Need A Creative Freelancer Who’ll Crush The Job? Here’s How To Find Her.

December 7, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Are you ready to hire a freelancer to help you out with your business?

As a small business owner, solo-preneur, and even a freelancer yourself, you will periodically need help for key tasks. To start, you might need a logo, some well-designed, branded memes for Instagram, product photos, a website, copywriting for your blog or Facebook ads, email newsletters, etc.

You may already have a running list or things you’d like to get done, but something’s holding you back. Maybe, like a lot of new business owners, you’re not sure where to start, and you don’t have much time to learn the ins and outs of digital and print content.

From working with a lot of small businesses, I know that many folks believe they don’t have enough work to hire someone yet. They assume they can throw something together themselves, or hire the neighbor’s son or a local student to get a website up, etc.

This can be a workable solution just to get started. Still, it’s easy to fall behind on basic jobs, particularly in the area of marketing.

The web moves fast, and you just don’t have a lot of time to pull a cohesive creative plan together. And when you’re realistic about it, your priority is sales! At this point, you just need to get on with what you’re good at.

If that scenario sounds familiar, consider hiring a freelancer.

For entrepreneurs and business owners stuck with some portion of a project, I recommend working with a creative professional. Freelance marketers can even help you conceptualize your brand and plan a strategy, even before hiring a creative freelancer, like a writer or graphic designer.

Rest assured that the right person is out there.

Consider all your options for finding a freelancer who fits your needs as well as your budget. It’s not like you’ll have to turn over too many stones. There’s a ton of talent out there. Here are a few places to look.

Bidding Sites

Probably the quickest, immediate (and sometimes the cheapest) satisfaction can be found on job bidding websites.

As described in an earlier post, a few websites I used to frequent were Upwork.com (formerly Elance and Odesk), Fiverr.com and Guru.com. In fact, I got some of my earliest gigs on Elance, and even work with some of those early clients today! When I have slow patches, I still pick up gigs there.

Note to new freelancers, Upwork is a great place to hang your shingle if you’re new to freelancing. You’ll pick up other freelance providers’ tips and tricks there, too.

On these hiring websites, you’ll find plenty of reliable and talented people who can help it take wing.

Thousands of providers on Elance alone claim writing as their specialty; and writing is just one of the hundreds of categories of expertise to choose from. With those numbers, it’s practically impossible NOT to find someone you’re comfortable with after the first or second job. If you enjoy the process and you are satisfied with the completed work, you may even ask about hiring that person again. Then, when a similar job comes up again in her field, you have a go-to expert to contact. Creative people LOVE repeat business!

Bidding work sites have been lifesavers for me, both as a hirer, and a provider . If you’re stuck in a problem at work, discover how easy it is to access affordable resources right from your desktop. The experts are there to serve you, no matter how minor the job.

“Matchmaking” Job Sites

In addition to the bidding websites, you might also look to the agency-style website where you describe your job, and the agency matches you with the right freelancer in their roster. The benefit to these sites is that you have a higher-level marketing team watching out for you and assigning a good fit based on the freelancer’s experience, the price you’re willing to pay, and other criteria you specify.

You spend no time deciding whether a possible freelancer has the chops to do the work, because the agency has already vetted them. Instead, you get to concentrate on your project and the deliverables you require. Be prepared to pay slightly higher fees for this service.

Referrals

Finally, if you’re looking for someone you can work with directly on a long-term basis, don’t neglect turning to your personal network. Ask friends and colleagues who’ve had similar work requests done to their satisfaction.

Referrals are a good freelancer’s bread and butter, and most people are happy to refer good talent. (It makes them look good, too!) If your business friends will share the name of the freelancers they use for past projects, then by all means, start there.

LinkedIn, Blogs, and other Web Searches

Let’s not forget the power of content. Many freelancers are full of helpful advice and opinions about implementing their craft. Providing information and free content is how they attract clients like you!

