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Create Your Ideal Customer Avatar

S3 E47 · Business to Your Own Beat
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20 Plays3 months ago

This episode is focused on Creating Your Ideal Customer Avatar… knowing & truly understanding who you are serving with your business offerings is vital in creating a profitable & purposeful business.

This is an excerpt from a webinar I ran for the Digital Solutions Program, in which I take participants through a process of understanding them, to help align with their needs and for business owners to write better content and focusing their marketing efforts to meet their needs, wants & desires.

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CREATORS NEST

BY MARIE-NICOLE


Intro & Outro Music: Shaman Dance by slavamusic

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Transcript

Introduction to Marie Nicole's Philosophy

00:00:00
Speaker
Do you desire to turn your passion into income? Connect with other creative souls who also dance to the beat of their own drum? I'm Marie Nicole and I'm devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences. As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness.

Webinar Insights on Customer Avatars

00:00:24
Speaker
It is my hope in this podcast that I inspire you to live your life on your terms and earn your income
00:00:44
Speaker
Today's episode is an excerpt from a webinar I just ran for the Digital Solutions Program based on creating your ideal customer avatar. Knowing and truly understanding who you are serving with your business offerings is vital in creating a profitable and purposeful business. In this webinar, I take participants through a process of understanding them to help align with their needs and for business owners to write better content, focusing their marketing efforts on meeting their needs, wants and desires.
00:01:18
Speaker
I'm sharing it here today with you as I am sure as a listener of this podcast, you too would benefit from the insights and information shared in this webinar. To support you even more, I've also created a downloadable PDF with the list of questions and so forth that I go through. To get access to this PDF, simply click on the link in the show notes.

Digital Solutions Program Overview

00:01:40
Speaker
To further support you in your journey of doing business to your own beat, I'd like to let you know about a couple of ways that I can offer my assistance.
00:01:48
Speaker
as an introduction to how working with a coach can serve you in taking your business to the next level while being supportive of your health and wellbeing as a business owner. Firstly is the digital solutions program. I am one of the coaches for that program and it's one of the ways that you can work with me one-to-one with very little monetary investment on your part.
00:02:13
Speaker
It is a government funded initiative serving micro and small business owners to support you in your journey. If you're in New South Wales, Australia, have an ABN or run a for-profit micro or small business, even if you're just starting out. For a small fee of $45 plus GST, when you select the all access option, you'll receive up to four hours of one-to-one coaching, focusing specifically on your needs in the digital space.
00:02:43
Speaker
You can also just sign up for the light program which is free and you get access to a library of resources and you get to join the community and connect with others travelling the same uncharted waters as you.

Coaching Services and Personalization

00:02:54
Speaker
By signing up to this program through my affiliate link whichever option you choose all access or light you'll also be supporting the production of this podcast as I will receive a small finder's fee for bringing you into the program.
00:03:08
Speaker
If you're not in New South Wales and you would like one-to-one business and wellness coaching ad hoc, you can book this via the service that the rural woman is currently supporting. This option is $121, including GST, for a one-hour session. The difference here is that we can focus on anything that would be most supportive to you right now, and that may have nothing to do with your digital presence, but instead focusing on building your confidence or overcoming imposter syndrome.

Importance of Specific Messaging

00:03:39
Speaker
These two introductory offers are a great way to experience how working with a coach can help elevate you out of a dip and up to the next peak of your business journey. Help you overcome the overwhelm of what to focus your energy on and reach your desired business and life goals as we focus specifically on your goals and needs.
00:04:01
Speaker
You'll also find links for these offerings in the show notes. So for now, go on and enjoy today's episode, which is based on creating your ideal customer avatar. Let's see if we can... take a bit of the ambiguity out of knowing who you are serving with your offerings and how to speak to them directly.

