The art of the Avatar: Who do you serve?

Visualising success is far easier when you can see exactly who you want to support in business?

But why do it alone??

Today ladies and gents we are going to unpack Avatars.

This article was inspired when I realised a key part of the referral requesting process or skill was to have a well defined set of constraints around the WHO element. In other words when asking our connections for direct referral support the more specific the request the easier you make it for your referrers to deliver. So this article is part of a research and development process that will lead to content in our Native Networker course so it has a trifecta of purposefulness to it, in short:?

• Help speak to the skill of ‘Painting the Avatar’, creating a defined image in words or pictures that sets out exactly who your prospective target audience is.??
• To contribute to the conceptual foundations that will form part of the marrow of a future course targeting early networking fundamentals.
• And third and finally to illustrate a strategy we are encouraging at 'Networking Our Way' whereby members collaborate with contacts to produce articles with cross referencing to support each other and to create intertwined features that by extension have a cohesive and deeper value to the reader.??

When Val (Community Liaison) my right hand man and I took to co-writing some articles we saw a good overlap we could leverage. In fact these were originally destined as facebook posts, but as we stout to compose them (and thanks to a few circumstantial queues that week) we decided to give them more time and some added focus so we could develop them as co-created articles. Go team!!?

The power of a clear Avatar?

To be clear, I am not a trained marketer but helping people get referrals is a game that takes many of its rules from marketing, so inevitably this has to be wrapped in to any advice on Business Communication.

So the purpose of the article and the ensuing content we will deliver in our networking eco-system, is to leverage AI to create rapid and effective referrals. Then subsequently we aim to embed this not our Groups. So this read is part of the 'set up' essentially a portion of the key supporting knowledge that will enhance specific techniques we are developing whereby members use AI together to find gaps, opportunities and overlaps that could usher in reciprocal referrals. So defining a customer avatar is not just a marketing exercise; it's a strategic business imperative for early ROI in networking. Here's why:

1. Targeted Marketing ??: When you know exactly who you're speaking to, you can craft marketing messages that hit the bullseye every time. An avatar helps you understand what language to use, what pain points to address and what solutions to offer. This targeted approach increases the effectiveness of your campaigns, leading to higher conversion rates and better ROI.
2. Product Development ??: Understanding your avatar helps you design products and services that meet their specific needs. By knowing what your ideal customer values and struggles with, you can create solutions that they truly want and need, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty. Use client lead data!
3. Customer Retention ??: When your messaging and offerings align with your avatar's needs, you're more likely to build strong, lasting relationships with your customers. This leads to increased customer retention, which is often more cost-effective than acquiring new customers.
4. Efficient Resource Allocation ??: By focusing your efforts on a clearly defined avatar, you avoid wasting resources on broad, unfocused marketing. This efficiency can save your business time and money, allowing you to allocate resources to the areas that will have the most impact.
5. Competitive Advantage ??: Businesses that have a deep understanding of their customers are better positioned to stand out in a crowded market. By defining a clear avatar, you can differentiate your brand and create a unique value proposition that resonates with your target audience.

All of the above will translate into an ability to meet your peers and give them crystal clear parameters to place in front of mind when they are going about their business. If we back this up with the skill of effective communication we are onto a winner!

Steps to Defining a Customer Avatar ???

Now that we understand the importance of a customer avatar in this context, let's explore how to create one. The process involves several key steps:

1. Conduct Thorough Research ??

The foundation of a strong avatar is research. Without the? fundamental data, your avatar will be based on assumptions rather than reality. Start by gathering accurate information from a variety of sources, such as:

