When it comes to refining your brand strategy, the terminology itself can create a real stumbling block. We try not to get too hung up on jargon, but it’s important to know that we’re talking about the same thing when we’re having a conversation. The terms can also help us differentiate between distinct concepts that are easy to confuse or conflate into one. Labels like Target Market, Ideal Client, and Niche are perfect examples.

The main difference between terms like Target Market, Target Audience and Ideal Client has to do with how narrow or specific we want to be. The Target Market refers to a general group of people working in a given industry or suffering from a certain problem. The Target Audience is a smaller subset of this group, and the Ideal Client is the most specific type of person you want to work with and whom you can best serve with your product or service. Finally, your niche is your area of specialization, based on the specific product or service you offer within your broader industry.

Reach your Target Market

One of the first rules of business is that you need to identify a problem and then provide a solution. Too many businesses do it the other way around, developing a solution and then going out looking for a problem.

If you know the problem, then you should know where your Target Market is. Your problem affects a specific group of people in a certain stage of life, or working in a certain industry, or trying to achieve certain personal goals.

Another common mistake is that business owners want to deliver their products to everyone. In the spirit of optimism and enthusiasm, they develop a kind of savior complex, and want to bring their transformative service to every man, woman, and child. While such zeal is admirable, it’s a far better strategy to focus on those who really have the most to gain from your product. Stay in your own lane!

Most new businesses — and all businesses for that matter — have limited budgets to work with. And those funds can vanish quickly when you embark on marketing campaigns to persuade the whole world. As the old saying goes, you can’t please all the people all the time.

You can be a hundred times more effective and attractive when you appeal to your base. Don’t just target your Market, but hone in on a Target Audience. When you “speak” on social media or in any marketing material, this is the audience you need to be addressing.

And if you’re not addressing a specific audience, readers and listeners will simply tune out. Whether on a conscious level or not, they will register your messaging as generic. In other words, if you’re not talking to them, they have no reason to listen.

Cultivate the Ideal Client

Over time, you will get to know more and more about your audience. You will recognize patterns and trends, and you will come to understand what makes them tick. Moreover, you’ll see which ones come and go and which ones stick around and become raving fans.

It’s essential to pay close attention to this. That’s not always easy when you’re running a business, trying to keep up with a thousand other tasks. But somewhere, on a back-office whiteboard or a shared Google Doc, you and your team should be keeping track of your clients and customers. Take note of those patterns.

Maybe they all talk about the same TV shows, or maybe they all seem to wear the same fashion styles. Maybe they all drive a certain model car. Keep an eye out for those little consistencies. They might seem trivial, but those are the details that go into modeling your Ideal Clients.

Pay especially close attention to those customers you like working with the most, and who love working with you. These are your Ideal Clients, the smallest subset of your Target Market. What do they have in common? What are their hopes and fears? What is it that draws them to you?

You can even come up with a name for this Ideal Client avatar. In many cases, you’ll have a couple of different avatars, perhaps one male and one female. Tune into these characters so you can really speak to them when you write an email or post on social media. This will make your writing easier and more effective. Consider even keeping a picture of them on your desk to help you stay on target and on brand.

Tune into their habits, and before long, you’ll be recognizing your Ideal Client when you’re out in public. “Hey, there goes ‘Nancy’, driving up to Lulu Lemon in her light blue minivan with a Namaste bumper sticker!” Or maybe it’s ‘Dave’ coming out of the Rib Rack wearing an NRA cap and stepping into his shiny black Hummer.

If they’re not your Ideal Client or don’t belong to your Target Audience, always treat them with respect. But don’t waste time and energy or water down your messaging by trying to reach them in your marketing campaigns.

Know your Niche

A lot of these terms get used interchangeably, so it’s easy to get confused. When we talk about your Niche, it’s not so much about the narrow demographics of your audience, but about the specific nature of your product. Still, when some people talk about Niche, they’re referring to that thin slice of society you’re trying to serve.

Of course, there is a strong correlation between your Target Audience and your Niche. But when we use these terms, we talk about Niching down your products and services to connect with a specific Target Audience.

Clearly, there’s a feedback loop going on. Even if you’ve done some exhaustive market research, you will continue to learn about your Target Audience as your business grows and evolves.

Your product may end up appealing to a certain group that you weren’t expecting, especially as market trends and social fashions change and move forward. At the same time, the reactions and responses you get from your customers will shape the kinds of products you will offer in the future.

Conclusions

The bottom line is that you need to know your Target Market and focus on your Target Audience. In time, you can get granular on your Ideal Client. The point is to laser in on that narrow segment and nurture them like family.

Once you’ve established this solid foundation of loyal fans, they’ll be advocating for you among their own circles, connecting and attracting more of your Ideal Clients. From there, you can begin to branch out, with greater confidence, to reach a slightly wider audience. You might even escalate from a Niche Brand to a Lifestyle Brand, representing a whole way of life.

Zero in and multiply your returns

Ready to get started? Or curious to learn more? The Brand Strategy Workbook will give you a good starting point to answer some questions regarding your brand. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out for a Discovery call or join our online community. It looks a bit confusing and overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time, it all makes sense in the end. You got this! 

• Schedule a Discovery Call with Pacha
• Join our brand strategy Facebook Community: Balanced Brands
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Dive deeper and take a look at these related articles.

• An Introduction to Brand Archetypes
• Adopting Brand Personas
• Speaking with Brand Voice
• Building Company Culture
• Issues with Ethical Marketing