How I Conceptualize Branding/Audience

It is somewhat rare to encounter a marketing team with a fully formed set of ideal clients. It is even more rare to encounter solo-preneurs who have spent the time fleshing out profiles for their ideal audience. I suspect the hesitation comes from a place of fear and not wanting to get it wrong, but the truth is you cannot get it wrong.

Will you miss out on potential clients/fans by narrowing your focus? Maybe. Maybe not. If you’re aiming for everyone, you’re actually aiming for no one and that’s exactly what you’ll get!

If you’re aiming for everyone, you’re aiming for no one.

I realize it can seem daunting to dig into that creative space and sketch out some “characters”. What if these people don’t actually exist, and other lies our brain tells us. We are hard wired to come up with the many ways in which something might threaten our survival. This is natural and normal. It keeps us alive. However, it also limits us.

Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve exercised that creative muscle in your brain and you find it challenging to start. Well! I understand and I’m here to tell you that not only should you do it, you absolutely can do it and it might even be fun! Below are some questions and examples to get you started on the path of finding your ideal audience.

“Your ideal fan isn’t *necessarily* the same as people who are already fans.”

Instead of focusing on your “brand” think about your mission or, better yet, your quest! You’re out there fighting big battles every day! You have something to share that’s important and will absolutely help people. Afterall, you are the lead character in your story! You’re the hero of this journey.

Thought Experiment Prompts:

• What is your main quest? 

• What are the available side quests?

Who is it for? Get really specific. I like to come up with five super specific, different people, that I roughly [word] sketch ahead of time. I include things like lifestyle, hobbies, relationships, communities and I let my imagination run wild. It’s a thought/writing (yes, please actually get your creative writing on!! and commit the ideas to paper) exercise that will help you have direction. 

Character Prompts:

• How old are they

• What are their favorite stores

• What hobbies and interests do they have

• Are they married

•  Do they have kids/if so how many

• What kind of car do they drive

• What kind of work do they do

Why is this important? 

Below are two characters I’ve sketched out as my ideal fans for a cooking show I’m producing. Imagine if you will, the characters below and how the video production might differ.

Meet Betty!

Betty is a 45 year old nurse who is married with two kids (ages 8 and 11) who is involved in her community and a member of two monthly social clubs and enjoys hosting those clubs every month with healthy buffets that all the attendees rave about and ask for the recipes. She is a bargain hunter with minimal down time. She loves being on the go but also needs to be very efficient with everything she does so that she can keep up with all her activities, family and work life without getting overwhelmed. She is also the person on her shift who does the baking and loves sharing that with the other nurses on her shifts. 

Meet Ron!

Ron is 32, lives in a well-appointed 3 bedroom condo with an ample dining room in an up and coming trendy neighborhood in New York with his partner Ethan and their two chihuahua mix rescue dogs. On the weekends they love to stroll the local farmer’s markets and find new things to try for the home cooked recipes they will make for the week. They love eating out and their cooking-in strives to match the culinary excellence they have come to love living in a diverse metroplolitan area. They have small dinner parties every other week with two other couples and they are known for being able to recreate deeply authentic cuisine from places they’ve traveled to. They love introducing their friends to different food cultures as well.  Their dinner table is set extravagantly and they always do at least a three course meal with full place settings.