• Customer Surveys ??: Conduct surveys to gather insights directly from your existing customers. Ask about their demographics, challenges, goals, and preferences. Tools like JotForm or Google Forms can help you easily collect and analyze this data.
• Interviews ??: One-on-one interviews allow you to dive deeper into your customers' thoughts and feelings. These conversations can reveal valuable insights that surveys might miss. Consider interviewing a diverse range of customers to get a well-rounded perspective. We complete these in two ways. In fact, coming soon we will be setting our Community Liaisons to interviews on Avatars specifically, while Group Pioneers (GPs) do general business interviews and or our NOW Casters.?
• Sales and Support Teams ??: Our Sales and customer support team leave no stone unturned.If we can gather info, we take any opportunity! To us, that is almost as valuable as a sign up!? Because in the long term, the greater we understand our prospects' needs the better we can serve and speak to them.?
• Social Media and Online Communities ??: Monitor social media platforms and online forums where your target audience hangs out. Pay attention to the content that draws in their attention as this can give you a heads up on their pain points and aspirations.
• Market Research ??: Look at industry reports, case studies, and competitor analysis to understand broader market trends. This data can help you identify where your business fits in and how your customers' needs are evolving. In our experience and having talked at length to connections in Market research this is one of the most overlooked aspects of small business startups. Too often conventional trades assume viability, whereas conventional offering could be precisely why challenges lie ahead: market saturation, the brand establishment, lack of niching. My go to in this field is Catherine Mika Zahidi expert in looking at what stands out in the data and spotting the opportunities!

2. Segment Your Audience ???

Once you've gathered your research, the next step is to segment your audience. Not all customers are the same, and trying to create one avatar to represent everyone will dilute your efforts. Instead, break down your audience into distinct segments based on shared characteristics. For example, you might segment your audience by:

• Demographics: Age, gender, income, education level, occupation, etc.
• Psychographics: Values, attitudes, interests, lifestyles, etc.
• Behavioral Data: Purchase history, brand loyalty, online behavior, etc.
• Geographic Location: Country, region, urban vs. rural, etc.

Each segment will likely have its own avatar. Depending on your business, you may have multiple avatars representing different customer groups. For example, a B2B software company might have one avatar for small business owners and another for IT managers at large corporations.

3. Create Detailed Avatar Profiles ??

With your segments in place, it's time to create detailed profiles for each avatar. These profiles should be as specific as possible, incorporating both demographic and psychographic information. Here's a template to get you started:

• Name: Give your avatar a name to make them feel real. For example, "Marketing Mary" or "Tech-Savvy Tom."
• Demographics: Include age, gender, marital status, education level, occupation, and income.
• Psychographics: What are their values, beliefs, and attitudes? What are their interests and hobbies? What do they care about most?
• Goals and Aspirations: What are they trying to achieve? What are their short-term and long-term goals?
• Challenges and Pain Points: What are their biggest struggles? What keeps them up at night?
• Buying Behavior: How do they make purchasing decisions? What influences their choices? Are they price-sensitive or value-driven?
• Preferred Communication Channels: Where do they consume information? Are they more likely to respond to emails, social media posts, or direct mail?
• Objections and Concerns: What might prevent them from choosing your product or service? How can you address these objections?

Once you've filled out the profile, you should have a clear, well-rounded picture of your avatar. This profile should serve as a guide for all your marketing and product development efforts.I am working on rounding out my Avatars in huge detail and then asking an AI to generate a picture of them in work, I’ll update you when i get it done the idea being that could serve as an awesome visual cue to aid any focused business planning.?

4. Validate Your Avatars ?

After creating your avatars, it's important to validate them. This step ensures that your avatars accurately represent your target audience and aren't based on faulty assumptions. Here are a few ways to validate your avatars:

• Test Marketing Campaigns: Run targeted campaigns designed specifically for each avatar. Monitor the response rates, engagement, and conversion rates. If your avatars are well-defined, you should see strong results.
• Feedback from Sales and Support Teams: Share your avatars with your sales and customer support teams. Ask them if these profiles align with their experience and if they have any suggestions for refinement.
• Customer Feedback: If possible, share your avatars with a select group of customers and ask for their input. Do they see themselves in these profiles? Are there any aspects that feel off?
• Continuous Monitoring: Avatars should evolve as your business and market change. Regularly review and update your avatars based on new data, customer feedback, and industry trends.

