What’s a Client Avatar, and Why is it Important?

Marketing / 01 Nov 2021

Seth Godin, renowned marketing strategist, esteemed entrepreneur, and best-selling author, famously said: ‘Everyone is not your customer’. He was absolutely right. Successful marketing strategy is about finding and serving your people, not just any and all people.

When a business attempts to cater for everyone, they end up appealing to no one. Their positioning is precarious, messaging murky, solutions somewhat vague, and overwhelmingly uninspiring. Think, a Frankenstein’s monster of marketing.

Your marketing strategy won’t adequately equip you to successfully differentiate yourself from your closest competitors – until you know your ideal client better than you know yourself.

What is a Client Avatar?

Working with entrepreneurs in the digital marketing space, you’ll have heard phrases like ‘client avatar’, ‘ideal client’, and ‘buyer persona’.

All these phrases effectively mean the same thing. They’re a deep theoretical dive into your perfect client.

You know the type. The client you’re excited to work with and would love to take home to meet the folks. They buy from you, repeatedly, pay on time and value your expertise – they shout about you from the rooftops to their contacts, friends, and colleagues. To them, you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.

They’re the best. 

A client avatar keeps your messaging on point. Like an old friend you’ve known for years, you’ll understand how to communicate with them and achieve the best results effectively.

And most importantly, you’ll do your copywriting with them at the front and centre of your mind.

What a Client Avatar Isn’t

First things first, a client avatar isn’t (and shouldn’t attempt to be) your entire market. It’s an in-depth look at one person within your target market.

A client avatar is a fictional characterisation of your ideal client. Still, it should never be a figment of your imagination. Construct your client avatar using data from all around you. Places like your CRM software, email lists, website analytics, social media insights, and your team’s professional experiences are an excellent starting point.

Your client avatar also shouldn’t be a representation of your average buyer. Your client avatar is whom you’re striving to attract, engage, and convert – not every Tom, Dick, or Harry who buy from you now.

Key Questions to Ask When Constructing Your Client Avatar

When constructing your client avatar or creating one for a client, ask yourself the following questions to help build them a backstory worthy of Sky Boxset status.

Who are they?

Think detail: name, age, job, income, family, hobbies, interests, and firmly held views.

Where are they?

When they’re online, what do they read, watch, listen, and do? Are they on social media, reading blogs, or in their inbox?

What do they feel?

A conversion-worthy client avatar is about knowing more than superficial details and understanding their positions on the big questions. What infuriates them? What are their challenges, pressing pain points and frustrations?  What keeps them up at night?

What do they want, and how do you solve their problem?

Understanding your client avatar’s pain is key to building relatability and trust with your target market. Directly addressing a prospect’s pain point, overcoming any initial objections, and swooping in to save the day with your solution is a tried and tested strategy for success.

Why a Client Avatar is Crucial to Your Digital Marketing Success

Effective marketing strategy means sending the right message, to the right person, in the right place, at the right time. A client avatar makes your marketing more efficient. It clarifies your messaging, and most importantly, focuses your attention – and marketing budget – on the right people for your business.

A data-based client avatar means your marketing efforts pay off.

Your smart marketing strategy targets:

•     The right person: Your avatar is a visual representation of your ideal client, someone with the right traits for a successful long term relationship and to become an effective promoter of your business.
•     The right message: You know your avatar better than your dear old dad. You know what makes them tick and what they do (and don’t) respond to, making it easier to construct cohesive, authentic messages that attract, engage, and convert into sales.
•     The right place: You know exactly where your ideal clients are, meaning you’re able to focus your online energy where they’re most likely to see you.
•     The right time: You know what they need to progress through your sales funnel and how to create an outstanding conversion experience from curious prospect to dream repeat client.

Talk to Us

Does the thought of constructing your ideal client avatar give you the heebie-jeebies?

Get in touch today.

We’ll happily help you create your client avatar, refresh your marketing strategy, and use our copywriting prowess to craft the perfect message.