Niche Market Success Strategies

00:04:25
Speaker
So in today's webinar I'll cover the foundations of to help you um get your thinking around that and to go a little bit more deeply than just you know as a bookkeeper who are you serving as a bookkeeper and what it's not just everybody you might have a specific target audience that you are serving it might be that they're in agriculture or it might be that
00:04:46
Speaker
they are creatives and that is a really big gift to know exactly who you're speaking to so that you can attract the right people in. So throughout this webinar if you have any questions please do write it in the Q and&A box and at the end of the presentation I will go through the Q and&A box and answer them to the best of my ability. If there's something there that I can't answer then I will look for an answer for you and get back to you on that.
00:05:13
Speaker
so Yeah, but let's begin. Let's see what we can get through today and help you understand. First of all, let's see if we can take some of those little initial objections that we tend to create around a specific ideal customer avatar, because our mind does object to this. And it says, you know, those thoughts are creeping in and say, but I don't want to leave anyone out. My product and service is for everyone.
00:05:43
Speaker
Now we have 8 billion people on the planet and with a diverse range of tastes, cultures, preferences, lifestyle differences, you know that there is no way that your product or service can meet the needs of absolutely everyone. And you've probably heard the phrase that when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.
00:06:02
Speaker
which is why we want to become a little bit more specific. And when we do, we create key advocates for our brand, people who will spread the word for you. And when you direct your messaging to an ideal customer and they feel seen, heard and understood, and you'll know what they need, then they will go out and tell people and they'll spread the word for you.
00:06:28
Speaker
And they'll think that you know if they are benefiting from it, then they'll spread it to other people that they think would benefit from too. So that is the power of picking your ideal client and speaking directly to them and then having them advocate on your behalf.

Uniqueness in Artisanal Business

00:06:43
Speaker
Take this program for example. It's not directed to large corporations, Fortune 500 companies. The messaging around this is delivered specifically to you and your needs as a micro and small business owner who finds the digital realm a little overwhelming or unknown.
00:07:02
Speaker
I may not be speaking on behalf of everyone here when I say that, let's face it, most of us here were not born into the digital age. Now I'm almost 50 and when I was growing up, I didn't even have a computer at home.
00:07:15
Speaker
It was exciting when we got our first electric typewriter and I remember the days when our phone was attached to the wall with a spiral cord and we would speak to speak in private you'd pull it it into the pantry. When I started my first business as a photographer I shot on film and shortly after that I mean I started getting my negative scan and doing digital prints So my ideal customer back then was the client who was willing to spend the thousands of dollars on having a magazine style album designed for them specifically and it was not something that was available in the mainstream. But there were enough of those clients out there for me to build a thriving business.
00:07:56
Speaker
so But because I focused on them and spoke to them, I attracted them. Another thing you've probably heard is that there's more power in finding a niche and there's less competition in that space. If you're creating a product that is readily available in mass production in the mass production marketplace, then you'll be likely only really competing on price. But if you're offering something that speaks to the heart of a small market,
00:08:25
Speaker
then you're offering your service to a few people. And one of the things that's beautiful about that is it becomes a unique product and your customers are going to share that information with others who they think will be interested in what you have to offer and express that it's a rare. It's rare as hen's teeth. It doesn't need to be that rare. But as an example, with my artisanal business, I created one of a kind custom made repurposed blanket instrument cases and duffel bags.
00:08:54
Speaker
The instrument cases were made just of blanket and fleece, but the duffel bags were made of blanket kangaroo leather and lined in linen. So not your usual products that bags were made out of. A year or so after closing my commercial space, I had a man reach out to me from Queensland, saying he'd been into the store several years back. He came down to Yasri's sister's wedding and he remembered me having these really unique duffel bags in store. And he wondered if I still had them. Now I made these to order.