They show off their web development expertise on blogs and social media; they share personally written articles on sites like LinkedIn and Medium; and they exhibit their artistic talent in shops like Creative Market. When an article, font or design catches your eye, note the author or artist and track her down.

When you’re browsing for the right expert to help you, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Divide a large project into smaller chunks and let a few different providers prove their abilities. Test the mettle of your top few picks to see which one you like the best. Then bring the winner on board for the bulk or remainder of the project.
Read the feedback on the outsourcing website. You will learn about the professional’s work ethic, timeliness, communication, etc — qualities and details you may not have considered before, but which might mean a lot to you once they are on your radar.
Read the personalized messages from individual bidders. See if there’s enthusiasm behind the pitch. Is he excited about your project? Why? Does he have experience with your field on a professional or personal level? For example, let’s say you need an article written about child athletes’ nutrition needs. Maybe a novice writer whose child just happens to play competitive soccer is better qualified for your sports piece than an experience sports writer who covers cycling and racing. Test the waters, and use your intuition. Sometimes the “hungrier” bidder will do a better job than the one with an impressive portfolio and hundreds of finished jobs under his belt. Sometimes it pays to look closely at the eager new freelancers with a smaller, promising portfolio as well as the ones who have valuable experience.
Google the people you are considering. After circling a freelancer on a bidding website like Upwork, for example, I like to check around the web for more insight into the freelancer’s work, if it’s available. A search may unearth negative reviews on another site. If that’s the case, you’d want to know before you hired her. Chances are, the opposite is true. Your prospective freelancer’s work around the web could be just what you need to see to assure you to take a chance on her.
Take the time and effort to write a clear, detailed job description because people can’t read your mind. If you can’t be bothered to put in the effort to describe your project, then you won’t get the results you really want.

Remember that as you’re building your business, you need to be focusing on the important work that makes you big money, not struggling to learn how to do a task someone can easily and happily do for you. You intuitively know what jobs are $1000 jobs, and which ones are $50 jobs. Do the high level stuff and hire others to do the rest.

If you’re just starting out, you don’t get to that point instantly. Growth takes time. But a professional creative will make you look good and keep things humming while you build your business.

Now that you’ve found the right creative person for your project, what next?

Start small until you’re comfortable.

Start with a small job if you’re unsure how to navigate hiring and working with freelancers. As you grow more confident outsourcing projects and recurring tasks, you’ll learn to rely on others for help in your business.

You may even come to rely on freelancers and contractors exclusively. The benefit to hiring freelancers is that they are as flexible as your needs.

Will you decide to build a team of remote freelancers who regularly work together, or occasionally ease your workload by hiring one freelancer at a time? Will you stay local or reach out to creatives in other countries? It’s up to you.

Other Tips for Hiring Freelancers

Bookmark pages or graphic designs, fonts and colors you like, to show your new freelance hire the vibe you want to convey.

Will there be ongoing work if the right freelancer nails this project? Say so, and you may attract better freelancers from the get-go. Just remember that all freelancers have seen ridiculous promises from hiring sources, and certain tactics for getting cheap labor probably won’t work in your favor.

Of course you need a creative freelancer who will fit your budget (the range is great), but please never say that you expect the work done for free because it’s such a wonderful opportunity for the freelancer to build their portfolio or to gain the chance to work for you again in the future. I’ve never understood why anyone would dangle that obviously poison carrot. Why would anyone worth their salt want to work for a cheapskate who wants free work done now, let alone in the future? You get what you pay for.

Most experienced freelancers describe where they add value in a proposal. For example, you may find that pro copywriter demands higher fees than another writer. The reasons may range from their experience in the subject matter; to a keen understanding of the genre. As an example, press releases, newsletters, white papers, blog posts, and PPC ads are examples of four very different types of writing skills; if you’re looking for a specialist in one genre, it’s worth your while to hire a pro with that experience.

