Tag: target audience

#BePrepared – Who is Your Client Avatar in Social Media?

You already know that your business needs an online presence, right?

EVERYTHING happens on the Internet these days. Without a blog or social media, your audience will never even know you exist.

But simply churning out new blogs and social media posts isn’t enough. You could share something new every single day, and people still might not know that you exist.

Why? Because if you’re not targeting the right audience, no one will ever look at your content.

The key to online success lies in identifying and understanding your ideal customer. That person – your ‘avatar’ – should be the only person you speak to.

Every single piece of content you create should be geared directly towards them. It should answer their questions, solve their challenges, and address their problems.

So, who is this person and how do you find them? Keep reading to find out how to build your own avatar and attract the right audience!

What is an avatar?

A client avatar is simply another way to describe your “ideal client.”  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an avatar is a visual representation of a person. For example, you may have an avatar that represents you in online games or on your email.

Your client avatar gives you a visual of exactly who your ideal client is: What they like, where they work, how old they are, if they have children, and much more. The more detailed your avatar is, the better!

How to create a client avatar

When it comes down to it, creating a client avatar is really about research. Does it take time? Yes. Is it worth it? Also, yes.

Start simple with a list of demographic traits, such as:

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Marital Status
  • Location
  • Education Level
  • Career Type
  • Salary

Once you have the basics figured out, dig a little deeper into their psychographic traits such as:

  • Pain Points
  • Fears
  • Challenges
  • Goals
  • Values

(Hint: Digging around a little on social media, in groups and forums, and even on competitor websites can help you answer a lot of these questions!)

A lot of business owners start out thinking they don’t have a true “ideal client.” They’ll say something like, “But we work with all kinds of clients! ANYONE can use our product!”

Our guess is that once you ask yourself the above questions and do a bit of research, you’ll find that there are a few common threads between all of the different people you work with.

A new idea being floated around in the marketing communities is that your ideal client will look a lot like…. YOU. Don’t be afraid to dig deep or get specific, as choosing a target audience and creating an ideal client does not mean that you are eliminating prospects. Honing in on a type of person makes it easier for them to find you and for you to find them. If that person believes you are talking directly to or about them, you’ve got their attention. You can’t speak to a broad audience and have that same impact.

Not sure how to begin? Our Social Power program can help get you started on the path to online success. Reach out today to learn how we can help you determine your ideal client – and much more.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#CustomerService – What Does Your Audience Want From Your Social Media

No social media strategy can be successful if it is created in a vacuum. That means that you need to know what your audience wants from your social media. Luckily, there are lots of tools out there to help you assess the type of content that will get engagement.

Gather data

How do you know what your audience wants to see on your social media posts? Well, all you have to do is ask. That means a survey or some other way of gathering data. Surveys are a great way to assess your audience, and nothing beats hearing directly from the target market. Surveys do have pitfalls, however, and you should get professional help to ensure that you are asking the right questions in the right way.

Understand the analytics

The information you gather from an audience can be even more powerful when you supplement it with data about the actual activity you have on your social media pages. Each of the major channels provides real-time tools for gathering information about your audience. These tools are typically referred to as social media analytics. They are offered so that you can assess exactly who your audience is and what type of content is most effective in encouraging engagement.

Different platforms, different tools

How much detail you can get about your audience will vary for each tool. Facebook, for example, will allow you to look at other pages that your followers like. The Instagram analytics you have access to will depend on the type of page you have, but you can always find out what hashtags your followers are looking at. Twitter offers demographic information but also provides information regarding hashtags and interests as well.

Drill down

While each analytics tool is a little different, most offer data in both tables and graphics. You can drill down to view the make-up of your audience by some factors such as gender, age, and geography. You can also learn much about what type of content they are looking at, sharing, and commenting on.

Work the plan

Creating a social media strategy requires a good deal of investment—both time and money. You need an effective way to make sure that your plan is working. Talking with your audience will give you the best information to fine-tune your content and your message. When you monitor who is looking at your content, and if they are engaging with it, you can assess how well your plan is working.

Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and the tools to manage them.

Click here for Social Media Training, Speaking and Strategy Consultations.

#KindnessIsAwesome – Being a Brand Advocate for Your Audience

In 1974, Elvis Costello sang so brilliantly “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and, Understanding.”  This song is quite timely right now when it seems like our social media feeds are often consumed with negativity.
This is exactly why #SociallyKind Project has been developed to encourage awareness about spreading kindness through social media. 
As a business owner, leading by example is a great way to encourage kindness in social media feeds. This is also a great opportunity to be a brand advocate for your audience and spread a little kindness.
Don’t feed into negative behaviors online
Take a moment and look at your social media accounts.  How many of these posts from friends and family members set your blood pressure boiling?  Are they posting political issues or depressing and controversial stories that add to the environment of negativity? You can’t control the behaviors of others, but you can set an example by not feeding into the negativity you see. YOU control your social media feeds. Utilize all the privacy options and settings available to you to train the algorithm to display things you are interested in (and not show you all the garbage that you aren’t). And while you’re at it, why not share something positive on your profile to add a little kindness in the newsfeeds of your friends and family?
How can you use social media to spread kindness? 
This is such an easy way to share kindness on your social media: follow your business connections online to create a network of linked businesses.  Even more importantly, pay attention to what they are posting about.  Just like in everyday conversations, if you pay attention to what other people are talking about and show an interest, then you are showing them kindness and courtesy.  If you know that an associate is interested in environmental issues and “going green,” for instance, you can post articles and stories that may appeal to that associate to help build a friendship and online connection with your brand.

Show them how it’s done
If you want your audience to spend time getting to know, like and trust you by liking, commenting and sharing your content – then show them how to do that. Interact and engage with them in social media. People  feel a need to reciprocate and may not understand how social algorithms work. If you want them to see more of your content, they need to engage with your stuff. If you want them to like your posts, start liking theirs first. Set aside time each day to go through your feed(s) and engage with your clients, power partners, influencers and leads. This will teach your followers, by example, and convert them from lurkers to online brand advocates.
Ultimately, when you are being a brand advocate on social media, stick to the idea of being authentic and original.  If you do that, and show a legitimate interest in your connections and their areas of concentrations, then you are going to create a real conversation and emphasize kindness in your work. Just another great way to #BeAwesome with your online presence. 

Have you been thinking about incorporating social media strategy into your marketing for 2018 but don’t know where to start? Set up a FREE 15-min discovery phone call with me to talk about where your social could go next year.
Be sure to Follow us and Let’s Engage!
Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.



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