By Ron Kustek
As a follow-up to knowing your best customer, there are efficient ways to reach more of your potential ‘best’ customers. There are a few basic things you need to know in order to be able to satisfy and capitalize on these critical drivers of your business.
Know Who They Are: If you already know then you’re off to a great start! Your best customer may be your female customers who are 50+ and have the savings or retirement income to spend at your business on a regular basis. They likely bring you additional customers who may be visiting with them, as they want to share one of their favorite shopping or eating places that every out-of-towner needs to experience. This best customer not only buys from you on a regular basis, but is even more valuable to you because of her referral network of family & friends that she actively brings to your business.
Know What They Do: Do your best customers usually grocery shop at a common store, or perhaps are they “soccer moms” who are part of a local school district? Are they construction workers who like to frequent craft breweries, or are they more likely to visit local wineries? Are they regular hikers of the local beaches or mountains, or do they love to surf? Is your best customer part of a church group; are they political activists or supporters of the local arts community? There are so many different choices and options for what your customers are doing — when they’re not visiting your website or location.
Know Where They Live: You may have collected information from your customers to find that the majority of them live in your local neighborhood, or perhaps they’re loyal to your business even though they live 5-6 miles away. This information may be collected base on observation (did they walk or bike to your location) or perhaps more formally by collecting their name, home address, and opt-in email/text information via a questionnaire or client information form you have them complete. Knowing the geography of the core of your best customers will help you make decisions about marketing vehicles such as direct and online marketing that allows you to target other ‘birds of a feather’ who are flocking together in the same neighborhoods.
Know Their Online Habits: The average person spends 40 minutes a day on Facebook, 34 minutes daily on twitter and 21 minutes per day on both Instagram and Pinterest. Collectively, the average person now spends over 2 hours a day on all social networks combined! The emerging younger generation (Gen Z – those following Millennials) spends most of their time on YouTube, and not Facebook or twitter. Each of these platforms make their money through targeted advertising – advertising you can specify and customize for your customers (age, race, sex, income, etc.) in their geography (local vs. specific radius from any zip code) who have the interests that you know of (sports vs. meals eaten outside the home vs. $$ spent on clothing per year, etc.)
If you know most of this detailed information about your best customers, you will be able to successfully get more ‘best’ customers in a fairly quick and very cost efficient manner. The old adage about ‘knowledge is power’ applies to many respects about your company, and most importantly knowing the most about your best customers, is the best knowledge you can have to continue building a successful business!
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Ron Kustek is a business instructor at Cabrillo College.