Another example of added value that really pays off: Your copywriter may provide the added service of researching keywords and markets; and generally spending time learning the audience before jumping into the activity of writing. These “hidden” extra tasks and levels of expertise often translate into a higher cost to the hiring party. They also ensure that the copy is exactly on the mark, which offsets the high cost of cheap copy that doesn’t convert.

Be prepared to pay a fair market price for excellent work. Expect a good freelancer to require a deposit to start work, and incremental payments as specific milestones are met.

Feel free to ask questions about her past work, how she works, when she’s available to touch bases, and when she typically is in “creative” mode. That way, if she’s not answering your texts in the morning hours because that’s her productive writing time (or walk-the-dog time, or hit-the gym time, etc.), you’ll know why. Every great freelancer will provide times when she’s be available for meetings and calls, but the hours may not be your usual nine-to-five. If weekday, workday accessibility is important to you, make sure it’s spelled at the beginning. This means you must also take into account the difference in time zones.

If you have a brand kit, allow your freelancer to access to it for correct use of fonts, style and colors. The more you let your freelancer into your world, the better she can deliver exactly what you imagined, and more. You want to be wowed — you deserve it — so give your freelancer the boundaries you require, then let her run free.

By the way, if you get exactly what you expected, then you’ve probably kept the leash too short. Creative people and freelancers who have been at their craft for awhile love to deliver work that is a little surprising sometimes. They work hard to raise the bar, so keep an open mind. Make her part of your team and the right creative will give you way more value than you bargained for.

As freelancing becomes a common way to work around the world, more companies and creatives will hop onboard. The benefits are pretty cool for both the provider and the hirer, as long as expectations are clear. It’s worth it to invest in finding the perfect freelancer and continue to build a relationship with that person. Over time, as projects pop up, you’ll feel you have an extension of your core team at your disposal.

Do you have any questions or ideas about hiring freelancers? Are you interested in getting some of your marketing tasks — social media posts, blog writing, email strings — take off your plate? Give us a call or fill out the form below. We’d love to hear about your next project.

Is Your Content A Little Too Amazing?

November 28, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

What’s the purpose of your content? Is “enchanting new prospects” among your goals?

It should be!

The riches are in the niches, you’ve heard that before. So how do you get them to notice you?

Finding your niche is how you build a business or following. You attract one kind of person, sell your unique products and services in that small pool of people who look a lot like that unique person, and gain a small group of loyal customers.

They could be baby boomer entrepreneurs, girl skateboarders, or fountain pen collectors; the more specific the niche, the better.

You get some traction. Winning new business gets easier. You think, “I’ve got this.”

Then, as the word starts spread, you swim out to a larger pond.

Similarly, as a copywriter I adhere to the old adage, “Write to one person. Just one.”

Imagine what that person looks like, where she lives, and what she ate for breakfast; is she rushed, relaxed, disheveled, radiant? I try to get a feel for the customer’s energy as well as measurable facts and demographics.

Identifying that one niche, that one person… there’s no better way to rivet the attention of the customer who’s ready to listen, call, click, or subscribe.

Grab my buyer persona cheat sheet here!

However, social media success requires broader appeal.

In addition to your very specific audience, you’re being viewed by a lot of folks who don’t know you, like you, or trust you. To get their attention, and earn that likability and trust — to enchant new prospects as your paths cross — social media requires a mix of content.

I have a fitness coach friend (let’s call her Jane) who’s as nice as can be. I’ve talked with her at social gatherings, and at school functions, and she’s never once knocked a bagel out of my hand or told me to suck anything up. Let’s just say that her demeanor’s not nearly as hard as her abs.

But it’s so funny to watch her on social media. If I didn’t know her I’d be scared. I would think she ate nails for breakfast. Looking at her Instagram, you never see how sweet and encouraging she can be in spite of her take-no-prisoners persona. I often wonder how many people she’s missing out on serving; and who are missing out on being coached by the real Jane!

