Today we’re gonna take a deep dive into one specific aspect of marketing soooooo many people have questions about…
But are afraid to ask.
It’s the term “ICA” – or ideal client avatar.
Maybe it’s the word “avatar” that throws people off.
Your brain instantly goes to blue aliens and you start going…
Wait a minute.
Weren’t the sequels supposed to come out like… a decade ago?What’s James Cameron even DOING over there?? LOL
Ok… well maybe you don’t think that.
But I DO wanna know what’s up with the sequel.
Because it’s been a longggggg minute.
Anyway.
Ideal CLIENT avatar.
All it really means is creating a clear picture in your mind – or even on paper – about who you wanna help.
And actually… that reminds me. Stay tuned to the end of this episode because I have a tool that’ll really help ya out with this.
Because, for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t ever say you help evverrrryyonnnnneeee.
Yeah. NO.
You don’t.
And that’s ok.
That’s GOOD even.
See… unless you’re George Clooney… you’re not perfect for everyone.
Not everyone’s gonna love you… I mean, you’re not Rihanna.
Or if you are… call me, girl.
I know you’re sick of being asked about new music… but the people have needs, ok??
Anyway.
One of the biggest questions I hear is…
Ok I know I’m supposed to have an ideal client avatar… but do I really? It’s way too hard.
Because you get overwhelmed by the possibilities. You wanna get it RIGHT.
So ya stress yourself out unnecessarily.
So here’s a hack.
Your ideal client is likely who you were at the start of your journey.
Think about who you were… 2... 5… 10… however many years ago when you started getting into this biz.
Or people you’ve known and worked with who would be the PERFECT person for you to work with and help.
For example, let’s say you’re into holistic health.
And part of your biz is teaching nutrition… or essential oils… or supplements.
Whatever your thing is.
Why did you get into this business?
What was going on in your life back then that caused you to make a change?
Because what I can virtually guarantee is… it wasn’t just for the money.
It’s something deeper.
Were you an overwhelmed young mom?
A burned out corporate executive?
Were you overweight… and unhappy… and depressed about your life?
Think about your WHY.
If this resonates with you, put yourself back into the shoes of that version of you.
THAT is likely your ideal client avatar.
Or at least it is for many people.
Write down everything you can think of about this time in your life… that’s your starting point for your ICA.
Another hack to identify your ideal client avatar is to think of someone you’ve worked with in the past (or maybe even now)… who you LOVVVEEEDDDD working with.
Why did you love it?
How would you describe them?
What qualities do they possess that make them so appealing?
Think about personality… mindset… stage in life…
Even practical things like… how much money they earned… how they chose to spend their money…
Where they hung out… what their family situation is like.
Write all that down for yourself. No one has to see it.
Now. Here’s what I know.
There’s onnnnne specific aspect where people get hung up in the ICA process.
They think…
“Ok, I know all those things… how am I supposed to find:
A Zoe who is 38 and has two kids. She makes about 70,000 a year but she chooses to invest in herself…
She goes to yoga at a local studio – not the gym.
She eats healthy… and makes healthy meals for her family… but yeah, sometimes they’ll splurge and hit McDonalds for the fries. I mean…
She’s not that militant about it.
She’s obsessed with pugs and thinks an expensive bottle of wine is 12 bucks.
Got it. Know my Zoe.
How am I supposed to find this person?!
OMGGGGG Where do I even begin!?”
So… I want you to A) take a breath. LOL
And B) realize… this is an exercise.
It’s to help you understand who you are talking to.
Any time you create content…
Any product or service you decide to sell or offer…
You gotta have your Zoe in mind.
How would you talk with her?
What would make her interested in what you have to say?
And what would make her roll her eyes and run away as fast as she could in her super cute Alo yoga leggings?
No Lulus for this girl. Sorry, Lulu lovers. Zoe just likes a brand that’s a little less … common.
THAT is why you gotta know your ideal client avatar.
Because how you approach Zoe would be totally different than, say… if your ideal client was your mom.
They have different values, right?
Things that are important to them.
You’d use a different tone… different words… totally different jokes.
Like, here’s an example.
I know a Zoe like this and if you mention to her that you saw a sweater on discount, she’s totally turned off by it.
But if I mention a sale to my mother?
Ohhhhh she’s all about it. LOL
Happy as a vegan clam.
Loves her a coupon. LOL
See what I mean?
Different values.
Does that mean that my Zoe is better or worse than my mom?
No. They’re just different.
The point I wanna make to ya here is…
Your ICA is a foundational piece of your biz.
At this stage, you gotta know who you’re talking to… creating for… wanna work with…
Before you spend a second trying to get out there and hunt for her.
So if you’re new to this whole world of ICAs, I highly suggest you stay in Stage 1 here.
Which is coming up with a profile of your ideal client or customer.
Really, that’s all “avatar” means.
Another term is “ideal client profile.”
That may be an easier way for you to comprehend this idea.
A profile is relatively simple.
It’s like creating a bio of a person.
If you don’t know who your ICA is… and they’re this generic blob to you… that’s gonna come across.
