Defining Your Ideal Client

One of the scariest parts of running a business is learning the in’s and out’s of marketing. 

At the end of the day, I want to work with my ideal client. You know the people I am talking about – the ones that value what I do. I want to work with people who understand my vision and trust my creativity. I want the clients who’s personalities I click with: the ones who make me feel welcomed, excited, and inspired. 

You may be sitting there thinking, “Yeah, that sounds great. But how do I find “my people” though? How do I find the clients that I am most excited about?”

The first step to finding your ideal client is defining your ideal client.  

Any marketing or branding expert will tell you to do the following exercise. Ask yourself questions until you have a clear picture of who that ideal client is. This is important, because once you know who your ideal client is, you can direct your efforts toward reaching them. 

How old are they?
What do they do for a living?
What colors do they like?
Where do they shop?
What do they do in their free time?
What are their favorite brands? 

If you are a wedding photographer, you might ask yourself about the type of weddings you want to be shooting. Are they indoor or outdoor? Church or field? Bohemian or classic? 

There are a million different questions along these lines, but you get the idea. The more questions you answer, the more defined your ideal client is, and the more your branding will make sense for that ideal person. Knowing this will help you attract “your people”. 

Pro Tip: When I was answering these questions for myself, it was helpful for me to recall some of my favorite clients. What made them different? Why did we work so well together? 

When you are done defining your ideal client, you will find that the murky questions that you had before about marketing will seem much more clear. Instead of wondering how a faceless person on the internet will respond to your content, you are speaking to your ideal client. 

So that is your assignment this week – defining your ideal client. Next week, we are going to talk about attracting and repelling potential clients…and yes, I did just say repelling. Check in next week to find out more! 

In the meantime, click here to read more advice for aspiring photographers