Identifying your target audience on social media is critical for success and turning followers into paying customers. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before posting on social media.
1. Who are you talking to?
2. Who needs your product or service?
3. What value can you add to their life
Who is your ideal client? Think about your client as an actual person. Give them a name!
This is known as a customer avatar. It makes it easier to visualise when you are writing captions and helps you decide the best times to reach your client.
Let’s say you’re an electrician living on the Gold Coast. Most of your phone calls from women who don’t really know about electricity—or care. All they know is something doesn’t work when it is switched on and they want someone to fix it. In this case, we’re going to call our client Alison.
Then ask yourself, what can you share on social media today that’s going to help Alison?
Before you can answer that question, you need to know a few more things about her.
- What her pain points are when it comes to electricity?
- Where does she work or is she a stay-at-home mum?
- How does she spend her weekends?
- Is she a single mum or is she married with a husband that’s away from home alot?
- Does she have kids?
For the sake of this exercise, Alison is a single mum that doesn’t care for any DIY projects and that includes changing light bulbs. She works part-time and has two kids that both play soccer on the weekends and as well as chess club and dance lessons. She’s incredibly busy, so time is precious. She has a swimming pool and likes to drink coffee, but prefers to drink coffee at home because she can’t afford barista coffee every day on her budget. Because she’s so short on time, her time-saving small appliances are life.
You can go as in depth as you like. The more you know about your customer avatar, the more likely you’re going to be able to post content of value.
So when would be the best time to post for the Alisons of the world?
We know she has kids, so mornings before school and around dinner and bath time are probably the busiests times, therefore not likely to be on social media. On Saturday mornings while she’s waiting for the kids to finish their sport, or after-school dance recitals, or while she’s in the queue at school pick-up are the times Alison is most likely to be online. If she’s an early riser, you may find her on the phone before the kids wake up, for example 5.30am-6.00am.
What things about your electrician company are going to appeal to Alison?
She’s obviously short on time so a rapid response, emergency services, and being able to fix small appliances that have stopped working. She doesn’t have time to wait around for those who don’t show up on time, so punctuality would also be a huge bonus. The ability to fix swimming pool pumps will be beneficial, as will affordable rates for changing out LED light bulbs.
You can have as many customer avatars as you like for your business, each with their individual names and pain points. Your Alison, might be called Nathan, single dad trying to juggle fatherhood. Try creating an avatar for your social media profiles. It’s fun!
Connecting with your customer avatars
Once you’ve identified your customer avatars, you need to follow people who fit the profiles on Instagram to connect with them and grow your account. This is particularly important if your Alison or Nathan, hasn’t heard about your products or services. Try and follow 8-10 accounts a day. It sounds a bit stalkerish, but it is a good way to grow your account
If you were meeting your Alison or Nathan in public for the first time, you wouldn’t try to propose marriage, You would take the time to get to know them first. And this sort of thinking can also be applied to social media. You can expect the Alisons and Nathan to book your services or purchase products before they get to know you better! You can do this through quality content and engagement. When your customers comment on your Facebook or Instagram page, interact with them. Thank them for saying hi and ask them how their day is going.
You can also try following people who are leaders in your industry, influencers, your competitors, people that are already clients—even those who are no longer clients—unless they were particularly painful. Even follow businesses with the same target audience as you.
How to ensure your posting quality content for your target audience.
Don’t be one of those businesses who posts for the sake of posting. So many people are scrambling to come up with content ideas at the last moment, (a solid social media strategy will help overcome this).
Before you post ask yourself these three questions?
- Is it useful?
- Is it informative?
- Is it entertaining?
- Does it breach the Facebook/Instagram posting policies?
- Is it unique to my business and brand?
- Is the tone of voice right for my audience?
- Do I need to write an essay or is there a better way to say what I’m trying to communicate?
- Is it inspiring?
- Would it stop me scrolling on by?
- Is it going to attract people to follow me?
- Am I using quality photographs?
- Do I have permission to use the photographs? (Make sure you’re not breaching copyright laws?
- Have I used the correct hashtags? (For Instagram/LinkedIn). Note one of the biggest mistakes people make with hashtags is using spammy hashtags like #followforafollow or #instagood #fooodporn. Any hashtags with massive uses will only get you a short burst of activity before you’ve disappeared down the feed within seconds (equivalent to hours of scrolling).
Be Authentically YOU!
Let people into your life to see the highs and the lows. Allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable and allow your followers to see the real person behind the brand and the polished posts. Don’t be afraid to tell your customers when you’ve had a disappointing day or share your wins. Keep them in the loop, so they feel like they know you. People are more likely to purchase from companies, when they feel connected. It helps develop a sense of loyalty to your brand.
It sounds like a lot of work right? And yes it can be! But the results will be shown through insights on your social media and in conversions when you’ve guided your customers through the social media sales funnel.
