How to Create Your Customer Avatar
Do you hear all the online communities talking about their avatars? Are you confused as to what they are even talking about? Or maybe you know what they mean but haven’t ever taken the time to really consider who your ideal customer avatar is. Take some time to learn how to create your customer avatar – the fictional character who will buy your products.
Why Do I Need to Create a Customer Avatar?
The most important reason why you need to learn how to create your customer avatar is that this helps you decide what products to create. Many times we decide what to create based on content or our own preferences. I continue to make this mistake over and over again.
Frequently, I come up with an idea to create online content to sell. Many times it is based on what I “feel” like creating and not what might sell. This is wonderful to keep me engaged and creating but that is more like a hobby versus a business model.
For example, I just recently spent HOURS and HOURS on creating what I thought was this amazing Family Gratitude Journal (in fact I still do…) BUT my customer base did not. It fell completely flat. I even did paid Facebook ads and had lots of engagement just little to no sales. Had I taken the time to reflect on my customer avatar I could have avoided this situation entirely. My customers have shown me time and time again that they are unicorn fans so why am I creating a Family Gratitude Journal? If I had followed the correct path, I should have created a Unicorn Gratitude Journal (okay just added that to my to-do list).
Anyway, the point of my story is don’t ignore your customer avatar if you want to sell your content. When I changed my mindset, sales increased. Here is my mindset shift: If I want to create a product “just because” it is a hobby. Sometimes that is still fine with me. Perhaps I need the product or I feel it is a product that others would benefit from but there might be very few sales. That is okay with me SOMETIMES but most of the time, I utilize my customer avatar to drive product creation.
Don’t start by looking at the content itself: Start by first taking some time to look at your mission and at your ideal client or customer. Identify or reaffirm your ideal client and your sub-niche, and you’re over halfway there to deciding how to repurpose your content, and which pieces will work for repurposing.
How to Find Information about Your Ideal Customer
If you don’t already know who your ideal client or customer is, look at your stats and comments on your social posts and blog, and write out a new client avatar. Don’t assume he/she hasn’t changed since you started out in business … or that you haven’t changed.
Who do you want to attract? Are you looking to speak to more of the same, or are you about to re-brand or upscale your offerings and raise your prices? Even if you already have a customer avatar, you might need a new one if you are going to raise your prices or create new content.
Step One: How to Create Your Customer Avatar – ASK QUESTIONS
Asking is always a great way to start if you want to find out what your ideal client or customer needs. You can do this by querying:
- Your email list
- Facebook pages
- Facebook groups
- YouTube
- Facebook lives
Facebook groups have the added advantage of easily allowing any group member to create instant polls, without having to install apps, so be sure to use this helpful group feature!
Running a Facebook Live feed is also a great research tactic – particularly if you check your Facebook insights first, and find out what time of day your particular audience is most heavily present on Facebook.
Step Two: How to Create Your Customer Avatar – RESEARCH YOUR COMPETITORS
Take some time to determine who your competitors are, who their customers are, and what their needs are. You can do this by following other expert’s Facebook feeds, pages and groups, YouTube Channels, and Instagram feeds. See what questions are asked, which posts people share or comment the most on, and look for other clues to what their people want.
Take the time to watch the expert’s recorded, recent Facebook Live feeds and check the comments. (Don’t just check the comments: Half of them will mean nothing unless you listen to what was being said live.)
Also, be sure to watch that expert’s webinar replays – especially if there is a Q and A section at the end of each. And look at the hits and comments on any YouTube videos.
Step Three: How to Create Your Customer Avatar – DETERMINE WHAT THEY CURRENTLY LIKE
If you already have a website, blog, or social media channels, determine what topics your customers currently like and engage with. Search your open rate for email newsletters, Google analytics, Facebook insights and more to find out this information.
Step Four: How to Create Your Customer Avatar – ARE THERE ANY TRENDS?
Do you see any trends? Where does most of your engagement come from? This gives you clues as to where your ideal customer hangs out. Determine what time of day they are most active.
Step Five: How to Create Your Customer Avatar – WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT?
If you already sell products, look closely at what are your big sellers. Where do you get the most positive feedback or testimonials?
Step Six: CREATE YOUR AVATAR
Once you have completed steps 1-5, you are able to start thinking about your ideal customer avatar. Decide what their background is, likes, dislikes, goals, pain points and how you can help.
Don’t be like ninety percent of your competitors: Take the time to do this. Book a day strictly for research before diving into your content creation. This extra data will help you put together a much more accurate ‘avatar’ (profile) of your new ideal customer.
The Customer Avatar Workbook can help you get started right away. Instead of creating content that won’t sell, publish amazing products that generate passive income by completing this 8 step process from the Customer Avatar Workbook.
