Howdy! We’re back for part 2 of our Successful Side Hustle series. Last week, we talked about choosing a side hustle that is equal parts what you love doing + what people are willing to pay for. Hopefully you were able to answer our simple homework questions and now have a clear idea on what you want your side hustle to be. Let’s move forward, shall we?
Determine Who You Love Helping
Every successful side hustle has a clear target audience – that specific group of people who you absolutely adore working with and will get the most out of what you have to offer. It is no secret that I thoroughly enjoy working with young women entrepreneurs. Everything in my business and marketing is geared towards that audience. Think about the type of person you really enjoy working with. Are they female or male? What age range do they fit into? What main issue are they facing? How are you going to help them? The clearer the image of your ideal client is in your mind, the easier it will be to find those people.
When I first began coaching my target audience was basically just women who felt stuck. This was entirely too vague. Was I trying to help women who were stuck in unhealthy relationships? Women who were stuck in crappy jobs? The possibilities are endless. Because the description of my ideal client was so vague, I was never able to get a firm grasp on who I should be marketing to. I was wasting valuable time and money marketing to all women. After floundering for a bit, I dug deeper and created a concrete picture of my ideal client.
Here’s what I want you to do: make a client sketch. Think of a person who has used your product or service that you really enjoyed working with. Now grab a sheet of paper and draw that person – no worries if your drawing skills are lacking, stick figures work perfectly fine! Label your picture with your ideal client’s name. Now around the stick figure begin listing attributes of your favorite client. What made them so great to work with? If you haven’t had a client yet, think about who you would want to work with?
Here are some aspects to think about:
- Their demographics – age, gender, location, etc.
- Psychographics – demeanor, personality, communication style, etc.
- Hobbies/Interests
- Influencers – people, products or conferences that influence them
Now you’ll have an incredibly clear picture of your ideal client and you can begin marketing in venues where that person will see you.
So what about you – were you able to create a client sketch? Feel free to leave a comment letting us know your ideal client!
