Research your ideal client on social media

Whether you have a solid idea of your organization’s ideal client, or more of a vague generalization, paying attention to your ideal client’s social media can help you serve them better and reach more clients like them.

Even if you haven’t zeroed in on what your ideal client looks like, chances are good that you have some clients who fit really well with your organization. Their needs are directly met by your services, or their passions are aligned with your mission; they’re easy to work with and they seem to just “get” why you do what you do.

If you already know what your ideal client looks like, feel free to skip to the next section. Otherwise, these questions will help you narrow your focus.

Your ideal client

Think of who you would want to see all of your advertisements and social media posts, in a perfect world.

What’s their age? Their annual income? Their gender? Are they renters or homeowners? Are they single or are they taking care of family? Is their home multi-generational?

 What do they do for fun? What’s their level of education? Will they gravitate to bargain finds or higher-end purchases? What industry do they work in, and how do they approach their job?

These questions, plus others in the same vein, will help you start to focus on who you want to reach.

Dig a little deeper

Okay, so you know who your ideal client is. Now you can learn more about them, so you can find more people like them! Social media is a great way to do this. We’ll stick with Facebook for now.

Insights

The insights tab on your company’s Facebook page can help you know who you’re reaching. You can see which of your posts your fans like the most, and when they are online. You can also find demographic information about the people who like your page in Insights. Are there any surprises? Should you make any changes to reach your ideal client?

Personal pages

If you’re friends with some of your clients on Facebook, checking out their personal pages can be helpful as well. Here, look for patterns. Are most of your ideal clients spending their time outdoors, hiking and camping? Do they all seem to have kids around the same age? Are they especially tech-savvy?

Looking for patterns on your clients’ personal pages and thinking about any intersection with your services will help you tailor your advertising and marketing.

Next time you’re hanging out on Facebook, see if you can sneak some market research into that time. We’d love to hear about what you find!