Identifying your target market is critical to your online business success.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks people encounter when they try to do their own marketing is that they don’t know where to start.

The first step to marketing your business is knowing who you want to reach

It’s simple, really. Start by gaining a deep understanding of the people you want to reach — define your target market.

That information must come first. Before you write your tagline, choose your colors, or start to look at fonts, you must know who you’re aiming for.

Because if you don’t, your marketing will be scattered.

One piece may hit your target, but another will be way off.

And, more importantly, your ideal customer won’t know your business has a solution for them. Because your marketing won’t reach them.

Don’t spin your wheels — time is too precious!

Watch the video above and discover how to hone your ideal customer description. And read on to learn more about how to define your target market!

Is this a once-and-done deal?

Wouldn’t it be nice to think through your ideal customer avatar once and be done with it? But alas, that’s not the way it works.

In the early days, you may not have any real customers. If that’s your situation, you’ll need to make an educated guess about who will be most interested in what you plan to offer.

Get to know this “invisible customer” as well as you can. Then, stay curious.

In the future, as real, live customers show up and start interacting with your business, you can allow your perception of your ideal customer to grow and change.

And ideal customer description that’s based on actual customers will always be more accurate and helpful than one that’s based on a dream!

Reach your target market with beautiful branded images

The internet has become a visual medium. Images cut through the noise and communicate directly to your target market.

Branded images are more than just beautiful — good design is effective. Branded images help your prospective customer recognize you.

Images are processed faster than words in the human brain. You can make connections faster when you incorporate images in your online marketing strategy.

Check out my Image Resource Library for more free articles to help you create branded images.

The video above is part of my Classics: The Design 101 Series on my YouTube channel. Check out the whole playlist to help you with design.

While you’re there, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on any of the new videos I’m creating to help you grow your online business!