Public relations is about building relationships with your target audience to not only boost sales, but to build brand recognition as well. While PR can involve a number of moving pieces, the first step is to determine whose attention you want to catch. Only then are you able to push efforts and develop campaigns that are suited just for your target audience.
Rather than focus your time and resources on efforts that target a broad public, specifying your ideal client can help define your niche and assist you in finding the right media for your needs.
First, look at your branding and determine what your company values. Oftentimes, this can tell you who your target audience is. “I’ve branded myself as the ‘anti-wedding wedding photographer’ because I don’t buy into the traditional wedding hype,” shares James Berglie of Be Photography. “My couples lovs photos, but don’t want to make the whole day about them. They don’t want to recreate or stage anything, which coincides perfectly with my tagline, ‘Capture, Don’t Create.’”
Once you have an idea of how you operate and what drives you, your target audience should become clear. However, keep in mind that within a company, different people may have their own ideal clients, as everybody has distinctive preferences. If anything, this means that a company can cater to a more diverse audience.
Like-minded clients
“While we have an ideal client for our company, we’ve also broken out what we’re hoping for individually to know who should pursue individual clients within our company,” expressed Alex Chalk of Taylor’d Events Group. “For example, I like to work with couples who are equally committed to planning, while my partner, Jennifer, enjoys working with couples with heavy parental involvement.” Who do you connect with best?
When focused on larger segments of the population, it’s imperative to gauge what defines your ideal client within that group. Ask yourself—what’s important to them in the purchasing process? What difficulties do they run into? What do they value?
“We find that it’s challenging for women of all sizes to find a dress that’s stylish and fits their unique body type,” explains Araceli Vizcaino-S of Azazie, which offers made-to-measure bridal attire. “That’s where we come in, as we strive to fit all body types and cater to each person’s unique measurements and style.”
As for finding those ideal clients, networking yourself in the right places is key. “Initially, I found my clients by attending events or contributing services to events that they attend. Start by getting to know the couples and allow it to naturally lead to a discussion of your services,” explains Mike Busada of Mike B Photography. Once you’ve built a strong portfolio of like-minded clients, you’ll start to see that your ideal clients will come looking for you!
You may find that narrowing down your target audience will allow you to do more with less and get a better idea of what direction you want to take your business’ marketing and PR efforts. What are you waiting for?
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding marketing and wedding PR firm OFD Consulting, which specializes in getting wedding professionals their brides. She is a highly sought after industry speaker and serves as a Public Relations adjunct professor for Virginia Commonwealth University.
