4 Ways to Identify Your Ideal Customer

One of the most important pieces of starting any business is knowing who your ideal customer is.

Not just a subscription box business. Not just a retail business or an online business. Any business.

You cannot skip this step and expect your business to grow.

Identifying your ideal customer is the first step to building an audience. You have to know who you want to attract. And not just know them like you say “hey” to that woman in the grocery store who you see around town but have never really met.

* This post may contain affiliate/referral links. I could make a commission at no charge to you if you purchase my recommended products.  Please read my disclosure and privacy policy HERE.

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you see who shows up and engages with your content and ultimately buys your product. But… how much do you really know about them?

And if you’re just getting started? Well, you might have an idea of who your ideal customer is, but you’re not sure yet.

Let’s break down all the ways you can identify the ideal customer for your subscription box so you can find more of them - then we’ll talk about what to do once you’ve found them!

Who is your ideal customer?

Start with the basics!

• Is your ideal customer male or female?
• How old are they?
• Are they single, married, divorced, widowed, etc.?
• Do they have children?
• Grandchildren?
• What about their income level?

All of these are factors to consider when thinking about WHO the ideal customer for your subscription box is.

Once you’ve nailed down the basics, get a bit more specific. You might decide your ideal customer is a busy mom. But “busy mom” isn’t very specific. What kind of busy mom? A busy mom of toddlers? A busy mom of teenagers? A busy mom who is also a teacher? All moms are busy. What kind of busy mom is your ideal customer?

Where does your ideal customer live?

One of the huge benefits of a subscription box business is that your subscribers can live anywhere you’re willing to ship to. So yes, they could live all over the country. But let’s think about your ideal customer and where that person lives and what that means. People who live in different areas have different habits, including buying habits.

Ask yourself:

• Does your ideal customer live in a hot climate?
• Do they live in heavily populated areas?
• What stores and resources do they have access to?

What are your ideal customer’s interests?

As you get to know your ideal customer, dig into the things that interest them, that light them up. Social media is a great place to find this information.

If you look at the social media accounts of ten of your best customers, what can you learn about them?

• What pages do they follow?
• Where do they hang out?
• Who are they hanging out with?

Look for common interests among those ten people. Use that information to engage and connect with potential customers.

What are your ideal customer’s challenges or pain points?

Determine the challenges and pain points your ideal customer is facing. Identifying these right away will help you curate an amazing box and experience for your subscribers.

The question you need to answer is, “Does my product or box solve these challenges or pain points?” If not, figuring out those pain points early means you can make adjustments until your answer to the question is a definite “Yes!”

Your ideal customer’s challenges and pain points also answer a question I get a lot inside Launch Your Box. “What do I post about?” Shine a light on their challenges and problems, relate to them, and offer a solution. Your solution.

How can you bring your ideal customer into your world?

We’ve talked about how to determine who your ideal customer is. Now let’s talk about what comes next.

It’s time to bring those ideal customers into your world and build that oh-so-important know, like, and trust factor with them. That is what makes them buy from you. That is how you will get them to move from follower to engaged follower to subscriber.

What are some ways you can start getting to know your ideal customer and let them get to know you?

1) Hang out in common Facebook groups offering advice and engaging in conversations. You’ll be seen as a resource and someone who serves.

2) Speak their language in all your posts, videos, and emails. When you connect with who they are and how they feel, they will be attracted to you.

3) Target their interests in your social media advertising.

4) Serve before you sell. This is such an important part of building know, like, and trust. Provide value to your ideal customers without asking for money.

Check out this blog post for more tips and strategies to create connections with your ideal customer online.