So yes, go ahead and say something outrageous, be a little kooky, flaunt your uniqueness. You will click with the right people. But, don’t forget to build your community by being amiable to those who don’t get you yet.

Create plenty of Top o’ the Funnel Content

In addition to the more emotional content, mix in some content that appeals to a more general audience.

Take into account the larger social context of social media. Here, people are their public selves.

On social media, almost everyone wants to be seen as cool, caring, kind, helpful, funny, etc.

How do you come across so that the right people will take note of those qualities in you? Make a slight adjustment in your tone.

Don’t always be telling people what you know. You don’t always have to be The Analyst or The Writer or Coach Jane.

Pretend you are walking around in a public room full of people. Maybe you’re gathered for a party or a conference or some common reason, but you’re strangers to one another.

What do you do? Just be you, be nice, and have fun.

When you write, film, or create images for that “one” person, of course it’s appropriate to share your expertise. You can even get in their face, like my friend Jane.

But don’t assume everyone is in your inner circle all the time. As you build your business and your brand, many will take a chance and follow you just to see what you’re all about. If someone is your ideal customer (the one perfect fit), they’ll notice when you change your tone because, just as in real life, there’s a time and place for getting more personal. It’s almost like your eyes meeting from across the room.

When face to face, you might lower your voice, reveal more about yourself, ask deeper questions. But it’s usually after you’ve both agreed to take the conversation to that level…

Meanwhile, mix in some content that’s a little breezier, or less specific. (“Nice weather we’re having!” or “Have you seen the TED talk about that subject?”) Don’t forget that this may be the first impression among people who don’t know you, so (at least occasionally) use social media to show your friendly face.

If you want to build a bigger community around your brand, social media is the place.

Not everyone will want to take that deep dive with you, but some will. Have fun mingling with lighter, more general content, and you’ll see.

Nine Easily Fixable Mistakes Causing You To Misread Your Customer

November 21, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Open your eyes and take a hard look at your customer. Is the picture clear, or a bit hazy?

As you market your new business or product, train yourself to get laser-focused on your “ideal client.“

Creating a buyer persona — fictional characters based on true-to-life prospects — is one way to do that. If you understand your customer’s environment, motivations, job title, performance concerns, gender, age, hobbies, goals and expectations, social media preferences, etc.; you’ll connect with them better.

The idea is to see the world clearly through their eyes, so clearly that you can predict where they order take-out, what kind of car they’d buy, and even their communication style and tone of voice. Once you know all those details (that may not have anything outwardly to do with your products), you enjoy a surprising benefit as you build your business:

The point of developing buyer personas is to help you directly appeal to the type of person who’d buy your products.

You can stop wasting time creating content and marketing materials for someone who will never buy your stuff, and start speaking the language of those who will.

The only problem with this exercise is that sometimes you’re blind to some very real characteristics that demand your attention.

I recently watched The Martian, the movie about the astronaut played by Matt Damon, left behind on planet Mars, his struggle to survive, and the epic attempt by NASA to rescue him after the whole world’s eyes were focused on the catastrophe.

There was one character whose role was small but mighty: A geeky guy who could barely verbally communicate, yet whose brilliant brain held the solution to the entire problem.

In one scene, he is trying to describe to the top brass how the rescue mission will go down. His method — a simple, physical, and visually conclusive explanation, enacted for, and involving the top directors of NASA, and a pen — was brilliantly played. It was almost as if this brilliant, beautiful mind was so often misunderstood, that he distilled his idea down to the most simple, childish enactment he could visualize. Lives were on the line, so he found the least common denominator of communication styles.

As a marketer, I liked this scene, because it reminded me of that old tenet:

If you can explain something in terms that a 5-year-old would understand, then you truly understand your subject.

Simplicity is power.

