Getting to Know Your Dream Customer in Six Simple Steps
Are you all set to dive into the exciting world of paid ads? Or dabbling already? Awesome! Before you hit that 'Publish' button, let's talk about how you can use my favourite tools - Facebook, Instagram, Shopify, and Google Analytics - to build a killer audience profile that'll have your ads hitting the bullseye every time.
1. Get to Know Your Dream Customer
Picture this: your dream customer walks into a coffee shop. What do they look like? What's their vibe? Start by jotting down things like age, where they live, and what they're into. Basically, become a friendly stalker (in a totally legal way, of course!).
I also like to browse through free stock images on sites like pexels.com/ or unsplash.com to put a face to my dream customer.
2. Sneak a Peek with Google Analytics
Time to play detective! Log into your GA4 account and head over to the “User Attributes” section (under reports). Under the “Demographic details” tab you'll find some neat info about who's checking out your website - their age, gender, location, and even the gadgets they're using in the “Tech” section. It's like your own personal paparazzi shots (minus the fancy outfits).
Hot tip: Have a HUGE percentage of people who engage on mobile? Try optimising your paid ads to mobile-only placements to really maximise your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS).
3. Facebook's Crystal Ball - Audience Insights
Now, hop on over to Meta’s Business Suite. The “Insights” tab is a nifty tool that also spills the beans on your potential fans - what they like, what they're into, and what makes them tick. The “Audience” tab will give you a demographic breakdown, while the “Potential Audience” window will show you the top geographical areas to target and other pages that your audience follow (which can help with building an interest targeting list). The Benchmarking tab will also show you how your business is performing in relation to others in your category AND give you a list of businesses to watch (again, ideal for building your interest targeting lists).
4. Insta-Stalk Like a Pro
Got an Instagram Business account? Sweet! Check out Instagram Insights. It's like peeking into your followers' diaries. Find out when they're most active and what posts make them double-tap like crazy.
Insta’s insights are also great at indicating what sort of content your followers (and non-followers) engage with. Have an audience that LOVES a good reel? Your paid ads should be testing that same type of content to increase engagement and conversion.
5. Dive into Shopify Secrets
Log into Shopify and dig into the analytics. It's your backstage pass to see which products are flying off the shelves and where your customers are hanging out. You're like a data DJ, mixing and matching insights for the perfect tune. Having a look at product mix can help optimise paid ad campaigns by letting you know which products/collections need more ad spend, and which one’s need less. Got a product that flys off the shelf organically? Why pay to sell that product through ads?
The real nugget of gold in Shopify analytics though, is within the “Customer cohort analysis”. Understanding your customer journey and how often customers return to your site can help shape your paid ads strategy. Do the majority of your customers make a repeat purchase every month? Exclude purchasers for the past 30 days from your paid ad campaigns so you’re not wasting budget on people not ready to buy.
6. Launch and Learn
Okay, drum roll please! Once you’ve got an overall view of your dream client, you can launch your ads on Facebook and Instagram, targeting the cool audience profiles you've created with the data above. Keep an eagle eye on the numbers - likes, clicks, and the all-important conversions. If something's not jiving, don't sweat it. Tweak, test, and keep the good stuff rolling.
So there you have it - your very own audience profiling adventure! Remember, this isn't a one-time thing. Keep checking in, tweaking, and fine-tuning as you gather more data. You got this!