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Day 6: Defining Your Target Client

Day six we're going to talk about defining your target client and yesterday day five we talked about defining your niche and you know that's a great first step before we can really define our target client we've kind of got to know what are what we're after you know what are we gonna be photographing what's her specialty? What are we excited about and then think about those last questions that we talked about in the last segment you know who is best for this message and where can we find her and that's what defining your target client is and when you go through this process we've got an actual a whole little exercise here in your work but that book that you can fill some things out as we go along but as we do that and the questions in here are for a family photographer and that's my niche and so those are the questions that are there but you can as you go through this you can think about you know, if I'm a senior photographer if I'm a wedding photographer whatever you're photographing ...

just kind of twist these questions for defining your own target client in your area I do this exercise every single time that we are starting something new in the studio, so for my real kids in our business that division we've got a whole separate target client list than we do for our regular family portrait it's that we do in the studio we've gotta separate target client list for high school seniors so you know, I would encourage you to go through that with each one of your product lines and let's stay here and get his detailed as possible as you do this there are questions in here for you to go through and it's a whole page of questions but you're gonna think of other things is gonna you know, jog some other things for you as you go through it and as we go through it together and, you know, give detailed think about a life of your client's life in the form of a week or a month think about all the places that she's spending time and spending money we wanna really hone in on who that target client is and know who we're marketing to your target client is going to be those who have a need and a desire for your product and are willing to make that investment and so by defining that by really thinking about who that target client is we're going to know who is willing to come in and invest with us and I'm going to get to share with you some of the girls are going to get sheriff you hear their target clients and what's exciting to me is the tia and amy are both going to share with you guys and both of them not too long ago, you know, year two ago really did know who their target clients were and were wondering if there was anybody who was willing to and best if they raised their prices and it was scary to raise prices because you know well is anybody would anybody be willing? The people that I'm photographing right now are, you know, not paying money or like carly that we talked about she's you know, shooting burn are they willing to make the change and so really clear you clearly defining your target client is gonna help you reach that new market okay? So the more defined the more targeted you can get, the more impact you're going tohave just like when we were defining your niche, the more specific and then more targeted the more impact is gonna have for your business. So, you know, really, really think through, you know, really clearly defining your target client and as we talk through defining your target client when when we're like different businesses are looking at their target market and defying their target market they're looking usually at two different things and the first one is going to be demographics and demographics is information about different groups of people the way they live, how they you know where they live as faras geographical information there are some businesses that will even, you know, get a map and put a pencil down and do a geographical circle of sixty miles or whatever it might be and call that their target market, you know, we're going to get more specific than that, and we're gonna look at psycho graphics, and psychographic is gathered information about what interests people so it's, what are they into? What are their motivation in their desires, their needs? What are they excited about? You know, and how can I market too? That was we work through this list, we're going to really think through what people are interested in and how we can communicate to them what we're doing, how we can solve their problems, how we can help them with their needs and their desires. Larry wing it from the pit bull of personal development, said your time and money always follow your priorities and that's, what psycho graphics is really looking at the priorities of our target market. We want to find out what is important to them, you know, just one value of my target client is family, you know, they are people who want to spend time together, I work with working parents, and so there they are, people that are busy, they're working, they want to invest in this family time together, and it's almost, you know, a family session almost becomes and a family event it's like, you know, something that they get to do together like going to the pumpkin patch or, you know, going to the amusement park I mean, it's an event and it's something special, they only do it once a year, and so, you know, we're really focusing in on making that event that experience very special for them and so thinking about what their priorities are, your time and money always fall your priorities, which means if we can figure out where they're spending their time on where they're spending their money, we're going to know so much more about our target client who they are, who they're investing time in who they are, what they're investing money and where we can find that what groups and organizations and businesses we need to be associated with and so there's so many things we can find out, you know what experiences they're expecting if they are, uh, you know, there there and there is no right or wrong all of your target clients are going to be different according to your area and really, who you're marketing too, but you know, we're going to mark it to people who shop at certain places in a different way than people who shop at other places in communities when you hear from tien from amy tia is in chicago and a very wealthy area is that she's marketing too they have houses that are all stuck together in a historical area that get gutted and redone and lots and lots of money gets spent on these homes architecture and design and interior design a very important to them and you know it's it's very different than amy's market where it's rural and people are you know are invested in their families they have large families not letyou talk let them tell you more about that but you know be thinking about your area who your marketing too and we are going to communicate and market two different groups of people in different ways so here's our list and again you can work through this in the workbook and write things down