Becoming a lead magnet as a small creative business
Most people who have a creative business find marketing hard. So unless you are a complete wizard at Instagram and have built up an army of followers, you are probably feeling overwhelmed. You are not alone. The problem is, most creative focus too much on selling the features of their offer, not the benefits or transformation. So instead of showing off what you physically make or do, you should really turn it around, and put the spotlight on your client. What is their problem, how do you help them? Your product photography may be amazing, but that client needs a bit more nurturing in order to part with their money. Here I share five top tips for attracting your ideal client.
1. What’s their problem?
Your ideal client has a problem, and you can solve it for them. The ‘problem’ is a need, something they are looking for or need help with. And where will they be looking for help in most cases? The internet. If you get your keywords and key phrases right (check my blog post about SEO), they will hopefully find your website in the search results. Once on your website, your job is to convince them that you are the expert and can solve their problem.
If your marketing message is right, and resonates with the current reality of your ideal client, you have a much bigger chance of selling to them. Keep that in mind, in all of your marketing, online and offline, on your website, in emails and social media posts.
Fed up of struggling along with no results? I help creatives just like you feel in control of their business, and know exactly what steps to take to start attracting your ideal client. Book a free call to talk about the options.
2. Choose a niche and become an authority in it
Niching is another important step in attracting your ideal client. The most successful businesses have a niche. This is an area they are absolute experts in and famous for. Need a certain service or product? These are your guys! What would you type into google if you were looking for, say, unique handmade wedding invitations in your local area? You wouldn’t just type in ‘wedding invitations’, because you’ll end up with irrelevant results. I stead you would zoom into the niche of handmade, unique and local.
So be specific in describing on your website what you do and who you work with, and use this in your keywords. SEO is very important in attracting your ideal client.
You may not immediately see yourself as someone specialised in a ‘niche’, but think about what you do and sell: you can probably define a certain niche you are in already. Don’t solve a hundred different problems for a hundred different clients. Focus on one or two things you do really well, which your ideal client will be looking for.
3. Work on your mindset
‘Solving a problem’, great for service-based business, but what do you do when you are an artist? What problem does an abstract painter or ceramicist solve? A cake decorator? A writer? I get it; talking in problems and solutions probably feels a bit alien to you, if you are selling art. After all, you’re just creating something in your studio, and try to sell it to whoever wants it, right? Well yes, and no. Even as an artist, you should have a pretty clear idea of who you want to sell to, and who your ideal client is.
If you consider yourself a business, and not just somebody who creates stuff for fun, you need to work on the mindset of a business owner if you want to make a decent income.
A lot of creatives find marketing a dirty word. But if you want to have a good income by doing what you love doing, it’s time to change. Fine tune your marketing message to attract the ideal client. Because that client will love you, and is willing to pay the highest price. If you solve their problem/need, you are worth money.
Stop seeing making money as a sin, if you are an artist. Up your prices, and take yourself seriously.
4. Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades
Who do you serve? What is your subject? Your medium? Why do people mostly come to you? That is your niche. Images are important, but if your message is vague, you will lose out. Being specific is one of the most important tips for attracting your ideal client.
Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades; be clear about what you offer and to whom. A life coach may prefer to help people with a career burnout (not also people with childhood trauma). A sound engineer may be specialised in a certain musical genre (not all genres), a painter in a specific style (not abstracts and pet portraits), a clothes designer in zero waste garments for design conscious shoppers.
Be precise and you will attract. All products and services have a specific audience looking for a ‘solution’. Ask yourself: what would this client type into Google? Make sure they find you. The more specific, the easier it gets to create content too.
5. Share your values and convince your ideal client
So now they know what you make and what problem you solve. But how do the clients know they can trust you? Next of the tips for attracting your ideal clients is convincing them that you are the go-to person, best served to help them.
To convince them, you have to share your values, and a little bit of vulnerability even.
Your values are the things you stand for, that you live and work by. Your passion, your ethics, your particular way of dealing with clients. Throw in some emotion also. How will it make them feel if they buy from you? You may be a great designer, but how do the clients know they will get what they want? You may be a yoga teacher, but how do people know they are assured of a well taught lesson by an experienced person? What makes you stand out from the competition? Those values will help to convince a customer to make that call.
Challenge for you!
Ready for attracting your deal client? Take a closer look at your website and especially your Home and About page. Go through the text and try to read it from a client’s point of view. How are you describing:
- Your niche, or the problem of the client
- The solution you are offering to them
- The values that will convince them to buy from you
Need more help in marketing your creative business? Check out my services, or book a free call with me this week.
