5 Important Things You Should Know About Your Customers
know about your customers


It may seem a pretty stupid question - of course you know about your customers! But do you? I mean do you really? Because if you want to supercharge your marketing strategy so that customers are beating a path to your door, you'd better know as much as you possibly can.

In this digital world we live in now, it can sometimes be pretty easy to forget your customers. You're so busy thinking about how to make your product or service awesome so everyone will want it, that you kind of lose sight of the fact that your customers aren't everyone.

Don't worry, I totally get it. My customers are people who want to quit their 9-5 and create a business doing what they love.  But when I first started out, I was a copywriter and I was targeting people who want to breathe life back into the marketing of their business through great content - whether that be on their website, their blog, their emails, social media or all of the above.   

The thing is, I came VERY close to making my blog all about being a freelance writer - kinda makes sense right? I mean I AM one afterall... But, who is likely to come looking for a blog about freelance writing? Probably other writers. Who is likely to hire me to write copy for them? Probably not other writers...duh. I forgot who my customers are!

The secret to any successful business is having a great relationship with your customers #marketingstrategy #contentmarketing

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So, ready to get to know your customers? Yay! Grab yourself a cuppa and let's do this...


Much as we'd all love the whole world at our virtual doorstep, the fact is that whatever it is you have to offer is really only going to appeal to certain groups of people.

Chances are, if you're a dog groomer, even if you're the best darn groomer in the world, I'm not going to sign up to your service because I don't have a dog (side note - man, I WISH I had a dog!) That's a pretty basic example of course, but you get my drift.

You've got a great product to sell and an important message to tell people but dangit, you need to work out w﻿h﻿o those people are and go find them! Otherwise, you may as well just grab a megaphone, stand on a high hill and howl at the moon! Whatever you want to do in your private life is none of my business but I don't recommend it as a marketing strategy...


Create a profile of your ideal customer, using as much detail as you can. Building a clear picture of who they are will help you to focus your brand and your messaging.

Want a FREE Ideal Customer Template?

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Now I'm not encouraging you to start hanging out around people's houses and following them to work. What I am saying is that you need to think about where your typical customers are likely to hang out online (or offline for that matter) so that you know where to put all your great marketing - whether that be in the form of ads, blogging, or just a well placed business card.

Our groomer wants to do a bit of marketing. His first idea is to put an advert in the local paper. Should get a few bites! (Sorry, I can't resist a good pun) Before handing over his £150 he decides to brain storm a few other ideas first using the customer profile that he created when he set up the business (clever chap!) He knows who is typical​ customer is. They're an animal lover, a homeowner, a parent and a dog owner (well, duh). So where are the best places to catch the eye of such a person? Let's think...

Locally: the local dog walkers clubs, the vet, pet shops, kennels...

Online: Any forums for pet owners? Facebook groups, blogs etc...

Suddenly dear reader, our groomer realises that ​his £150 may be better off spent with the local dog lovers' magazine. It only has half the readers of the local paper but ALL of them match his profile so they're much more likely to be interested in using his grooming service.


​Have a think about your own business and jot down all of the likely places your customer may hang out, whether it be online, offline or both. Now make sure you include those places in your marketing plan.

know about your customers


Your customers may tell you what they want but is this actually what they need? To quote Henry Ford, 'If I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses'﻿﻿﻿.

Do you know the problems that your customers are facing and what you can do to solve them? To use my dog grooming example again, a customer may have a dog that won't stop scratching. They may have concluded that the only solution is to have their dog's claws removed. Won't they be delighted when you offer them flea powder instead?

To find out what your customers need, it's all about asking the right questions. Instead of asking 'what do you want', why not ask 'what's your biggest <your niche> problem right now?'


​In step 2 you jotted down where your customers tend to hang out online. Why not go hang out there yourself and see what they're saying? Read the blogs they're reading, go to Amazon and look at the reviews they're leaving. What problems do they talk about and what language do they use to describe them? Doesn't it make sense to use that language in your own messaging?


This may seem a tall order, but stay with me... I'll take you back to my dog grooming example to show you what I mean. You may have 3 potential customers who all need a dog groomer. They're all dog owners (good start!) but that doesn't mean you should be giving them all the same message. Here's what I mean...

Customer 1

has just bought his first dog and has no idea that he even needs to groom it - 'they groom themselves don't they?'

Customer 2

is actually looking for a groomer and is checking out your website trying to decide whether to add you to her shortlist - 'why should I pick these guys - what can they offer that no one else can?'

Customer 3

has actually had their dog groomed by you before and you did a pretty decent job (well done!). It's coming round to grooming time again and they're unsure whether to go back to you or try someone new... 'Why should I come back?'

This is where so many businesses let themselves down. ESPECIALLY online businesses. They're all about the big sell - the flashy headline, the once in a lifetime offer. But once the customer is through the door, suddenly the facade seems to fall and the eagerness to impress disappears. DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE!! Your existing customers are the life blood of your business. They're the ones who will keep coming back (without need for once in a lifetime offers or flashy headlines - just because you did a good job and they trust you). They're the ones who will tell their friends about you or give you a good rating - which is 100 times more valuable than ANY flashy headline OR once in a life time offer...

Be good to your customers and they'll be good to you! #marketingstrategy

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Don't just talk at your customers; have a conversation! Why not send out a survey via social media or in your next newsletter? PS - this will also really help you with number 3!


You've done all your homework. You know who your ideal customer is, you know where they hang out and what problems they need solving. So, why aren't they banging down your door? Now comes the hardest part. Now you have to convince them that when it comes to a choice between you and your competitors, you're the one they should go for. How? Well there are lots of ways - you could make sure your prices are the most competitive, you could fill your website with testimonials from happy customers proclaiming how great you are, you could even tempt customers with a free gift or incentive. These are all great tactics - but they're also tactics that your competitors are using too.

So you need to find a way to stand out. Time for the dog groomer again? Yes! Our friendly local dog groomer isn't the only one in town and he's a little worried because all of his prospective customers are going to 'Groomin' Marvelous' (ps gotta say I'm pretty chuffed with that name - if you reckon you can do better than let me know your ideas in the comments!) down the road because of their handy proximity to the local park. Hmmm.... how to stand out?

Well, our groomer may not be near the park but he IS just above a little café. Perhaps he could do a deal with the café owner to offer his customers a free coffee with every grooming? BOOM! Yep, that's the sound of customers banging down his door because he's the only groomer in town where customers can relax with a free cuppa while they wait. What a bargain!


Have a think about how you can stand out. Look at your competitors - is there anything that you can add to your service that they don't do? Can't hurt to re-visit their comments section to see if there are certain questions or complaints that keep cropping up...

Follow these 5 steps, complete your Ideal Customer Template & then review your marketing plan. You'll achieve greater focus and I'm absolutely sure, greater success!

Know anyone else who wants to supercharge their marketing? Please do share this post with them and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Colette Broomhead