print that out if you've purchased the course they're gonna have that whole ah list and worked booked to go through but some of the things that I want to go through our you know how many children does my target client have I want to find out where she lives does she work outside the home if she does work outside the home, what does she do? What kind of jobs air in our area and even finding out something like that? You know, I can really learn to market and communicate to mom's in different ways if a mom if I'm in an area and I'm really marketing to the state home moms or the homeschool moms or, you know, a certain pocket of people I'm going to communicate with those people in a different way that I'm going to communicate with the mom who is working full time, they're entertaining at night, they've got a nanny and maybe even a live in nanny, you know that those are two different segments of the population, and we've gotta learn to communicate with them, and they did it in different ways. They have different priorities. They have different needs. They have different expectations in customer service and in there buying experience. So I want to go through all of those things. And, tia, I want you to share your target clients with our audience. Okay, thank us. So I wanted to go to kind of go back a little bit, too, where you started with, where I was one to two years ago. Just I think a lot of people can probably really hate to it. I started out marketing to my play group, mom, friends, and that was kind of how I built my business from the very beginning. And then I realized I was competing with the photographers they were finding on group on that we're giving tthe, um, you know, the session and all the digital images, and I was I was a but stuck in the circle because I'm trying to think, how can I differentiate myself and make a business of thus on and that's when I realized I really did need to narrow down my target market and and I had to come back also to what was valuable to me and why I went into this, and really it was about that finished piece and back to my scrapbooking days, and having that, you know, those that book in front of me or, you know, framing pictures on the wall, so I had to think through, how do I get to those people that want that, and that have the disposable income to pay me to do that for them? So really, you know, took time for me to figure out what that little pocket in chicago is. So there there's the whole range in chicago of photographers and of the people of varied income levels, and so to get to the specifics for me, I have to say, like, in the lincoln park neighborhood in chicago, is where there's the old vintage, rehabbed homes, people spending money on, they have interior designers, someone that comes in to do landscaping, they stay at home with their children if they have enough income or their it's, a dual working home, so it's it's, kind of both, but both target clients have nannies and definitely want to hire people to do things for them. So I'm finding people that want the hand holding and want that service from start to finish. So I'm getting that opportunity to hang the portrait on the wall, and I sort of sheepishly asked the first couple clients like, well, you know, I'm available too, to help you hang it on the wall, if you want, and they're like, oh, yes, please or yes, please come in, look at my walls because I have no idea what to do with my wall, and I want your suggestion. So they were looking to me as the expert. They wanted me in their home, they wanted me to tow, walk them through the whole process. So I realized, wow, there's people that really value that, and so I went with it, and I had to really pitch myself as that person that was going to give him that. Give them that service from start to finish. So then, therefore, I'm attracting people that are looking for that in a photographer. When the first client that works with tia that actually went through this process with her, she called me afterwards, and she said, do you think there's more people like this in chicago and, you know, and it's that's what's so great about going through this exercise and really thinking about where your target client is who is she what is she all about because then you can go and find more people just like that okay going yes and then you help me and then I said well how can I get more clients like her are there really more people so it was sort of taking that that client and then how can I connect with the people that she knows in her neighborhood the designer that she works with was featured in a local in a chicago interior design magazine so you know reaching out to that designer so just trying to take those few clients that I may have right now that are my target that I would love to have more of and figuring out how to capitalize on that and builds then build a base of clients so that's kind of the point of that right now you know how do I grow it from there yeah we'll talk about that but yes I love that and you know and getting to know who that target client is way already know a little bit more about what the priorities are it's either a working mom or even if it's a stay at home mom you said that they have nannies they have people that are taking care of things you know t mentioned that they it's the person who hired things done and that's one thing that I've realized for my business in this digital world and everybody's a photographer and everybody's got a great camera is that they are all going to be taking pictures, you know they're they're goingto all be loving photography and photographing sports and dances and, you know and all these things they take pictures every day and I love that I love that my clients value photography, there are also people who would not do something for themselves the hang on their wall they're not going to mow their own lawns, they're not going to color their own hair, they're not you know, they hire those services done just like they're going to hire the professional photographer and sew and you've identified that with your target client, I think that's something that's very valuable that we can offer them those services that we have to offer and, you know, communicate that to them. These are the things that I'm going to do for you. And at first you said it's cheapest sheepishly and asked, you know, would you want me to come and do this at your home? And, you know, once the one or two people says, oh my gosh, she would do that for me, you know? Yes, now we know this is something we're going to communicate to our clients that you know, this is part of the service that I offer we're going to do something specifically for your home based on your decor style, your life and the way you live I'm gonna make sure it's you know perfect for everything in your home we're going to design and playing your session based around those things and then when it's all done I'm gonna come in and install it for you and you know that's a huge who'd service to offer and you've identified that that's a value for your client so I love that and then with the part that you had thereabout target client greater