21 Apr What`s A Marketing Avatar And Why Do I Need One?

What’s a marketing avatar?

Have you ever been to a networking event and remembered the business owner saying that he’d like to talk to ‘anyone who needs an X, Y, Z to solve their problems and make their life better?’ No, me neither. That’s because the business owner was talking to everyone yet talking to no one.

The business owner wasn’t specifically targeting the companies that may want the X, Y, Z. Instead, they walked into the networking session not knowing or understanding who their ideal target audience was or how to effectively engage with them.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re at a networking event, writing a Facebook advert or creating a brochure – if you don’t know who you’re trying to attract, how on earth are you going to find your ideal customers?!

Your first step to retaining meaningful relationships with customers and sustaining a healthy business is discovering your ideal customer.  Understand this and you can directly engage with your target audience.

What’s an avatar?

Merriam-Webster dictionary definition:

1. The incarnation of a Hindu deity such as Vishnu
2. An incarnation in human form
3. An embodiment often in a person – she was regarded as an avatar of charity
4. A variant phase or a version of a continuing basic entity – the latest avatar of the conservative movement
5. 4. An electronic image that represents and may be manipulated by a computer user such as online multiplayer role-playing games like World of Warcraft or EverQuest – the users create custom characters (avatars) to represent themselves on screen

But what’s a marketing avatar?

It is a fictitious person that represents your ideal customer.  Moreover, your ideal customer is the person most likely to repeat buy from you, be loyal and recommend your product or services and is the person which you actively use your marketing to attract!

Why is a marketing avatar so important?

• The clue is in the name! It doesn’t matter whether you’re an SME or a huge global corporate; all businesses need to know who to target. This is the first part of creating an effective marketing campaign; knowing your ideal audience is imperative.
• Building a marketing avatar allows you to zoom in and accurately engage with those most likely to buy from you. Knowing your target audiences inside-out provides you with a deeper understanding of your customers, which is key to building long-lasting relationships and a flourishing business.
• Simply targeting everyone is not good enough, it’s too general and will mean you’ll miss out on focusing on the ideal people you should be engaging.
• Once you know how to relate to your target customers correctly, everything else follows. The conversations you design will be in the tone your audience responds to most, the words and imagery you use will excite and intrigue, you’ll know where to reach your customers and how to keep them wanting. You’ll also learn to understand what they dislike or consider unnecessary.
• Essentially, you’ll create an ecosystem of solutions for your clients, and because you offer a personalised, targeted approach addressing their wants and concerns, they will become loyal returners and your greatest brand ambassadors.

How is creating a marketing avatar going to help me?

• You’ll be more effective in your advertising
• You’ll learn which social media platforms your customers follow
• You won’t waste advertising budgets on the wrong platforms
• You’ll know which adverts your customers respond to positively
• You’ll learn what your customers want to know and what annoys them
• You’ll customise better content for your clients
• You’ll write in the style your customers enjoy reading
• Your branding will specifically appeal to your ideal audience
• Your future products will be relevant and match your customer’s needs
• Delivery of your products will be highly effective as you’ll anticipate market behaviour

OK, but how do I pull it all together?

Simple, click this link to begin creating your own target customer avatar!

Identify and Understand Ideal Customers + Targeted Marketing Strategy

= Meaningful Engagement + Business Growth!