Too often, professionals and experts know their stuff so well that they forget that others don’t know (or care about) the same things. The people who are the best experts for the job — often, it’s the experienced entrepreneur venturing out on his own, or the solo-preneur in the midst of rebranding or starting something new — have so much juicy history behind them. When someone has forgotten more than their customers know, their ability to connect with them usually suffers. Their experience disqualifies them from helping the very clients and customers who need them the most.

If you’re a top notch expert, I’m sure you never have trouble distilling complicated aspects of your specialty to others. But if every now and then you find you’re not reaching the right people, it could be because your message is a little unclear. Don’t worry!

This is a communication problem, nothing more. Perception is everything, so you have to speak the words your customer can hear. Like the guy in The Martian, he may have lost his audience if he relayed complicated calculations, but they understood him when he poked the pen cap into NASA’s public relations director’s forehead.

If it seems like your marketing is missing its mark, then you could be making these very human mistakes. Funny thing is they don’t occur because you don’t care, or because you’re not putting in enough effort. You could be trying too hard to be understood, than to understand your customer.

Now visualize your ideal client, and avoid these nine mistakes as you flesh out your buyer personas:

Mistake #1. You see what you want to see, focusing on your direct experience with your current or past customers, and failing to see a bigger possibility. It’s a good thing to envision a customer you already serve, but you may miss other opportunities for future growth if you’re only looking at the past.

Mistake #2. You put more consideration into one aspect about your customer over another equally important aspect. Maybe you’ve been talking with someone who can’t see the whole picture. Or you’ve been discussing your market with someone in one specific department — sales or service, for example, and they have a strong opinion about what the customer should look like. It’s easy to absorb differing, passing opinions!

Everyone has a little “marketing” in them. Most people have some idea of what’s important to customers, especially if they already working in some capacity on a product dedicated to that person. It’s an intuitive human trait, one that isn’t exclusive to folks in the marketing department. The fact that silos exist in a lot of companies means that everyone isn’t on the same page. Get as much input as you can and weigh all opinions with discernment.

Everyone has a different idea about reaching your ideal clients because most people tend to tackle a problem in their own specific way. It’s not their fault, but if you can identify when you are falling into that same trap, you can avoid focusing on just one dimension of your customers.

Mistake #3. You overlook details that are important to her. Perhaps you just don’t want to include that bit about the long commute, or the hoops she has to jump through to get approval for a budget because, quite frankly, you don’t really know what to do about those problems.

Ah, but there’s opportunity, if you look closely! Sometimes it’s the details you unearth that shed light on your true understanding of what the customer is going through right now.

Mistake #4. You merge two different personas together into one, taking certain parts from one (e.g. has young children) and blending them with another (e.g. loves to travel).

You’ll discover nuances within each buyer persona, but if you merge too many personas onto one, and show marketing messages to one jumbled-up group, then your marketing will not pass the customer’s sniff test. You don’t want to come off as inauthentic, or too many things to too many people. Keep different target markets separate so you don’t send a confusing message.

Mistake #5. You mistake what your customer sees for something only you see from your insider, expert viewpoint. For example, they see a lack of cooperation from their children or boss; you see a failure in household or business organization.

Terminology is so important. Be careful to phrase problems the way they would. If you don’t address your customer’s needs exactly where they are, your totally jumping ahead of yourself. And if your customer doesn’t feel like you get her at all, then she won’t be back, no matter how great your solution is.

Mistake #6. You assume their problem can be solved with your solution. (When you only have a hammer, all problems look like nails.) The sad truth is that you may not have the right product that truly addresses your customer’s needs, fears or desires. Try not to assume that you already know everything about your customer. You might know a lot, but always be open to learning as you go.

Mistake #7. You are overly-influenced by your “manager’s” point of view…and that manager may be YOU! You pay too much attention to the future of your company, or how your business is structured to deliver service to your client… and other details that your customer couldn’t care less about. No matter where you want to be, or your goals for your product or company, that never matters to your customer.

