As we mentioned in an earlier post, your ideal customer avatar is the basis for all the decisions you make in your business when it comes to content creation.

Your avatar should be based on objective data gleaned through feedback from your market and not your own assumptions. But, as I mentioned before, don’t discount your intuition entirely. Use the data you gather toi back up what your intuition is telling you, and you should get a very clear picture of the decisions you need to take to build a successful business.

But where do you find all this information?

Here are 7 different ways you can learn more about your ideal customer…

1. Your current customers

The first place to start is by looking at your current customer base. Focus on the people who buy from you and interact with you the most. These are your biggest brand advocates and they’re the closest to your ideal customer.

If you have a membership where people pay monthly for your products and services, start with them because they have already indicated that they’re willing to spend with you every month.

Resource: Membership Site Mastery* (use code MEMBERSHIP to save through 09/18/22)

2. Your social media following

Another good place to find out about your biggest brand advocates is your social media following. Identify the people who engage most with you and check out their avatars to gather demographic information. Read their content and comments to find out what’s on their mind.

3. Other groups and communities

Join online forums and groups on topics related to your products and services. On these sites, you can get to know people who can benefit from your offerings and listen to and participate in conversations where people are asking questions, giving their opinions, and seeking help.

4. Do keyword research

I know that a lot of people tend to gloss over keyword research, but you can learn a great deal about your ideal customer by taking the time to do it properly.

Look for user-generated content such as reviews or blog comments related to the keywords you use for your business.  

And don’t forget about hashtags!

Hashtags are another form of keyword that are used as topic markers which make these terms searchable. Pay attention to them and you’ll often find hashtags related to your business that are trending right now.

5. Pay attention to your competition

Another place to look for information on your target audience is your competitors. See who follows them and buys from them. Read reviews of their products. You’ll not only learn about your market and their tastes, but also find out where they’re dissatisfied with your competitors and the ways you’re different.

6. Your own analytics

You can get indirect feedback by paying attention to your website analytics. You will want to know which pages receive the most traffic and where visitors are spending the most time. This is a clear indication of what content is interesting to them. You can also use this data for planning future content to share with your audience.

7. Your own products and services

Finally, you’ll want to take a close look at your own products and services.

What do you offer? What problems do you solve? How are you unique?

When you have a clear understanding of your target market’s tastes and concerns, along with the offerings of your competitors, you should be able to more easily see how your products uniquely meet your customers’ needs.

Final Thoughts

The key to success is to meet the needs of your target audience. Start with a firm grasp of who your audience is and the issues they face, and then you can figure out how to position your products and services to show how you meet those needs. Having a clear picture of your ideal customer lets you do that with confidence.

*Note: This post includes affiliate links, for which I will receive a small commission should you make a purchase.