It’s a wedding industry buzz word for sure: ideal client. But do you really know what it means? Or better yet, do you know why you should even care? The infamous ideal client, we hear this term thrown about in Facebook groups and networking meetings, but what does it really mean? When you’re building a wedding planner business—let’s be real—you’re not going to be too particular about who hires you. To get a few weddings under your belt, you might be willing to sell your soul or first unborn child (okay, maybe not to that extreme, but close).
Defining Your Ideal Wedding Client
I even bet your first few clients will/are wedding management couples. Or couples who literally only hire you for the day (that’s a whole lotta hot mess right there). But what if I told you it could be different? Would you believe me? Niching down your wedding planner clientele is best way to attract your dream clients right from the very beginning.
1. The Misconception
First, I want to clarify a common misconception about creating a client avatar. This exercise gets swept under the rug sometimes because new planners think that this idea is too restrictive and will only limit themselves. That’s not what this exercise is doing at all, though it may seem like that at first. What it is actually doing is helping you focus your precious time and energy on creating content for your target market. If your ideal client loves puppies, then posting monkey pictures isn’t going to get any engagement on Instagram—get what I’m saying?
2. Branding
Figuring out your wedding planning company “brand” is of the first steps you must complete. But before you can even think of brand colors or fonts, you need to figure out who you’re branding to. We do this by creating a client avatar. A client avatar will help you choose the right brand colors, fonts, and images. If your client avatar loves hot pink, then you should seriously consider using hot pink in your logo or brand colors. You can’t be everyone to everyone, so why try? Instead, be everything to one person.
3. Marketing
When you know who your target market is (puppy-loving hot pink enthusiast), you cut down on your marketing efforts substantially. You no longer waste tons of time creating content and posting cute monkey pictures with teal nail polish—your bride doesn’t want to see that (hot pink puppies, please and thank you). Knowing what’s going to get your fans to engage with you makes for the best marketing strategy. And since you’re the one who designed your ideal client, you have the inside scoop on what they want!
4. Client Relationship
By knowing what your clients want and like, you can create far better relationships with them. You know what they value and because of that, you can give it to them with ease. Perhaps they value time management. If that’s the case, then you would create timely checkpoints throughout your process to give them reassurance. This is not about gift giving; I’m not a big believer in that. This is about creating value so your client feels like they’ve got the ultimate wedding guide—you! Gifts only provide short-lived value. Creating a client experience, that’s considered creating long-term value—and that’s how referrals are made!
Conclusion
Knowing who your ideal client is right from the beginning will save you so much time, money, and effort! Take your time with this exercise and be sure really dig deep. If you need guided assistance, check out our workbook.
