You sell unique clothing, scarves, one-of-a-kind jewelry, food; or a service like henna designs, hair styling, Islamic wedding coordinator, graphic design, etc. Without customers you don’t have a business. You already know that. The big question that needs answering is: who is your target market?
If you answer “the Muslim community,” or “Muslimahs” that’s not a good enough answer. When you focus on the products/services you provide to the Muslim community, you may assume that you have already narrowed down your target market, after all Muslims are a pretty easy bunch to nail down using characteristics like modest, hijab and halal, but our ummah (Muslim community) is really much more diverse. Let’s assume for arguments sake you are selling clothing for sisters. Here is a list of examples to show the diversity that exists among female Muslims:
- Wears hijab
- Wears niqab
- Doesn’t cover
- Wears only abayas & jilbabs
- Wears only western style clothing
- Moms (first time)
- Career women
- Students
- Mothers with growing family
- Grandmothers
- Business owners
- Fashion conscious
- Stay-at-home moms
- Working moms
- Home schooling moms
- Married
- Single
- Divorced
- Urban
- Expiate
- Sports/exercise
This is only a sample of the many different markets among women in the ummah.
You can’t be all things to everyone. It’s best to zero in on your target market, do some research and come up with your ideal customer. From there speak your message promoting what you sell directly to her, one-on-one as if you were having a conversation with a good friend. Remember that people will buy from you for three main reasons:
- To meet a basic need
- Solve a problem
- To make themselves feel good
You have to figure out which category your product/service falls into and market the benefits accordingly. Here are three action steps you can take to make sure that you are focusing on your target audience:
#1 Review Your Product/Service Content
- What product/service do you sell?
- Do you have a website?
- List the features of your product/service.
- List the benefits of your product/service.
# 2 Uncover the Character Traits of Your Target Market?
- Think about your ideal customer. What are her interests?
- What are her key beliefs?
- What are her goals?
- What are her hobbies?
- What’s her biggest challenge(s)?
- While you target market spend money on what you’re offering? Why?
#3 Develop your USP (Unique Selling Position)
- Come up with a list of at least three of your competitors. What makes them special in your market?
- List complaints you target market has with your competition.
- List 20 things a customer might say to describe your product/service.
Initially it may seem like you’re limiting your profit potential by narrowing your focus, but what you’ll really be doing is targeting the people most prepared to buy the products/services you offer.
photo credit: DanDeChiaro
This is excellent advice for any business owner! When I ask my clients who their target audience is, they often respond with “Everyone”. In my opinion, when you target everyone, you reach no one. This is particularly true when you are talking about marketing your business online. You absolutely must differentiate your products or services in order to rise above the noise.
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This is great advice for everyone, regardless of culture. I think anyone who targets a particular culture (or even age group) of which they’re a part too often stereotypes them based on their own characteristics. It’s a slippery slope and one that could damage your business. I think everyone should go through this exercise with their business. Great blog!
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Thank you Heather and Laura for your kind comments. I remember this was a big problem for me when I started my business. Even once I realized that I needed to identify my target market, I had no idea of where to start. It helps me to have steps that force me to take action, so I hope this is helpful.
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[...] mentioned the importance of identifying your target market once before in another post. When you have a profile of your exact customer(s), promoting your [...]
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found your site on del.icio.us today and really liked it.. i bookmarked it and will be back to check it out some more later
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