Wanted: Ideal Clients, Part 2 {Be Successful with Erin}
Welcome back to our journey to find your ideal client. In case you missed part 1 a couple weeks ago, you can catch up here. Does everyone have their homework? The excuse ‘my dog ate it’ doesn’t really work as well in this technological age we live in, does it? ‘My computer crashed’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Now that you have YOU mapped out, time to look at your clients. Last time I had you write down five to seven of your favorite clients/people in your life. Essentially these people quite possibly represent your ideal client. Today’s homework will help you determine the common denominators so you know specifically who you’re marketing to. (I apologize, I used a math term on the weekend…and for some of you it’s already summer! Please forgive me.)
The questions about your clients are pretty much what you contemplated about yourself:
1. Write down at least five brands you’ve noticed your list of favorite clients like. Think about their clothing, what you’ve seen them drive (if they drive), what they’ve talked about in conversations during photo sessions, etc.
2. Write down at least three hobbies your clients enjoy. (Hobby = physical action activities)
3. Write down at least three of their interests. (Interest = area of intellectual study)
4. Write down at least three of their environmental factors & personality traits. What neighborhoods do they live in, what colleges did they go to (or want to go to), relationship with family/friends (close to family, outgoing/introverted, etc)
5. Write down at least five hobbies, interests, and brands that do NOT fit your favorite clients.
Take your finished lists and start to compare. Maybe you enjoy picnic lunches with family after church and your client enjoys family bike rides. The activities are different but the common denominator (there I go again) is family time. Quality family time is a similar value.
I know Delight represents a wide range of ages and stages in life. Your teenage years are a time where a lot of your interests and priorities are often changing and it could be tricky to try to nail them down. This will at least serve as a guide to help you navigate those changes when you feel a shift coming in your photo biz! Answer the questions you are able to now and save the others for later. AND if you don’t have much experience yet, these exercises let you know what to keep an eye out for. As you photograph more, keep notes on which sessions/clients you really enjoy. What are the personality types that you felt really challenged you creatively and made you feel alive? Which ones left you feeling like you had to ‘work’ a little more and maybe you didn’t enjoy as much?
Knowing your ideal client is freeing. You don’t have to feel guilty for not enjoying one client as much as another. The type of client you don’t enjoy is someone else’s ideal client! It frees you from the nasty thing called jealousy because you can rest in knowing God has specific clients for you and different clients for other photographers. Not everyone loves weddings, or senior portraits, or newborn photography. And that is perfectly ok.
Once you have a solid idea of the similar interests and values you share with your ideal client, you’ll be able to build your brand around them. Energetic outgoing personalities might include bright colors whereas reserved introverted ones may include the colors considered more subdued and calm. Like Lacey said last week, it boils down to you and the experience you want for your clients to have. The foundation for your ‘photo biz house’ are the core values then the walls of branding color and style are built from there!
***Homework questions are again from The Youngrens. :)
