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90% of businesses close within the first year, and only 3% of brands have existed for more than three years. A common reason for failure is that companies don t know their target audience. They didn’t think about it (we’ll start – and then we’ll figure it out), or they made a portrait of the target audience in a hurry. The result is 100,500 unsuccessful startups. But often the ideas are good and the product is great, but there is no sales or income.
If your goal is to recoup your investment and make a profit, do not rely on the Russian maybe. Study your client – find out what he needs and offer a solution to his problem. Let s figure out together how to do this.
What is a client portrait?
This is a collective image of the buyer. It is also called the client s avatar and profile. This is a conventional person who combines the characteristics and qualities inherent in your target audience segment.
But you can select a segment and work with it, why waste time and create a separate character? The fact is that the segment includes N people, each of whom is a unique person with their own needs and pains.
In the segment, people are united according to common characteristics: for example, all men over 35 years old with a salary above 50 thousand rubles. But, highlighting the segment, you do not know the details: for example, it may turn out that only 5% like active sports, the rest are connoisseurs of slow fishing at the nearest river. There is no point in selling goods for outdoor activities to such an audience.
Thus, an individualized character is essential. Based on its characteristics, you or your team will create or sell a product that customers will definitely like. Or it will finally find its buyer.
Other reasons to compile a client portrait
Simplify USP search
Target audience analysis will help you think through a unique selling proposition and find customer pain. You will understand how and with what to hook users, and create a more personalized offer.
Find new clients
If you know who is buying your product now, it will be easier to find people who are interested in the product, but have doubts, and direct advertising to them. In addition, you will determine who does not need your product at all, and you will not waste time and money on an uninterested audience.
Choose the right promotion channels
It may turn out that your target audience is sitting in classmates and like cats, and you spent months on budget for creative advertising on Instagram.
Find out the best time to contact
Here you can t get away with just a portrait of a client – you need to test. But at least you will have something to build on. To understand when it is better to communicate with clients through letters, articles will help you “When to send the newsletter?”And”Have you forgotten anything? Checklist before sending the letter”.
Think over a strategy
It will be easier for you to understand in which direction to develop your business, which products to bring to the market and what is better to refuse.
Where to get information and what to look for?
Google Analytics and Yandex.Metrica
Data from analytics systems and advertising offices will help to highlight the main segments of the target audience.
Google analytics
Go to the “Audience” tab. In it you will see a sea of useful information about your target audience: gender, geolocation, age, browser, language, devices used, interests.
To select users who match the criteria you need, select the “Create segment” option. You will be able to enter age, gender, language, location and other details. To further narrow your search, specify the traffic source: social networks, direct visits, email newsletters, etc.
Explore Google Analytics – it will help you build a user segment that you can work with further.
Yandex.Metrica
The data is available in the Audience and Technology reports.
From the first, you will get statistics on the interests and geolocation of users. From the second, you will learn the browsers and devices that your target audience uses, the presence of cookies, etc.
Audience poll
An easy yet powerful way to find out what users like is to ask them directly. Select several segments of people who are most interested in your product and invite them to take a survey. Here are the questions it might include:
- Who is he: gender, age, position
- What is his income
- What does he spend more money on?
- Family composition
- Hobby
- What attracts attention and pushes you to buy?
- Where and how does one look for the necessary products?
- What fears and concerns does one have when choosing
- Who makes the final purchase decision: alone or together with someone? If not himself, then who is helping to decide?
You can conduct a survey in a letter, on the website, Google Forms, social networks, Yandex.View. Choose a format convenient for you. Make sure users have access to the survey.
What to consider if you want to conduct a survey
- Don t ask general questions if you don t want general answers. Questions should be concise and transparent.
- Indicate how many questions you will ask and how long it will take.
- Make the questions open-ended. Then clients will be able not only to choose your option (maybe none of them will suit individual people), but also to express their point of view.
- Offer a gift, discount, or bonus to those who complete the survey. People will be motivated to help you.
Sales Managers Survey
Another source of information. Managers know the needs of customers and the frequency of purchases, and sometimes the date of the wedding anniversary, the name of the pet and the make of the car (even though the product is not related to auto themes).
What questions to ask managers:
- who leaves an application more often;
- what questions are asked;
- what fears and objections are expressed;
- what are the wishes and comments;
- who buys more often and faster;
- why the order is canceled.
How to create a portrait of a client in B2C?
If you interact with direct consumers, you need almost the same data as for B2B. Namely:
- floor;
- the purpose of the purchase;
- objections;
- pains and fears.
But there are also differences. What other data do you need to get in order to compose a client s portrait in B2C?
Family status
Knowing this information, you will be able to prepare a more personalized offer. For example, an online clothing store will be able to send messages with a selection of men s and women s clothing. If the family has children, then you can add baby products. For those who are lonely, the company will not remind you of this once again. On the other hand, bachelors can advertise related products and services, such as dating sites.
Age
This is especially important if you sell products of 18+: alcohol, cigarettes, erotic goods, etc. In addition, the tone and method of communication depends on the age of the target audience. According to statistics, the older a person is, the more often he chooses to make calls: only 33% of people under 30 will prefer to communicate by phone, while among people over 55, the number of people who are over 55 years old is 74%.
Psychological characteristics
Emotions, problems, motivations, values, habits – all this is important if you work in B2C. You can choose products that will be of interest to the user: for example, business books for those who want to increase their income or gaming computers for avid gamers.
Income level
This data will help to distinguish three segments: economy, medium and premium. Accordingly, you will offer people what they can afford. Nobody will be upset, everyone is happy ?
Average check
It will give you an understanding of whether the current marketing strategy is effective, how much customers are inclined to spontaneous purchases, what is the average purchasing power.
What is the bottom line?
The client s portrait is a composite hodgepodge of customer data that we already have. There is no point in considering potential customers. However, an avatar will help you mentally prepare for new customers and conclude more deals / get more sales.
To compose a client s portrait, use as many sources as possible: Yandex.Metrica, Google Analytics, a survey of current buyers and managers, a personal account in Mailigen. Try different methods, ask questions, and update the information at least once a year.
The more detailed the portrait of your client is, the more personalized your offer will be and the more sales you will get. So get down to business responsibly. Up to hanging a collective portrait of the client on the wall near the monitor, when you prepare new advertising campaigns and offers, “contact” him personally.