Reclaiming the Marketing “Client Avatar”

You don’t need an avatar. 

If you’re in any kind of entrepreneurial space, I know you’ve seen the concept of the “Client Avatar” floating around. And there are people who SWEAR by the avatar. 

They will tell you that you can’t market or sell anything without an avatar. 

But here’s what I’d like to offer you: That’s bullshit. 

It’s truly one (of many) of my least favorite holdovers from old-school advertising that has made its way into content marketing. 

OH! And something else I hate: 

STOP PUSHING ON PEOPLE'S PAIN POINTS! 

Seriously! You’re not going to walk around and poke a random stranger’s bruise. So stop falsely generating pain in your marketing in order to manipulate that painful emotional state. It’s gross. 

Ok, but back to the avatar. 

Back in the day, when there were five channels on TV, and everybody was watching the same shit at the same time, having an avatar was really helpful. Because it allowed a company to hone in on the vague generalities of demographics that would bring an extremely large audience together, they could evoke an amalgamation of those nonspecific commonalities to generate a caricature for the foundation of their storylines in commercials. 

Today, you need to get really fucking specific in order to land with your exact ideal client. Because vague generalities ain’t it. 

The options are limitless and we are not all watching the same thing. Ever. Let alone at the same time. 

So putting out marketing content that’s only vaguely connecting with your audience on the level of an amalgamated caricature means they’re going to scroll on past, IF the algorithm even drops you in their feed. 

You’ve got to get specific. 

Specificity is where people THINK an avatar is helpful. They think a generalized caricature is going to help you with specificity. (And, listen, if that works for you, great. Keep doing what you’re doing.)

But I’d like to offer you an alternative. 

When you’re creating your content — whether it’s written or spoken — talk directly to someone you know. 

Who in your life — past or present — could benefit from your message? ← Talk to THAT person. 

This may be a former co-worker. It may be your child. It may be your parent. It may even be a past version of yourself. (I often use “me 3 years ago” as my avatar alternative.)

Getting really specific with who you’re talking to allows your message to land for everyone with the same need, desire, or problem. Even if there are slight differences. Even if their demographics aren’t similar at all. 

It’s specificity, not generalizations, that makes your content land. So get specific. And drop the avatar. 

When you’re ready to get some assistance on the specificity of your offer, your ideal client, your messaging, and everything else that goes into your sales and marketing, I’d love to work with you. 

The curriculum for SellingU begins Wednesday, March 27. We have a lifetime community membership for a guided DIY approach. And we have an in-depth mastermind level for more individualized attention and support. 

Apply for a consult (not to gate-keep, but to tell me a little about your business so I have an idea of what you do when we get on the call), and we’ll get together on Zoom to go over details and get your questions answered. The application is at bit.ly/SellingU 

I look forward to seeing the specificity in your marketing evolve!