5. Leverage Avatars in Your Marketing Strategy ??

Once your avatars are validated, it's time to put them to work. Here’s how to integrate avatars into your marketing strategy:

• Content Creation: Use your avatars to guide content creation. Whether you're writing blog posts, creating social media content, or producing videos, tailor your messaging to speak directly to your avatars' needs and desires.
• Ad Targeting: Leverage your avatars when setting up ad campaigns. Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Ads allow for highly targeted advertising. Use the demographic and psychographic data from your avatars to reach the right audience.
• Email Marketing: Segment your email lists based on your avatars. Craft personalized email sequences that address each avatar's unique pain points and goals. This personalized approach can significantly improve open rates and conversions.
• Product Development: Use your avatars to inform product development. When designing new products or features, consider how they align with your avatars' needs. This ensures that your offerings remain relevant and valuable to your target audience.
• Sales Messaging: Train your sales team to use avatar-specific messaging. Equip them with scripts, objections handling techniques, and value propositions tailored to each avatar. This can improve sales effectiveness and close rates.
• Customer Service: Use avatars to guide customer service interactions. By understanding your customers' profiles, your support team can provide more personalized, empathetic service, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

6. Measure and Refine ??

Defining a customer avatar is not a one-time task—it's an ongoing process. As your business grows and evolves, so will your customers (so does the market which could be shaping both ends of the spectrum). It's essential to regularly measure the effectiveness of your avatars and refine them as needed. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Track Key Metrics: Monitor key metrics like customer acquisition cost
• Maintain a surveillance culture - No I am not talking dystopian Orwell style, just keep that form software busy and your avatar will become clearer than crystal!?
• GO DEEP -? don’t play this game at surface level, get to the nitty gritty of your customer’s story and pain points and your ability to convert will only accelerate.?

Some of you may be thinking, where on earth will I find the time to do all that? Well, hopefully, some of it is already there in principle, but the focus may need a redirect. Well here's a minimal effort for maximal effect, quick step-by-step play that could begin the refinement process and perhaps give you some decent baseline on your avatars.?

Steps to Fast-Track Base Demographic Delineation:

1. Identify Focus Areas: Review your current customer feedback surveys and CRM data. Determine which aspects can be refined for identifying your avatar architecture.
2. Refine Surveys: Adjust your customer feedback surveys to gather more targeted data that aligns with avatar profiles.
3. Batch Customer Data: Use your CRM to extract sets of 10 paying customers or, preferably, the top 5% of spenders or most engaged customers. You could take the data out manually which may prove easier to present to the LLM in a legible and useful format. Just reduce sample size and work in batches, there's no rush.Good things take time!?
4. Export Data: Export this data as Comma Separated Values (CSV) files.
5. Profile Analysis: Present the CSV files to an AI tool and request it to generate customer profiles.
6. Repeat Process: Repeat the process 3-4 times to refine and solidify your demographic delineation.
7. Implement Insights: Use the AI-generated profiles to tailor your marketing strategies and improve your sales process.

Now, take all your website and LinkedIn profile data and ask an LLM to pull out an avatar-rich picture. Literally copy paste and dump in a ChatGPT and ask it to define your avatar, adding a constraint statement on structure or feel of the description. For example:?

“Chat - provide me with a rich picture definition of my avatar from a qualitative perspective based on this verbiage.”

Bring it together?

Now simply combine the two, and you are likely miles ahead of where you were when you started. From this you can then build pointed surveys, do a reality check using interviews and start the Avatar defining process with some filtering applied, so to speak.?

But sincerely, no matter how much of a pared-down version of the process you run, this will pay huge dividends as you master your sales process one avatar at a time.

NOW! get at it?

For more support and ideas on how to become a more 21 st century - ready business owner, Chris can help! For a catch up pop to the NOW Website and use the expression of interest form and the team will be in touch within 48 hours! Thanks so much for reading, we hope this has a positive impact on your business this month!?