Here’s a metaphor I am SURE you’re familiar with. Especially if you’re a woman.
What gift do you get someone you barely know?
Pre-packaged bath products.
Would you ever give a pre-packaged basket of bath products to your best friend?
Probably not if you want her to STAY your BFF, right?
You’d get her some snarky tee that’s got an inside joke on it.
Because you KNOW her.
If you handed her that random bath basket she’d look at you like WTF.
You don’t want to be a vanilla person marketing to another vanilla person.
Now don’t get me wrong… I do love vanilla. And bath products.
But I don’t love a vanilla relationship.
Borrrinnnggggg.
When you have a super clear understanding of your ideal client or customer… you can speak to her in a way that resonates.
That’s what I’d like you to consider Stage 1 of developing an ICA.
Who are you talking to?
Don’t worry about finding her.
Focus on getting to know her. Developing her in your mind. Writing her down on paper.
Again, she may be you from a few years ago.
She may be someone you’ve worked with before and you totally enjoyed it.
Grab a piece of paper and write down anything you can think of about who you were back then…
Or why you loved working with that person.
THEN… practice writing content for her.
How would you talk about your product or service in a way that would keep her interest?
Would you be sassy? Or serious?
Would you use gifs… or emojis?
Would she rather watch videos… or read an article?
Is she a texter… emailer… or phone person?
This doesn’t need to be perfect.
And it’s ok if you don’t have all the answers.
Use your imagination.
Free yourself from outcome.
This is an exercise.
It’s not a doctrine you have to live and die by…
It can change.
In fact, it probably WILL change.
And that’s ok.
Think of this as practice.
Practice writing for your Zoe.
And yes, you can give her a name!
I have a big old profile about my Zoe – and her name is… well, Zoe. LOL
And anytime I write content, I think of Zoe.
And because you’re here listening… you’re probably my Zoe.
Even if you do get your coffee from Starbucks… and she prefers local. #nojudgment
Even if you prefer Amazon over Target… although, why choose? LOL
What I’m getting at is… you are here because you resonate with what I have to say… and how I say it.
I don’t create content for uber buttoned up professionals.
My peeps are open to holistic health… who like a little woo in their life.
Who have big dreams… and want to balance their personal life as they work toward them.
That’s who I create for. That’s who I wanna work with.
It’s not like I’m saying, hey, you don’t have two kids and live in San Diego… you can’t sit with us.
That’s a Mean Girls reference for ya…
If you got it right away… see, you’re my peeps. LOL
While I have a picture of Zoe… there are other people out there who vibe like a Zoe. They have Zoe qualities.
But I don’t spend my time going down every friggin rabbit hole trying to see what Donna likes…
Or custom curating pieces for Molly… or trying to convince Sarah to be part of my inside circle.
I focus on Zoe.
The Donnas and Mollys and Sarahs who resonate with how I talk to Zoe will naturally show up on their own.
This is important shiz.
Because if you try to go after everyone… you go after NO ONE.
No one sees themselves as an everyone.
And in a world with sooooo many choices, you gotta stand out.
By being YOU.
By talking to YOUR ICA.
Because the fact is… generic shiz just doesn’t cut it anymore.
So you gotta care about this.
At least, if you wanna have a successful biz.
But… again… I wanna really bring this home for ya.
Don’t stress so much about it.
Don’t worry about the tactical parts. The “how do I find this person via a Facebook ad.”
Because our minds go STRAIGHT to the how.
It’s our default mode. And it’s the #1 reason we give up on this ICA process before we even really start.
I want you to begin at a more elevated level with this.
I want you to start with the WHY.
WHY do you want to help this particular person?What impact can you make in her life?
How will her life be transformed once you do help her?
And how would that feel when it happens?
From this place, you develop your ICA.
The how stuff comes way later.
Focus on the why.
And then practice talking to her.
Write an article for her.
Or a social media post.
Even a list of topics she’d be curious about.
Start there.
Trust me. It’s enough for now.
Now. I did promise you a tool to help ya with this.
It’s my : Client Attraction Planner.
This mini planner will help you brainstorm who your ideal client or customer is...
So you can attract them into your biz... and then increase your impact AND income.
It’s chock full of goodies to help you get clear on developing your ideal customer and client profile… so you can attract your like-minded community.
And it’ll show you how to use your personal stories as the rocket fuel for connecting authentically with your ICA.
Because, as we just discussed, that’s where you should start.
And as an extra little bonus… for when you’re ready – no rush or pressure here…
The mini planner also includes:
Which steps you should take to find and appeal to YOUR Zoes… AKA your target audience… on social media.
I’ll put it in the show notes and this week’s newsletter.
You’re on my email list, right?
If you’re not yet, no worries. You will be once you sign up for that free planner.
And if you are… you’ll get the email with the link anyway.
Win. Win. LOL
Ok friends… I hope this helped you out with what an ICA is… and why you should care about it.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this. And if it’s not a little easier for you to take action on this.
Go ahead and download that guide… and I’ll see ya next week!