It’s totally understandable to want to grow your company to serve more customers. But if your focus is on growth before dazzling your customer, you may not make meet those future marketing milestones.

Mistake #8. You focus too much on what you think they need, instead of what your customers are telling you they want.

Mistake #9. You compare yourself with your competition, skewing your results and making your forget what your strengths are. You’re using someone else’s (your competition’s) buyer persona, and comparing your business and offer with someone else’s.

Love is blind. It’s one of the catch-22s of being an entrepreneur with heart. You want to help, and you can see the problem from at least six degrees of separation from your customer’s point of view.

A good buyer persona begins with what your customer is dealing with right now, NOT your sophisticated understanding of what’s “really” going on. Forget about that. They don’t care. You have to get used to speaking to and serving your customer at each stage of their journey.

A solid buyer persona is often elusive because you want to serve them so well. Before really understanding them completely, you want to jump in and help. Unfortunately, your best intentions may hinder you from seeing the nuances of the real problem you can help solve.

When you take off your rose-colored glasses and see your customer for who she is, warts and all, myopic, and oh-so-complicated ( and I say that with love); then you’ll have a buyer persona you can speak to and share with your team.

If you’d like to discuss how to simplify your message so you ideal clients can “hear” you, please give us a call. We’d love to help you determine if your content “checks out” with your best prospects.

Discover What Your Customers Like For $10 A Day

November 11, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

First, the facts: lots of people claim to be experts at Facebook ads. The truth from the inside is a little more humbling. Facebook ads platform changes weekly.

As a marketer, you can’t get too comfortable.

It’s like a dance. Facebook shimmies, you shimmy. Facebook turns, you turn. If you want hard and fast answers to all your questions, you might get them, in terms of how many eyeballs were on your ad, or how many clicks it got, or how long someone viewed your video; but by the middle of next week, those numbers can change.

Ouch! So what’s a marketer to do?

We’ll probably never know the secret to how Facebook decides to place your ad before its customers, and at what price. You bid (auction style) and then you let Facebook take the lead and trust that they’re mission is to create the best experience for their customers. (Ahem, that’s their users; not you, dear marketer, but stick with me here…)

Facebook is testing new things all the time. As you partner with the most accessible marketing tool on the planet, my advice is to enjoy playing with the platform. There’s nowhere else on the web where you can get the kind of highly targeted positioning of your content, AND (no small thing) detailed reporting about what’s working and what’s not.

Just an example. We’re working on a Kickstarter campaign for a technology company and we’re targeting outdoor enthusiasts. Although the market includes the music and construction industries as well as urban parent markets; for now, we’re only going after outdoor people like kayakers, mountain bikers, hikers, etc.

If you’re a startup, you know the drill. You think you know what people like and want, but you don’t want to spend dozens of thousands of dollars to know what your customers like for sure.

Enter Facebook. Whether personally you love it or not, Facebook will show you if your words and images resonate with your intended market.

For example, we’re running Facebook’s new carousel ad with five different images and different text beneath each image, with a call to action below each image. Now can you imagine getting reports on which picture and which text your customers liked the best?

Wouldn’t you like to put five different ads before your ideal market and see which one people prefer? You can.
Would you like to take that same ad and place it before two different groups of people: people who like mountain biking magazines, and people who like fishing magazines… and see which market clicks the most? You can.
Would you like to put a video in front of your ideal customer and see if they spent at least 10 seconds watching it or if they scrolled right by? With Facebook’s new video ads, you can.

And you can do this very simply for a budget of $10 a day.

You don’t need to be a fancy ad agency or a marketing expert. All you have to do is log in and start experimenting.

If you have a Facebook Page and you’re not dabbling in Facebook’s back room, why not carve out an hour this week and check it out.

And when you’re ready for a quick walk-through to see what you can do there, schedule a call with me and we can talk about your business and your next marketing project.

How To Reverse Engineer The Ultimate Buyer Persona

November 9, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Wouldn’t it be great to find the right customers every time?

