One of the biggest mistakes sole traders make with marketing is trying to appeal to everyone. There’s an old saying that sums it up well: if you’re for everyone, you’re for no one.
The more clearly you can picture your ideal customer, the easier it becomes to find them – and convince them you’re exactly what they need.
Start with who you’re solving a problem for
Good marketing isn’t just about who your customers are – it’s about what problem you’re solving for them. Whether you save people time, help small businesses look more professional online, or offer a service no one else in your area does, the “why” behind your business is often your strongest marketing hook.
From there, you can start to build a picture of the people most likely to need what you offer.
Try persona marketing
One useful exercise is to create an “ideal customer” profile – a fictional person who represents your target audience. Give them a name, an age, a location, and a few key interests or habits.
For example, if you sell handmade wooden cooking utensils on Etsy, your ideal customer profile might look something like this:
- Name: Jess
- Age: 27
- Lives in: Melbourne
- Likes: Reality TV, eco-friendly kitchen products
With “Jess” in mind, you can make much more targeted decisions about where to market and what to say. You might join food-focused Facebook groups, post photos of your products in beautifully styled kitchen shots, or lean into the eco-friendly angle in your captions.
Think about demographics vs psychographics
For some businesses, demographic marketing – targeting people based on age, location, or lifestyle – works really well. For others, it’s less useful.
A freelance web designer, for instance, might find their clients span a huge range of ages and locations. In that case, psychographic marketing is more effective: focusing less on who your customers are, and more on what drives them. Maybe they’re time-poor business owners who want a more professional online presence. Speak to that, and you’re connecting with the heart of why people need you.
Figure out where they hang out
Once you know who your ideal customer is, the next step is finding them. Not all customers are scrolling the same feeds – your ideal customer might be in a local Facebook group, searching Google for urgent help, or browsing a niche industry directory.
Think about where the people you want to reach are most likely to be, and show up there. A dog groomer might find their people in local pet owner Facebook groups. A business consultant might get more traction on LinkedIn. A tradie is more likely to be found through Google searches than Instagram.
The clearer your picture of your ideal customer, the easier it is to put your marketing in front of the right people – rather than shouting into the void and hoping for the best.
Hnry takes care of the tax, so you can focus on the customers
Finding and winning over your ideal customers takes time and energy. Let Hnry handle the tax admin in the background – automatically calculating, deducting, and paying all your taxes and levies for just 1% +GST of your income, capped at $1,500 + GST a year.
