Your ideal client avatar is STUNNINGLY important. (And why it matters so much.)
One of my long-time clients emailed me last week after my ideal client avatar class and said, “Victoria, I’ve worked with you for a long time. I respect what you have to say. But I’m struggling. What the f*ck is an ideal client avatar?!?”
David in California, this blog is for you.
The first thing you need to know is that this avatar has very little to do with the 2009 cinematic hit “Avatar.” (And yes, I did blow 15 minutes watching film clips…10/10 would recommend.)
An ideal client avatar is only similar to the avatars in the movie in that it’s a created persona. A made-up version of, you guessed it, your ideal client. Thus…ideal client avatar.
This explanation inevitably brings up two reasonable questions:
- Why do I need an ideal client avatar?
- How do I make up a person?
Fair enough. Especially as the extreme importance of an avatar has been shoved down the throats of small business owners for years, in this or that marketing class, with little explanation of the why or how.
So let’s get these questions answered and, eventually, achieve the goal of an ideal client avatar—getting you hired and making you money.
Why do I need an ideal client avatar?
You already know the importance of marketing.
But you want good marketing. Good marketing:
- establishes trust
- leads potential customers to your business
- teaches them about your offerings
- and eventually results in a sale
An ideal client avatar is your number one tool for creating good marketing. Why?
It gives you someone to market to.
Think of it this way:
- who are you establishing trust with?
- who are you leading to your business/website?
- who are you teaching about your offerings (and who are they created for?)
- who is buying your products?
This “who” is your ideal client avatar.
And effective marketing, along with savvy business decisions such as the products you create, the services you sell, and even the font size on your website, is based on your ideal client avatar—your perfect customer.
Bonus: understanding what your ideal client wants to read (solutions to their problems and inspiration to overcome them) makes content creation a breeze. Need a blog idea? Write a blog on how to solve x, y, or z challenge faced by your avatar.
Click here for the top 5 reasons every health and wellness professional should know their avatar.
How do I create an ideal client avatar?
Fair warning—creating an ideal client avatar can feel overwhelming, especially if you have perfectionist tendencies. Ahem. ✋????
A tool called an ideal client avatar worksheet makes the process way more manageable.
This worksheet guides you through the creation of your avatar. It asks you questions about this hypothetical person, such as their biggest challenges, goals, and influences.
Most business owners get stuck in ideal client avatar work for two reasons:
- They don’t know the “right” answers
- They don’t understand why they need to come up with so many freaking details
So here’s the deal: there are no “right” answers.
Do your best to consider your perfect customer. What are their biggest problems that you can solve? What can you do to help them achieve their health and wellness goals?
If you’re actively working with clients, then choose your favorite client and base the answers on her. Easy peasy.
The teeny-tiny details? Those allow you to speak her language and establish trust.
Does she love reading Tom Clancy novels? Drop a line in a newsletter or blog about his newest release. Does she live for her morning green tea latte with macadamia nut milk because she’s allergic to oat milk? Let her know you’re allergic, too.
Details of her life should be prominent in your marketing—they make her feel understood.
And why would she ever buy your services if she doesn’t feel like you understand?
See how that works?
Need help creating your avatar?
Just like hydration and digestion are the most foundational components of health, your avatar is the most foundational component of marketing.
And I’m here to help. Click here to schedule a one-to-one ideal client avatar creation session.