Can you imagine how simple your marketing would be if you figured out a way to lead the perfect match down your sales funnel each time you wanted more business?

If you are a solo-preneur or someone re-branding yourself as the expert in your field, your content is always quietly working to attract and conversely, to repel certain types of people.

Some with click with you. Others will literally click away.

That’s why it’s so important to spend some time developing a few “buyer personas” to easily attract more of those ideal customers you like working with, and who enjoy your style, too.

You want the ones who click with you!

When you get your buyer personas right, not only are you able to describe in words and pictures your ideal client, but your communication with that person will feel more natural. A huge fringe benefit of developing accurate buyer personas is lower frustration spending time working with the wrong clients.

See, it goes both ways. Knowing who your ideal customer is and defining him or her within a buyer persona framework also prevents the wrong people from squandering their resources and peace of mind, too.

A mismatch is bad for everyone, yet almost everyone I know has made this mistake at some point.

It’s understandable, especially if you’re just starting a new business, working on branding yourself and your business, or striking out alone after years working in another job.

In addition to the challenge of getting it “just right,” a lot of new business owners are happy to do business with just about anyone with a pulse and a credit card. Because you need the business, you take on any and all new clients, only to discover after awhile that there are just some people you don’t serve well.

Working with the wrong customers sucks the life out of your business.

Maybe your values clash, or they ask you to change the way you do something to suite them, even though you know it means you won’t be able to deliver your best work within the efficient system you’ve created. Maybe they constantly find fault with your products or services, or they fail to communicate with you before they post their complaints on all their social media sites. Maybe the wrong customers are costing you a small fortune in chargebacks and returns.

The fallout is real; the wrong customer slows you down, prevents your best work, and usually sucks resources away from the very people who form the soul of your business… the right customers.

The process of finding these people – the right customers – is equal parts choice and discovery.

As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you get to paint the picture of the person who is most likely to respond positively to your marketing efforts and become the exact match to the person you’re in business to serve.

Once you know this person — and are able to describe him or her to someone else — effective content will easy to create and you’ll know where to place it to find your next customer.

It’s time to create or re-evaluate one or two buyer personas.

As I discussed previously in this post, think of a buyer persona as an archetype of the customer that your business serves best. Buyer personas are more than demographics or a general “types.” A comprehensive and detailed portrait of your buyer persona includes many characteristics: personal, professional, social, physical, even spiritual dimensions of your happiest, most successful customer. You need to consider the whole person.

Traditional Buyer Persona Creation

There are many ways to go about creating a buyer persona description.

You can gather your team together and brainstorm all the possible qualities of your ideal customer.
You can do a thorough investigation into your markets, your customers, people who have heard of you and your brand.
You can study leads that have chosen NOT to do business with you.
You can conduct surveys from possible buyers.
You can put out questionnaires.
You can request exit interviews from past customers and clients.
You can even construct a buyer persona from a pool of interested leads who “intend” to purchase at some point in the future.

Or you can take a simpler approach that’s almost always accurate… Look to the real, flesh-and-blood person you’ve already helped. Look to your ideal customer…so far.

Then just step back to get a better view.

How to Reverse Engineer the Buyer Persona Identification Process

Based on the experiences you’ve already had with your customers, you can create a buyer persona by simply reverse engineering your (very real) ideal customer.

First, start with a very specific image of that person you’ve already served and who loves your work. How do you know who that is? Any one of the following descriptions indicates a possible ideal customer. (Let’s say, for ease of discussion, that person is a woman.)

Your ideal client is probably one of your star clients or most satisfied customers.
This person could be the one who’s come furthest, thanks to you, and refers you to everyone she meets.
She’s taken what you’ve given, implemented it, and found success.
Her “receiving” style and your “giving” style match perfectly.
If it was a client relationship or a B2B contact, working together was smooth sailing from day one.
If she was a consumer of a product, this person is the one who buys everything you produce, shares it, and tells all her friends.
She’s an advocate and a champion, and probably active on social media.