Defining the Ideal Customer Avatar

00:09:23
Speaker
and the small bag was about $1,600 not $1,600. Which sounds like a lot for a little bag, but to be honest, the hours of work that went into it meant that it wasn't that profitable, but it was definitely a product that attracted a lot of attention. And over the years that I made these bags, I made about 20 of them. So it's not a huge amount. But the point is, is it was different and it was a conversation starter and it spoke to the needs of that client, that ideal client.
00:09:54
Speaker
speaking directly to my retail customer, promoting those items and the experiences that that would create for the buyer, which was one of the branches of my business offerings. That commercial space had many aspects to it, but the retail customer and my ideal client phil customer for that, I had a value proposition that I had written for them, so which went like this, Creators Nest,
00:10:23
Speaker
caters to creative-minded individuals who wish to connect to the essence of who they ah truly are, not look like the masses, giving her permission to proudly be herself, not confined by current trends. It's a place where she can immerse herself in possibility, connection with other creative-minded souls, and also dance to the beat of her their own drum.
00:10:45
Speaker
After all, it's a unique thread that we all contribute to the collective tapestry and creates the whole. She values an array of uniquely handcrafted wares that speak of her adventurous, spirited style and appreciates fulfilling her nesting needs, especially important since she enjoys having both roots and wings.
00:11:04
Speaker
Now this description does not describe the man who contacted me years after seeing my duffel bags in store but my product spoke to him and his adventurous spirit. So I custom crafted these bags and I made one for him out of the blanket of his choice and he was so chuffed that as soon as it arrived in to his house he took a photo and sent it to me and said he was taking it off the next day to a conference because he was heading interstate. So the point I'm trying to make here is that when we create an ideal customer avatar and we so we speak directly to them, we also attract the attention of others that are either side of that avatar.

Examples of Effective Avatars

00:11:46
Speaker
It doesn't exclude them.
00:11:49
Speaker
The customers who shopped in my store regularly ranged from age 12 to 72 and above. There were men and women and children who dragged their parents parents and grandparents in back into the store over and over again. And I often had men in their 50s to 70s who purchased all their gifts throughout the year over and over again through the store. But my marketing message was not directed to them.
00:12:17
Speaker
My marketing message was aligned with my offerings and it was very tight and specific and not trying to be everything to everyone. So that resonated with and who with who it attracted. It was like bees being drawn to pollen. And that's the important part of knowing who you're selling to. So how do you go about creating your ideal customer avatar?
00:12:43
Speaker
Firstly, you need to decide on who you wish to serve. Not just who you can serve, but who you wish to serve. Before I had my commercial space and sold online at markets, at one particular market, there was a regular market stall holder who used to approach me every single time I traded there and would ask if I would make gas bottle covers for her out of repurposed blankets for her and her husband's caravan. And every single time she would say, you can make a lot of money.
00:13:11
Speaker
making gas bottle covers for caravans. I have lots of friends who would buy them but I honestly couldn't think of anything more boring. I was making bags mostly for guitars, ukuleles, keyboards, mandalins, banjos and custom crafting for chess sets and the people I was actually engaging with that bought these I really enjoyed meeting and connecting with them And not that I have anything against grey nomads or caravaning. I love road tripping, which is why I started making duffel bags. But the grey nomads were not my target audience. Middle-aged professionals were. And it wasn't until I had my commercial space that I realised why my intuition had such a strong resistance.
00:13:54
Speaker
to serving the needs of just grey nomads because while ah they love to visit the store and have a look, most of the time they were not looking to buy because they were travelling and had limited space and so they didn't want to take much with them. Whereas the middle-aged professional who came down from Sydney for the weekend wanted to take back memories from their weekend adventure away with them and they would buy several items.
00:14:20
Speaker
And while I myself love to road trip and am happy to sit around a campfire and chat with others about their travels, as a business owner it was important to know who I wish to serve and how I could cater to their needs, wants, desires and build a sustainable profitable business that way.

