Finding your ideal customers is more than just exploring demographics—it’s also about understanding customer behavior: what motivations, pain points, and actions can bring them into your sales funnel. In their most recent enVisioning Success podcast episode, Beyond Demographics: Crafting Multidimensional Avatars, hosts Laura and Julia explore all that goes into creating a marketing avatar. Today, in this companion blog, we’re going to explore how to collect and act on customer behavior and turn customer motivations into great marketing.
Learning More About Customer Avatars
If you’re unfamiliar with crafting ideal client profiles, customer avatars, or the difference between the two, a good place to start is the previous episode of enVisioning Success, Introducing Avatars: The Heartbeat of Your Business. We also discuss this further in the companion blog, The Information Needed to Find and Target Your Business’ Customers, where we go over how to collect that information and turn it into useful information for marketing and sales.
What Marketing Motivates Your Customers?
When a customer has a need, how do they fulfill it? For some, such as for B2B businesses, it might mean in-depth research and consultation. For others, it might mean scrolling through social media when they see an ad and say, “Oh, right! That’s what I want.” The trick is being there.
- The platform dictates content. If you see ideal clients on Instagram, you need to make content specifically for that platform (e.g., short-form video, mobile-friendly graphics). If they use search engines, you need to work on long-form content.
- You need to know what questions are being asked. What are people searching for when they want to find your product? You need marketing content that answers those questions with the service you provide.
- Controlling your brand’s conversation is key. If people do get interested in your business, they may want a second opinion. Making sure you manage your reputation online and have consistent branding across all platforms is key.
Helping Customers Overcome Purchasing Hurdles
Understanding your customers’ behavior isn’t just about their motivations; it’s also about knowing what hurdles you need to overcome to turn interest into purchases. Removing roadblocks can include:
- Making Sure You’re Mobile Friendly: Chances are, your content is being viewed on a phone. Whether this is your website, ads, or graphics on social media, make sure it is viewable on the phone and has the mobile shortcuts we all expect.
- Embracing Digital Communication: Speaking of phones, if your sales cycle includes phone or in-person visits right out the gate, you could be losing customers. By allowing messaging, forms, or emails as the first step (and online payment systems), you can use convenience to bring in more customers.
- Knowing What (and What Not) To Give Away: Infographics, blogs, and other informative content can be a useful marketing tool, especially if expertise is something you sell. Knowing what to give, what to put up behind a squeeze page, and what to sell is a balancing act.
About the enVisioning Success Podcast
This article is based on topics discussed in enVisioning Success, our weekly podcast hosted by Vision CEO Laura DiBenedetto and COO Julia Becker Collins. In it, they discuss all things business and marketing, from lead generation to leadership. Find us on PodBean to download from your platform of choice, or subscribe to our mailing list to get new episodes and other news delivered directly to your inbox.
Understanding your customers and the platforms they use online are the daunting hurdles you need to overcome to sell successfully. The roadblock might be that you’ve got no marketing department. If you need the expertise to find and market to customers, you’ll find your marketing partner with Vision. From online presence basics to a full branding modernization, we can help you put your best foot forward while finding new customers. Contact us today.