You know who that person is. Just close your eyes for a second and think about it.

First, zoom in.

For this next part, you may know the answers or you may have to make your best guess. That should be easy, since you already know her.

Identify her specific goals and values, witness her behaviors, job title, family situation, mannerisms, and lifestyle. What was the situation that person was dealing with the day you first met? Where did you meet or how did this customer find you? What social sites does she use? What part of town does this person live in? What type of vacations does she take? What is her education level? Do you know her favorite expressions, biggest career concerns, political leanings? List everything you can reasonably know about this person in detail.

Once you have a complete picture you can start to create your first buyer persona.

Let’s keep going.

Next, pan out.

Where you initially focused your attention, now it’s time to pan out to get a higher view. Pay attention now…as you pull back, you may find some similarities with other clients you serve, or whom you would like the opportunity to serve.

At this point, other identifying characteristics may emerge that you could determine to be more important or relevant, while other details don’t seem to matter so much. Income, occupation, health, gender and even points of view all come into play.

As you pull pack to get a more general view of your ideal customer, you may begin to notice and eliminate unnecessary distinctions that have no bearing on your ability or desire to serve this qualified group.

Where will you discern these generalities?

Within businesses, for example if you’re a B2B business, you may note commonalities between geography, seniority, function, industry, or company size. Among consumers you may notice the important factors affecting a successful sale hinge on geography, age, profession, income, or family size.

The Buyer Persona Comes Into Focus

It’s exciting to begin to see an archetype of your ideal client come into focus!

She may not be the exact person you were thinking of in the first step, but someone similar who shares general important traits.

The similarities are important because this is the area where you’ll be able to create the best content for the most people. Individual details fall away and larger trends take precedence.

As this article shows you can even start to accommodate fluctuations and areas of urgency based on changing shifts in industries, geographical concerns or newsworthy trends.

You buyer personas may change according to the season, current events, or other fluctuating factors. No matter what market your business serves, it’s important to stay flexible. You don’t want to carve a buyer persona in stone and then forget about it.

Fluid, lively content is content that meets your customer where she is – and in some cases, her circumstances can change a lot over a short period of time!

If you are a new business owner, don’t start creating content until you’ve identified at least one or two buyer personas. After that, you can begin to walk through their decision-making processes and points where they will be most open to your message.

You don’t need a committee of smart interviewers and surveys to find out who needs your services. You really can paint a picture of your best customer on your own.

Start with this process and see where it takes you. Note that it’s the opposite of what a lot of entrepreneurs do, starting with a theoretical buyer profile, based on assumptions — a skeletal frame upon which they build a persona by laying in details and adding color.

I’m proposing doing the opposite.

Begin with a picture of your actual customer. Forget all about those disaster clients and unhappy customers. Just let them go.) Then work backwards.

You’ll get a bird’s-eye view of your best customer, which allows you to see similarities with others who share characteristics with those in your target niche.

Just pinpoint the one whose world you rocked in the past and you’ll have a pretty good idea of the one you must connect with today. Your content will speak directly to her.

As tempting as it is to stay flexible and work with lots of different types of people, you’re better off identifying one ideal buyer persona, crafting content to answer her questions and calm her concerns, then pleasing that customer with your best work.

While you may not want to refuse anyone at first as you are building your business, at least you will attract fewer of the wrong customers when you use a marketing strategy based on clear buyer personas. That’s a win-win for you and your ideal clients.

You know whom you serve best. Small business people need to take an efficient and economical approach to their marketing. When content marketing blogs advise a complicated method for creating buyer personas that will engage with your content and eventually convert, most small businesses immediately think they need to hang on to their wallets. so reverse engineering that ideal client will result in your first (and probably best) buyer persona.

The ultimate buyer persona is right in front of you.

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