Creating Avatars from Personal Experience

00:14:39
Speaker
So, is who you wish to serve based on one, a previous version of you. For example, were you once working in corporate, had a burning desire to follow your soul's calling and so now you're serving other professionals in helping them leave their job and follow their calling too?
00:14:59
Speaker
Or is it something you yourself have been through? For example, is your product something that helps resolve a challenge that you yourself have once overcome? Or are you providing an experience for others whose lifestyle is different to yours? Do that do you have a ah B&B on your property in the country that enables city dwellers to experience what life on the land is like?
00:15:24
Speaker
For a bookkeeper, for example, you're providing them with a service that they probably don't enjoy doing themselves. So they're not exactly the same as you. By defining who you want to serve, you can make the move towards understanding them more, understanding their needs from their perspective.
00:15:43
Speaker
And in the handout that you'll receive after this webinar, I've included a series of questions to help you create your ideal customer avatar. And we'll run through them together here, but I just want you to know that you'll receive that copy because there are a lot of questions to think about, but it's really important to get the seeds planted and get you thinking. Because creating ah an avatar is like creating a character that you will speak to in your messaging directly.
00:16:10
Speaker
When I wrote the business plan for Creators Nest, I had one friend in mind, especially when it came to the aspect of creating a space where mothers who moved to the region based on their husband's work and let go of their professional identity to be available for their family's needs, but had always dreamed of having their own business, but let go of that dream.

Detailed Avatar Characteristics

00:16:32
Speaker
This was a space that someone like her could incubate her idea and hatch it into reality. So I addressed all of her fears and concerns and offered her solutions through my business offerings. Not that she knew this, but she was my muse and she did incubate her business in that space. So the first part of creating your avatar is to give them a name.
00:16:57
Speaker
Give them a name that speaks to their personality type. So you like you're in a conversation with a friend every time you put out some marketing messaging. Also, what is their age? Are they in their early 20s? Are they mid 40s? Or are they late 60s? It depends on the service that you're providing as to who you're serving and what age group bracket. So be specific on that.
00:17:24
Speaker
Give them a hair color. Is it more salt and pepper rather than silver? Because they've not fully matured into their full head of gray hair or do they dye it? Not letting a single sign of gray hair show through? It depends on the service you're providing, but it's really important to know who you're speaking to. What's their marital status? Do they have children? Because people who have children will have different constraints to someone who's single and Footloose and Fancy Freeing has more time on their hands.
00:17:53
Speaker
So when you start promoting how you're going to meet their needs, you can talk about the constraints around family if your avatar has children. Where do they live?
00:18:04
Speaker
Do they live in the city, country, seaside, in an apartment or a homestead or a suburban house? While you might live in the country and run your business from the country, you might actually serve people in the city. So understanding the language that connects to them is important. What are their core life beliefs? Do they have a strong religious faith based around one creator or are they atheist or do they believe in reincarnation?
00:18:33
Speaker
These the types of things that you know about people help you to speak to them in a way that make them see feel seen, heard and understood. What's their occupation? Are they a professional writer? A musician? A doctor? A tattoo artist? High-flying entrepreneur? When you know the occupation of your avatar you can speak in that language and then they feel completely understood because you're using the language that they use. What's their annual income?
00:19:01
Speaker
Do they earn or make minimum wage? Or are they a C-suite executive? Or are they a self-made millionaire? There's no reason. You can't serve all three of them. But if you're speaking specifically to one, because you have the the way to solve their problem, if you're looking at C-suite executives and and your service is going to solve their problems and speaking to their problems, it's going to be important. What are their favourite books, music, TV shows or podcasts?
00:19:31
Speaker
As a self-made millionaire entrepreneur, they probably listen to podcasts. So that's an important thing to know. Where where do they hang out? Which blogs might they follow? Blogs might seem like a thing of a past, but they're not. And it depends on your avatar as to what their interests are. So what events would they attend? Conferences, retreats, workshops. Each avatar is going to have a different interest and you're going to find them in a different place.
00:20:00
Speaker
What do they do in their free time? Connecting with them on that level is also going to be powerful. What are their guilty pleasures? So the girl that I um said that I wrote my business plan on, even though we had known each other for a very long time, she used to always bring in a sweet treat. Whenever she came to work with me or visit, she would bring a sweet treat and I'm not that big on sweets. So it was funny after 12 years of actually working alongside of each other, one day I said to her, you know, I'm not big on sweets. It's funny that you
00:20:35
Speaker
always bring it in, I'd rather a roast chicken. So we ended up getting together after I closed the store and ate a roast chicken. So unless we ask the question and we wouldn't know what people are interested in or like or don't like, this is when we create an avatar and we get into their fully understanding who they are then we could speak to them on that level.

