If you’re feeling overwhelmed with creating content and looking for one piece of advice to simplify it, for me, it is to know your target audience.

When I first started my business, I didn’t invest time to think about who my target audience was. I didn’t know how valuable this one step would be. However, in the beginning, I knew I was speaking right to them. As my business grew, my message got muddier. I was pulled to talk to a broader range of people. I did this for two main reasons:

1. I felt as if I was leaving money on the table. Sure my audience was mainly women, but I was made to feel guilty for not speaking to the men. So, my message included them too. Then I began to feel as if I needed to answer ALL of my audience’s answers. I was the key to everything online business. That caused me to stare at my screen and wonder what to write. You might think it should have made it easier because I had a bigger pool of information to pull from. To some degree, you’re right about having the bigger pool, but it watered down my message.

When you speak to everyone, you talk to no one. 

2. I’m a pleaser.  I would get emails asking if I could talk about this or that, and I would instantly say, “Sure!”. I wanted to be the solution for everything business for my clients. I would even agree to things where I wasn’t entirely confident in or had enough knowledge about. I would spend several hours reading blogs, watching videos, and trying to figure it out. When I think back on those times, I realize not only did I waste a lot of time researching, it was in areas that I have no desire to learn. It’s just not my expertise, and that’s ok. Dropping those tasks allows me to focus even more on the areas that I do love to learn and teach about.

The truth is, you don’t know what you don’t know, but if you’re reading this, you now know!

Why is it essential to have a target audience?

If you’re still reading this, then you may be able to relate to the same fears I had when I first started about niching down and speaking to that one audience, and you might be curious why this even matters.

Here are just five  reasons:

1. It makes creating content a LOT easier. You know precisely who you’re speaking to!

2. Your content will speak to your ideal client, and they will find you.

3. You’ll be able to bring real value to your audience.

4. Your message will be clearer

5. You will attract your ideal client by the value that you consistently bring.

How to know who your target audience is?

Let me start by saying that your target audience is more than just sex, age, and demographic. It’s about knowing your ideal client. I mean, knowing them.

• What do they like to do?
• What are their biggest struggles?
• What type of income do they have?
• What are their relationships like?
• What are their goals?
• Are they married? Single? Divorced? Widowed?
• What books do they read?
• What inspires them?
• Where do they hang out online?
• Do they read blogs, listen to podcasts, or watch YouTube videos?

You get the point. The more you can describe that ideal client, the better you will be! Your message will speak directly to that one person.

1. It may be a natural person. As you begin to answer those questions, you may already have a person coming to mind. This person may already be a client. They are your biggest cheerleader. They purchase your products as soon as they are launched and tell everyone how great you are.
2. It may be a fictitious person.  You may not already have that one person who you can think of. That’s ok. You can create them by answering the questions above. Get to know that ideal client inside and out. There’s your target audience.

You may find that your ideal client is you, or at least you, a few years ago. For me, that was the case. I was a single mom who wanted to find that life/work balance. I wanted to be present for my boys and decided to launch a business out of my house. The problem was, I had no idea what I was doing and a budget of a whopping $0! I had to learn how to use social media effectively, how to design a website, how to write emails, and so on. Today, my ideal client looks a lot like I did over ten years ago.

Here’s where I bring I value: I KNOW her struggles. I KNOW what it feels like to equate “failing” with working a 9 to 5 job again. I KNOW what it feels like to stay up all night. I KNOW her to drive. I KNOW her goals. I can speak directly to her, and she hears me.

Once you know who your ideal client is and what your target audience looks like, now you can speak directly to them! When you sit down to create content, I want you to ONLYwrite to that one person. Bring value to ONLY that one person. Inspire ONLY that one person. That doesn’t mean that you’re not able to help a potential client that falls outside of your target audience. Not at all! Chances are high, you will work with several that fall outside of that, but you will also attract those who understand you and your business and need what you can provide them. You are the solution they have been looking for.

It doesn’t matter how big your following is; what matters is the quality of it. This right here is your first step in creating that quality.