Now that you’ve spent some time creating your ideal client profile, it’s time to do a little research. It’s not enough to know the basic facts about your ideal client. You need to know her like you know your best friend. You need to be able to speak to her in a way that makes her feel like you get her.
Brainstorm some online places you might be able to find your ideal client.Look back at the worksheet you filled out last week for help. Does your ideal client spend her online time reading a particular blog, posting on Instagram, or daydreaming on Pinterest? Who is she likely to follow and engage with?
You want to pick out the platform she’s most active on that’s not Facebook. Facebook does a really good job at keeping things private if you ask them to, so you’re not likely to learn much from the limited amount of information on someone’s public profile.
Look up a public figure or business your ideal client would follow on the platform they’re most likely to engage on. Pick out a post that you feel would resonate with your ideal client and look at the list of people who have liked it or commented. These are real life versions of your ideal client!
Choose and handful of names to look into and visit each profile. Just looking at someone’s profile can give you tons of insight on what’s important to her, what her hobbies are, what her daily life looks like, and what she struggles with. Take note of what other brands she follows and what kind of content she takes the time to share.
Keep exploring by checking out some of the brands she follows, some of her like-minded friends, and some of her other profiles on different platforms. Jot down some of the relevant hashtags she likes to use and take a look at those too.
Follow as many rabbit trails as you’re able to make time for, always taking notes and seeing what you can learn about the people you want to serve.Fill in any gaps and correct any wrong guesses on your worksheet from last week. And have fun! You have a really good excuse for spending a full day on social media.
Your action steps for the week:
- Figure out your ideal client’s favorite online hangout (besides Facebook).
- Find the people and brands she follows.
- Choose 5 profiles to look into.
- Follow some rabbit trails!
- Write, write, write. Make sure you’re taking notes and translating your social media time into usable information.