Addressing Avatar Fears and Desires

00:21:00
Speaker
If she had ever asked me whether or not I liked sweets, she wouldn't be bringing sweets in all the time and I always struggled to eat them but I was always trying to be polite. Who do they idolise? This might seem like, you know, you can actually speak in accordance to what their interests are and share phrases from who they idolise. So they feel like you're right in the room there with them enjoying that.
00:21:23
Speaker
which writers, speakers, authors, teachers, or experts do they follow, if they follow any. Now, remember, you're creating a character by answering these questions. You don't need to refer to these speakers, but there might be quotes that you use that are used by these speakers in your marketing message that makes them realize that you understand that they are really into that speaker's message.
00:21:48
Speaker
And what brands do they love from any industry? Because having a strong brand says a lot about a person when they're interested in a particular brand. It gives you a nice summary of what their belief system is about and what their interests are and what they value. So the intention here is to get a clear picture of who you are speaking to through all of your messaging.
00:22:13
Speaker
Your avatar may be someone who spends their days jet-setting across the globe attending or speaking at retreats and conferences, stays in Airbnb's and hires a car in each location, or they may be someone in a day job earning minimum wage but is studying at night, has children in tow, with big dreams to create a business that aligns with their true calling and purpose.
00:22:37
Speaker
And once you have created this profile for your avatar, it's time to step into their shoes and see life through their eyes. Connect with them and their emotions and how they are feeling, especially at the time that they come into contact with your product or service.
00:22:54
Speaker
What thoughts are running through their mind? What is it that the dialogue that is playing over and over again? What words and phrases are they using? What stories are they telling themselves? So the next step is to go deeper into understanding your avatar and their challenges. Answering the following questions as though you are them. So your Avatar. Don't answer it as if it's what you believe. But what you're trying to ascertain here is how you can meet their needs, offer a solution to their problem. And if you know someone who fits this profile, then using them as your ideal avatar and asking them these questions can be really powerful.
00:23:38
Speaker
So you're not answering based on how you think, but understanding how they actually think and feel, which is what I said about the friend who I created my whole business plan for Creators Nest around. I had asked her so many questions based on what she was feeling, thinking, desiring that I created the business plan to meet her needs. So what is your lifestyle as the avatar?
00:24:05
Speaker
In the case of this lady I was talking about, she was a mother who moved to the area based on her husband's occupation but let go of her own dreams when it came to a career. And our region is not really one where I would say it's um easy to find a career as a creative.
00:24:23
Speaker
It's one that you have to create for yourself. So understanding their lifestyle. What are their constraints? What are their desires? What do they stand for? Is sustainability a big aspect of what they stand for? Are they an advocate for taking care of animals? What do they stand against? That's the other part. And what do they value for my friend, family?
00:24:49
Speaker
Clearly a big part of what she valued was being there for her family. What did they get excited about? You know, I went on a creative recharge and retreat on the weekend and it was full of creative professionals who were passionate about a range of different modalities from musicians through to playwrights, poets. And it was interesting to see the things that different people got excited about, even though we're all creatives, we all got excited about something different. So when you understand your avatar, you can speak to them specifically.
00:25:25
Speaker
What causes you the most stress at night? Now, regularly. Like at the moment for creatives, all of the government funding cuts that are taking place in the industry, that's causing a lot of stress for these people. So if you're someone who can help support someone in that kind of stress, then knowing how to speak to their needs and offering them a solution to their stress has a lot of power.
00:25:53
Speaker
What do you say secretly fear about your life that relates to this particular service or product you're about to purchase? That's where, if you understand what your avatar is secretly fearing, then you can offer a resolution to that. And they can feel like, oh, this is going to get me where I want to go.
00:26:15
Speaker
What do you avoid because it triggers your fears? I mean, some people, let's let's look at creatives for a second. I know creatives who avoid looking at their finances. They just don't want to go there because they fear that it's just there's never going to be enough. They're not going to be able to make up the difference that they're missing.
00:26:35
Speaker
But it is so important for them to know what they have and what's coming in and to plan for those steps going forward. So thinking about that from the perspective of the avatar, how can you make it easy for them to step into understanding and looking at things that they fear rather than avoiding them?

