There’s a saying that goes:
“If you’re marketing to everyone, you’re marketing to no one”.
The best affiliate marketers, the ones who create successful online businesses for themselves, are the ones who are crystal clear on who their target market is. They understand that marketing isn’t just about placing ads, it’s about getting the right message to the right people at the right time.
If you do not define your target customer (known as a customer avatar in the marketing world) then you set yourself up for failure with regards to achieving an affiliate marketing business that will give you the success you desire.
In this blog, I will explain how you can create your customer avatar.
Step 1
The fastest way to set your target market is to look at yourself and ask these 5 questions:
- Who are they (who are you)?
- What do they do (what do you do)?
- Where do they hang out online (where do you hang out online)?
- What do they want (what do you want)?
- What is stopping them from getting it (what is stopping you from getting it)?
Your customer avatar can be you. You can answer the questions using yourself as your customer model. This actually works really well because you then attract customers who are more like you which makes it easier for you to relate to them on a more personal level.
Let’s delve a tad deeper into these 5 questions so I can give you a little more explanation of what they mean.
Who Are They?
What type of personality traits do they have? Are they what’s commonly known as a red personality type and just want to be told what to do so they can do it? Perhaps they are highly analytical and do a lot of due diligence to get a thorough understanding of how things work. These people are often green personality types. Then there’s the blue personality type. People with blue personality types have the motto, “let’s do this together”. Last but not least we have the yellow personality types who place a huge amount of value on family and relationships.
Other questions to think about when constructing your customer avatar include:
- How old are they?
- What type of education have they completed?
- What is their marital status?
- Do they have kids?
- What about their hobbies and other interests?
What Do They Do?
Here we refer to how they earn income. Are they employed, self-employed, a business owner, or a person who owns passive income through investments?
Where Do They Hang Out Online?
What social media platforms do they use (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn etc)? What do they search for on Google or Youtube? Do they enjoy reading any particular blogs? Have they subscribed to any particular online publications?
What Do They Want?
Time freedom to spend with family and friends or doing things they love. An easier and more efficient way to do whatever it is they need to do? A happier family life? Better overall health? Financial freedom?
What Is Stopping Them From Getting It?
Uncertainty? There own belief systems? Lack of knowledge? Fear of change? Lack of money?
Step 2
Once your avatar is defined your job is to then provide information that solves your customers’ problem.
There are a few strategies you can use to do this. To figure out the best strategy you’ll need to think about which strategies would work best for your avatar.
That’s where knowing where your avatar is hanging out online comes into play. When you know this you can figure out how you can get in front of them in a way that offers value as well as works with your budget.
Final Words
Defining your customer avatar is a fundamental marketing skill. Without knowing who you are marketing to you will essentially be marketing to no-one. When you market to no one you have fat chance of creating the success you need to create an affiliate marketing business that will provide you with the income you need to live off, let alone the income to create the life you truly desire.
I highly recommend getting out some paper or opening up a blank document on your PC.
Write or type up the 5 questions:
- Who are they?
- What do they do?
- Where do they hang out?
- What do they want?
- What is stopping them from getting it?
Then spend some time thinking about answers. Write or type your answers and have that doc or piece of paper with you every time you are writing an ad or creating content for your market.
P.S. Feel free to find out more about how I’m learning to be an affiliate marketer.