impact I feel like it was definitely greater impact on my client's to have it up on the wall and to be for the two of us to be standing there admiring it and they just exclaim you know, wow this whole experience has been amazing and look and there just so proud and oh please photograph the portrait's now and I feel like it's just um much more rewarding res for both sides so good yeah okay amy let's hear about your target clients? My target client is exactly like yours for the most part a little bit different my family's air a little bit larger she mentioned too minor a little closer to four my mom and I do target mom's never targeted dad I always target moms she is state home typically if she does work outside the home it's, because she's, working with her husband so my target client is totally invested in families. I serve about a thirty to forty five mile radius around my extremely depressed economic community. But in the last year I realised that I photograph more in my community than I do outside of my community, and every single community has a money pocket somewhere. I want to photograph him. And so I that's who I target too she's invested in her family, she's invested in her community, so she goes to church locally. She uses local daycare, she and they still use they care even then there's stay at home moms and they also use private preschools that are not within the school system. They'll have personal trainers. I've never photographed a family that doesn't have someone clean their home or landscape, their home and it's not to say that they want someone else to run their life, but they are invested so much in their family and what they do for charity or their community that they need hand held the rest of the way, and I discovered that's, my absolute favorite part of the job it's yes, to take beautiful images and create these memories. But to design for their home so it's not a cd that they never look at again, that it's not just an album that sets on a coffee table in his only viewed two or three times a week or month. It is a wall design, and one of the questions I always ask is where we're gonna be displaying your portrait's in your home that's what I want to know. So I'm not necessarily just selling eight by tens if they say, oh, I really never thought of doing that. Wow, there's, limitless opportunities and photography can I show you? You know, if they're absolutely not interested, then probably I've missed my target client, which it's good to know that right up front, I also realized I don't have to photograph every single family in my community. There are my town is right around fifty five thousand there seventeen moms with cameras running around calling themselves professional, so I'm heavily saturated, and I'm thankful for them to a point, because I can actually say, no, I'm not ableto I never say no, but they realized that we're not a match. I realized they're not a match, and I can help them find another and that someone else for them, another photographer, which makes it a relief for them and for me um I know my numbers I know what I have to make a month to pay all my bills I know what I need to be able to save so I know how many clients I have to walk through the door and at first that scared me because the phone never rank or emails didn't come in or questionnaires in command and I was like when we could do how am I gonna pay my bills and I realized I don't have to photograph everybody I have to photograph that client that wants me to create a start to finish experience than a council with clothes I'm going to take pictures of their home I'm going to design and then my husband he's going to go hang it for him because he does love leveling in numbers and all that so that's that's where my niches is completing something and that's separates me from everybody else so when I love that you've defined a certain values you know both of you through the process and you know you know the values you know what you're you need to be communicating to the client what is what's a high value to them and how can I communicate what I do for the value of my target client and your target clients are very different you know and you know and I think that's important to identify as well you know what? What is my target area and client what what are they invested in? What are their values and how can I communicate to that value a star is what we do so you know, even to the point I know amy identified that all of her target clients there really is no gym in the area there's like one jim I think you said and so she identified that working out was very important to her target client and most of them had either in home gyms or I had a you know, personal trainer that they hired from outside of their area to actually come in and she identified that that was a value to them and so she hired a personal trainer so that she would have this in common with her clients even ran a marathon I think don't you like a five k or something? You know? So she's got that to communicate with with her target clients so find out what those values are and then how you can communicate on their level and then from that how you're going teo, where you're going to find him, you know what other businesses do you need to be partnered with what other individuals and groups and organizations do you need to be partnered with? And so hopefully you've gotten some good ideas working through that on who your target client is and go through that exercise whatever your main product line is you may need to do two or three teo really clearly define each of your different areas but think through weekend a client's life is what the workbook says and just think through all those different places where she's spending time where she's spending money those were the two things that we want to find out so that ann's day six for us and with a six but download that you're going to get is our buzzworthy baby campaign. And this was something that I started several years ago my target client for our newborn babies, our course babies or newborn, but the target client there, those moms are, you know, I knew who the target client was, and I felt like the best way to reach them was through my past. Clients who had connections with the moms that I wanted to bring into the studio and always working through past clients as well as other businesses that had the same type of clients that you have is going to be really powerful before your marketing. And so we developed the buzz worthy baby campaign and put a gift basket together with all these pieces there's a marketing piece, there's uh little gift certificate for a free session to the studio, it all looks like a gift when it's finished, you'll see a picture of it on another day or marketing day, I think but it's, a gift basket that's, finished that my clients can go and give tio. They're friends that are having babies or another business can give tio special client who's having a baby, and so you're going to get the templates for that. And again, they're all layered there. Psd is you, khun, you know, change the colors, dropping your logos and make it all you need to you.