Aligning Offerings with Avatar Insights

00:26:55
Speaker
What do you find yourself thinking about when you wake up in the middle of the night? I mean, all business owners have this, but it's not just business owners. You think of the person who's in a job that they really don't love and all they're thinking about in the middle of the night is how they can do what they're passionate about to earn their income. And if your service provides them with a solution towards that, when you speak to that from a place of understanding, then you're giving them a reason to sign up with you.
00:27:25
Speaker
What do you fear about the outcome if this continues to get worse? Let's look at the monetary side of things. If people are fearing to look at their finances, what's the worst thing that could happen is they could become bankrupt. So rather than avoid it, let's offer you a solution to stay on top of it that is not all consuming and still allows you to enjoy life. That's understanding your avatar's need right there. What would be the result you would get Would you lose power where you would lose power or influence if things don't change and do get worse? I just described that. If someone went bankrupt or if they lost their home, their possessions because of that, you want to be able to solve that and get into their understanding that you can help solve that problem. If money was not an obstacle, which brand or service would be the kind you would invest in to solve this problem?
00:28:23
Speaker
Now, I'm not saying you should offer your services for nothing. This is where if you think about your avatar and say, if money was not an obstacle, then which brand or service? Then you can start to ask, why would they invest in that if money was not a problem? Because they see it as valuable. And if money is a limitation, then they just need to see this is going to get me to where I want to go. And so I need to be able to find the money to invest in it.
00:28:51
Speaker
what do you think What do you wish brands or companies in this industry understood about you personally?

Creating a Value Proposition

00:28:58
Speaker
This is an important one because if you answer this based on your avatar, then you can speak to that. That I understand that money is a constraint for you, but let's look at ways that you can do this to get you to where you want to be. What is the nest be next best option available to you right now? To help you get closer to overcoming this,
00:29:21
Speaker
How powerful is that to be able to help someone overcome that obstacle that they think is going holding them back to getting where they want to be, understanding your avatar. So knowing these things about your customer enables you to address their fears, needs, wants, and desires in your marketing messaging. They will think you are writing directly to them and that you can read their mind when they read the content of your posts, your website tests, because you have taken time to truly understand them, their situation and their needs.
00:29:59
Speaker
not just telling them what you do or how much your product costs or just from a stock standard point of view, but rather from their perspective, how you're going to serve them. And this enables you to create a value proposition. From this, you can write a statement that sums up your ideal customer avatar and how you will serve their problem. Now, remember I said before I had the Creators Nest retail avatar.
00:30:28
Speaker
And that proposition was based around the creative-minded individual connecting to the essence of who they are, not looking like the masses, giving them permission to be proudly themselves, not be confined by trends.
00:30:40
Speaker
this you know place that they could immerse themselves in du and be dancing to their own beat and that their unique thread adds to the collective tapestry and that they value uniquely crafted wares that speak to their adventurous spirit. They appreciate net their nesting needs, and fulfilling their nesting needs because they like to have both roots and wings. Now I'm speaking to them on an emotional level. While I might not say that to them directly, I use that value proposition to write my marketing material from so that I am connecting with their needs. So that was for the the retail customer in that space. But as I said, my commercial space included many branches and offerings and that business plan included several customer avatars. Serving the needs of the retail customer was one as well as the creative designer who I sold on behalf of.
00:31:37
Speaker
the designer and maker who worked in this space, the workshop participant, coaching clients who were establishing their own creative business and coaching clients who had established a business but needed support in taking better care of themselves as the business's greatest asset. So while they all shared the common thread of being creative-minded individuals,
00:31:59
Speaker
who wish to connect to the essence of who they truly are and not look like the masses or do work in a regular job. They all had different fears once and the retail avatar was based on someone who had an appreciation for a uniquely crafted wares but was not the maker and designer themselves.

