Finding clients is hard. Most times, businesses aren’t sure where to look, as it seems their ideal clients are hiding in different places and the task can be so daunting. The reason for this is too many businesses are vying for attention.
So, how do you find your clients?
The first thing you need to realise is that before we search far and wide, you must dig deep. The world has nearly 8 billion people, but that does not mean everyone wants or needs what you have to offer. An essential task that we need to tackle first is to identify your client. In other words, before you ask yourself where they are, you must first find out who they are. It all starts with the ideal client you want to work with.
Your ideal client can be identified by a large series of characteristics, demographics and personal preferences – but let’s keep it simple! To narrow your search, we can start by categorising the potential market in terms of generation or age.
[Download our free Workbook to identify your Ideal client and where to find them]
Here is a breakdown of each generation – and where to find them.
Generation Z (ages 10 to 24 years old)
Born between 1996 and 2010, Generation Zs have the most presence on social media. As a generation with an average of 3.5 hours of social media usage worldwide, digital technology has been a considerable part of their lives. They were growing up at a time when social media grew exponentially. Their era saw the birth of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to name a few. A highly connected group, 74% of Gen Zers spend their free time online. According to Pew Research, 95% of them have access to a smartphone.
This young generation is a powerful consumer group; if they can connect with a brand on a more personal level, they will become its avid followers. Gen Zers are also quick to start or jump on trends. They love putting themselves on visual platforms like TikTok or Snapchat, where they can be seen and connect with others. Although they are the group mostly online, they tend to use only a handful of platforms to be visible. Popular choices for them are TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Millennials (ages 25 to 39 years old)
Millennials are an interesting consumer group. As a generation born between 1981 to 1995, they are often misunderstood and perceived as the least dependable generation. But in truth, Millennials are now well into their adult lives. Growing up, millennials witnessed many remarkable events in history that shaped their views of the world, thus enabling them to actively shape the political and professional workforce. Their generation has seen the time before and after social media, and they have adjusted to it well. Millennials are an extremely digitally-savvy group. With an average of 3 hours of social media exposure daily across the world, Millennials can be seen engaging in more platforms compared to Gen Zers. We’re seeing usage spread across platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest. Millennials often go online to connect, stay updated on the latest news and trends and find inspiration for things they like to do.
Generation X (ages 40 to 55 years old)
A generation of well-established adults, the Gen Xers are born between 1966 to 1980. This generation witnessed a time when there were no social media, so that means they respond equally well to digital and print advertising. Gen Xers are at the point of their lives where they earn a higher-than-average income, making their spending as high as $2.4 trillion. Another notable characteristic of Gen Xers is their high brand loyalty and fondness for nicer things. This makes Gen Xers the powerful spenders, a perfect target for high-end luxury brands.
In terms of being on social media, Gen Xers are a fuss-free crowd. With an average daily screen time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, they gravitate towards Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with friends and family, fill their spare time, and read the news. They are often conservative in terms of sharing personal information online.
Baby Boomers (ages 54 to 74 years old)
Baby Boomers are an attractive demographic to market because they are in their peak earning years. In a study by US News in 2015, Boomers control 70% of disposable income. As a generation born between 1946 to 1965, this generation believes in hard work and saving well. They are an abundant, affluent and more tech-savvy group than you think.
You will often find Baby Boomers on Facebook connecting to friends and family. They also make use of search engines when looking up products. Despite a daily average screen time of 1 hour and 50 minutes worldwide, Boomers are often found to be more engaged in topics that interest them. They are also heavy TV watchers, so traditional ads are still an effective way to reach them. When reaching out to them, it’s important to emphasise text, as they grew up reading the full ad copy.
So there you have it! A simple starting point to find your ideal client based on generation!
Ready to dig a little deeper? Download our free “Your Ideal Client and Where to Find Them” workbook and define your star customer in detail!
We can start by categorising the potential market in terms of generation or age.
Written by
Shamal Wijeweera
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