury item? How often do they require your services?
- What hobbies do they enjoy?
Now take those answers and apply them to create your ideal client profile!
Here is an example of my ideal client profile
My ideal bride is named Jenny. She is 25-30, works in the corporate world, and has a fairly demanding job. Because of this she values my ability to tell her what she needs for her wedding day and takes any piece of advice I have to offer to heart. Plus she knows she is spending a lot of money on photography, so she values the images she will be receive from me and wants them to be perfect, so she is willing to do whatever is needed to make that happen. Jenny and her fiance will be paying for a decent portion of the wedding themselves, with their parents pitching in for specific items on both sides.
She went to a larger university in the South and loves going to the weekend football games with her sorority sisters. She always makes sure to look her best while dressed in her team colors. She is Southern at heart and loves monograms and classic attire like J Crew. She values looking put-together and always has her nails, hair, and makeup done! She enjoys spending the weekends wine tasting with friends and usually has a fairly large friend circle due to being in a sorority.
Jenny met her fiancé at college and they instantly hit it off! They met through mutual friends at a party and dated for three to four years before getting engaged.
They have been out of college for two to four years and are now living together and have recently purchased a home together in the suburbs. They both drive nice cars somewhere in the $30k-$40k range and don’t mind investing money in what they enjoy! They have one or two pets together and spoil them just like they were children!
They also love vacationing together and will usually take a trip together while planning their wedding, then take a long honeymoon in Hawaii or another country. Jenny is also ALL about buying the “Mrs.” items for her honeymoon and enjoying every moment of being a newlywed!
She usually shops at places like J Crew and Loft for clothes, will splurge on designer purses and shoes, but also won’t turn down a good sale at Target. On her wedding day, I can expect to see names like Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors for both her and her groom! (And there’s a chance that a blue Tiffany’s box will appear as a gift!)
They both value family and will honor their families throughout the wedding day! Their extended family will travel in from all over to celebrate with Jenny and her groom. Jenny will also treat her vendors just like any other family member!
Their wedding will be filled with neutral tones and small pops of color for a fun twist on a elegant and classic look. One of their pups may even make an appearance! Jenny will also have a timeless dress with elegant detailing and will wear simple jewelry that complements and doesn’t detract from the dress. One piece of jewelry will probably be a family heirloom!
Their wedding photos are super important, so this bride and groom are more than willing to give me whatever time I need to make it happen because they know how much I love those sunset pictures!!
They both are loved greatly by friends and family, which means speeches will last longer than most and tears will be shed. They will then dance the night away and hope that every one of their guests are enjoying the celebration!
Great, there is your baseline. Now let’s go deeper!
- How can you help Jenny solve a problem through your business?
- What struggles does Jeny face that you can help with?
- Why do you serve brides like Jenny?
This is the step in the process so many people forget – and it is the most important!
Your clients opt into what you have to offer because they need a problem filled.
- You can help Jenny solve the problem of needing a wedding photographer who can capture her day as it unfolds, pay attention to the details and unseen candid moments, while also being there to support her and help her stay on timeline so she can enjoy her day
- The struggles she may face are needing vendor recommendations, how to prep a timeline, is she forgetting any important details, what are some fun details they can include to make their day more unique to them.
- You serve brides like Jenny because you value people just like she does. She knows her wedding photos are more than pretty details, it is about capturing the people they love as they celebrate becoming husband and wife. It is about capturing a moment in time that they will want to relive over and over again and celebrate every year on their anniversary. You serve brides like her because you know how important family and friends are to her just like they are to you.
You want to make sure that both your website and each social media platform are carefully curated to appeal to your ideal clients as soon as they land on one of your pages!
Think back to a few clients that you loved working with! Maybe it was their outfit choice at the engagement session, their personality, or maybe their amazing location choice. Now think about what made those clients stand out from all the others? More than likely, these few clients will have some similarities between them!
Now dial in deeper. Did those clients mention anything during the booking process about how they loved something you exclusively offered? What about during their session; did they mention any activities or hobbies they loved to do together? Was there a specific image from their session that they gushed over, and that their friends and family loved? These are all of your additional clues to finding those ideal clients and knowing exactly how to speak to them!
Using the questions above on identifying your ideal client, here is an example of an ideal client profile and a way to attract them on social media!
Because of the client info above, I know that I am targeting…
- A young woman in her 20s or early 30s
- Someone who works in a fairly demanding job
- She lives in more populated city in the South
- She went to a larger university and was a part of a sorority
- Her wedding be filled with neutral tones and small pops of color
- She has a classic sense of style and prides herself on looking put-together
- Family means everything to her and her future husband
- Photography isn’t just “ photos” for them, they want an experience that’ll capture these moments as they happen
So here are 5 easy ways to draw in Jenny as a client…
- Share about various Southern touches that can be added to her wedding day
- Post a candid moment photo that shows how in love a bride and groom are on their wedding day!
- Post about a session in an iconic Southern location!
- Post photos from engagement sessions, and especially show off some engagement rings!
- Share about choosing outfits for an engagement session and how to easily coordinate! ( Less thinking and planning on her end, the more she will love you! )
- Post about how you offer an experience for your brides, not just photos!
- Post a testimonial from another bride, who is like Jenny, who Loved her images!
- Post images of a bride with her bridesmaids! – since many of them will be her sorority sisters!
Pro Tip: The more tips you can share that will help your busy bride make decisions, the more she will LOVE you!
Pro Tip: Always ask yourself these questions before you post. If you can answer YES to any one of these, then it is good to post!
- Will my client enjoy reading about this?
- Will my client connect personally to this in any way?
- Will this help my client solve a problem they have or will have in the future?