Catering to Different Customer Avatars

00:32:18
Speaker
And they were often people who were like a CEO of a company, a professional filmmaker, a regional mayor who painted and wrote poetry.
00:32:27
Speaker
I had these three customers regularly shop in my space and they fit my profile. They actually did have these careers. While they did not make space in their schedule to indulge in designing and making one of a kind garments themselves or accessories, they loved expressing their unique essence by purchasing them. And and the the designers and makers that I sold on behalf of fulfilled that for them.
00:32:54
Speaker
Those designers and makers but loved expressing their unique essence through their creations. And they were a separate avatar I could serve with a business and wellness coaching and capture the attention of them through my podcast, which I call Business to Your Own Beat. The workshop attendants weren't listening to the podcast Business to Your Own Beat. They were there because they loved to create but hadn't taken steps towards turning their craftiness into an income stream.
00:33:22
Speaker
They were more often than not someone who had a mainstream job, but spent most of their days doing their day job and they indulged in their passion of an evening or over the weekends. So they weren't listening to my podcast, but they certainly stayed engaged with my newsletter and Instagram feed to fuel their inspiration and fulfill their desires. So I hope that breaking down the Creator's Nest avatars helps you to see the value in creating avatars for the various aspects of your offerings.

Upcoming Webinar Teaser

00:33:53
Speaker
The next step of this is to create content that lures them and captures their attention and offers them small steps towards that bigger problem or the bigger solution that you can offer them for their problem. And I am going to address that
00:34:09
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in another upcoming webinar, which is going to be titled Capture, Nurture and Convert. So you've started a mailing list now writing a regular ah newsletter. What next? And that is to capture, nurture and convert, which is ah about creating downloadable PDFs that you can offer them as a reprieve from their problem, a short term solution that helps them get just a little step closer to resolving it all together. And then to access this, they need to provide their name and email address. And then you nurture them.
00:34:39
Speaker
further along that path, receiving steps in your service or product. But for now, it's important to establish who they are and how to communicate with them in a way that helps them see you understand their problem and can help them resolve

Recap and Encouragement for Engagement

00:34:56
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it. And that's where the value proposition comes in, having that statement that you refer to, who your ideal client is, how you are serving them and how you're helping them solve their problem. So let's do a little recap.
00:35:09
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Why is creating an ideal customer avatar important? Because knowing and understanding who you are serving with your business is vital to creating a profitable and purposeful business. Creating key advocates who will help spread the word. Finding your niche. There is less competition in that space. And speaking directly to your ideal customer does not exclude others. That's a really important one.
00:35:36
Speaker
How do you create your ideal customer? Will you decide on who you wish to serve? And then you look at how you're serving them, like is it based on the fact that they're a previous version of you, something you yourself have been through, or providing an experience for others whose lifestyle is very different to yours? And the avatar creation, the intention behind answering all those questions we just went through is getting a clear picture of who they are and speaking to them through your messaging.
00:36:05
Speaker
So creating that character will help you speak to them directly, understanding them even more, stepping into their shoes, answering these questions. Knowing these things about your customers enables you to address their fears, wants, desires in your marketing messaging. And they will think you're writing directly to them and can read their mind because you have taken the time to really truly understand them, their situation and their needs.
00:36:34
Speaker
And then, of course, there are the various avatars under the one umbrella. then They share a common thread, but there are separate avatars relating to the various branches of your business. Like I said for mine, the retail customers, the makers I sell on behalf of, their workshop attendants, the coaching clients. There are different fears, wants, and designers, even though they all have a common thread. And remember, when you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.
00:37:04
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is, and I hope you got value out of listening to this podcast. If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life you love, then reach out for a connection call. And if you'd like to connect with other creative souls in person by joining us at a workshop or retreat, or to book a unique um shopping experience here at Creators Nest, I run those by appointment. So check out the website for more details. The link is in the show notes.
00:37:34
Speaker
Oh, and please leave a review. I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations that were activated in you from this podcast. And I look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.