Defining Your Audience

I was recently talking with a client who’s starting a blog as part of the growth of her creative business. She was getting stuck at a place many bloggers and small creative biz owners get stuck: defining her audience.

For most of us, there’s a little voice inside that protests, “But my stuff is for everyone!”  Danger: this is the equivalent of saying, “I want everyone to like me.” In business (as in life, I would argue), you don’t want everyone to like you. What you want is for everyone to be able to form an opinion about you.

Your goal is for a new customer to arrive, identify what it is you do, and say “This is for me” or “This is not for me.”

About the only thing that is actually for everyone is water. And just think how many companies are making a killing selling water by branding it as exclusive and specifically not for everyone. Water might be for everyone, but SmartWater? Now why would you need a celebrity to sell water? Certainly, SmartWater isn’t meant for everyone.

So how do you define your audience?

Here are 3 quick ways to get you started:

1. Identify demographics: This blog is for single parents, people with debt, and women in their 30′s.

2. Identify psychographics: This blog is for ambitious free-thinkers who work towards social change and like to spend their time outdoors. They’re not rich, but they’ll pay extra for great outdoors gear.

3. Idenitify the haters and work backwards: This blog is not for people who don’t value handmade linens.

Be exclusive. Start thinking who is in and who is out. You don’t have to offer something for everyone; the people who need you most will find you if you speak clearly to them.

Laura Simms — Create As Folk

A biz illuminatrix who hears between the lines, Laura Simms helps creative entrepreneurs discover their unique value & communicate that in a fun & profitable way. Think clarity + service + style = cash. She’s the author of Roadmap to Action, the guide that’s helped hundreds of creatives learn to work smarter. Laura vlogs weekly from her bird’s egg blue chair at createasfolk.com.