How To Brand Yourself Online Or Offline

Writing by Nick Stamoulis Tweet

(Source) Most bad customers are not really bad customers. They’re just bad customers for you. They’re a bad fit. And it’s your fault.

I’ve never thought about this, but I guess he’s right. If you want the best customers in the world then you should market yourself toward that target audience and forget everyone else. It seems like common sense – a no-brainer, if you will. But not everyone does this.

The easiest way to identify your target market is to create a profile of the perfect customer. Take out a sheet of paper and write down the characteristics of your perfect customer:

• What do they want?
• How old are they?
• Male or female?
• What kind of car do they drive?
• Where do they shop?
• What kind of music do they listen to?
• Where do they “hang out” when not at work or home?

There a million questions you could ask. You don’t have to ask them all. You’re only interested in the ones that are pertinent to your business. And don’t get too specific. Does it matter if your target drives a Saturn SC2 two-door coupe versus a Nissan sports coupe? Deal with generalities that are specific enough to make a difference such as “drives a sports car” as opposed to a pickup.

After you’ve identified your target market, start your marketing campaign geared toward that audience. This works online as well as off line. You are branding your company so that your target market recognizes who you are and what you do. For the best results, drop a bug in the ear of a few people within your target market and watch them tell their friends. If you do it right, you’ll be a part of “in” crowd in no time – and making money.