Getting Clear on Your Clients (and What It Really Takes to Understand Them)
Getting clear on your clients is one of the most important parts of marketing. It’s also one that most misunderstood.
Many business owners think knowing their client means having a few demographics written down somewhere like their age, location, job title, and income, and while those things can be helpful, they barely scratch the surface of what it actually means to understand the people you’re marketing to.
When you truly understand your clients, your content gets easier to create, your messaging becomes clearer, and your marketing starts to feel more natural. You stop guessing. You stop forcing ideas.
You start showing up with intention.
Why Most Businesses Struggle With Client Clarity
If client clarity feels hard to you, don’t worry! You’re not the only one. Most businesses struggle here for a few reasons.
1. It’s hard to step outside your own perspective.
You know your business so well that it’s easy to assume your audience understands it the same way you do.
2. Many business owners build from instinct rather than research.
They market to who they want their client to be, not necessarily who is actually buying or engaging.
3. Client clarity isn’t a one-time exercise.
As your business grows, your audience will also evolve. What worked one year ago might feel off the next.
What “Knowing Your Client” Actually Means
Knowing your client goes far beyond surface-level information.
Surface-level details might include:
Age
Location
Job title
Industry
Those details help with targeting, but they don’t help much with connection.
Deeper client understanding is where strategy really lives. That includes:
The problem they’re actively trying to solve
What frustrates them about their current situation
What they’re afraid of wasting (time, money, energy)
What makes them hesitate before committing
What finally makes them feel confident enough to say yes
You’re marketing to decisions. Understanding how and why those decisions are made is what makes your marketing work.
How to Actually Get Clear on Your Clients
This is the part most people want to skip, but it’s also the part that changes everything. Don’t skip it!
1. Start With Your Current Clients
The easiest place to begin is with the people who have already chosen you.
Look at:
Who has booked or purchased
What they have in common
What stage of business or life they’re in
What initially brought them to you
Your best insights usually already exist.
2. Listen More Than You Talk
Client clarity comes from listening, not guessing.
Pay attention to:
Emails and DMs
Discovery calls
Comments on your posts
Reviews or testimonials
Notice the words your clients use. The phrases they repeat. The questions they ask more than once. Their language should eventually become your language in your marketing.
3. Look for Patterns, Not Outliers
Not every piece of feedback should drive your strategy.
Instead of focusing on one-off opinions, look for patterns:
Repeated concerns
Shared goals
Common hesitations
Similar frustrations
Strategy is built on patterns. That’s how you avoid constantly pivoting or second-guessing yourself.
4. Understand Where They’re Stuck
Ask yourself:
What’s keeping them from moving forward right now?
What feels confusing or overwhelming to them?
What have they already tried that didn’t work?
When you understand where your clients feel stuck, your content can meet them there. That’s when your messaging starts to feel like a conversation instead of a broadcast.
How Client Clarity Changes Your Marketing
Once you’re clear on your clients, everything with marketing gets easier.
Your content ideas come faster because you’re not starting from scratch each time.
Your messaging feels more natural because you’re speaking in words your audience already uses.
Your audience feels seen and understood, which builds trust.
You attract better-fit clients who align with your values and expectations.
Marketing stops feeling loud or forced and starts feeling intentional.
And maybe most importantly, you stop guessing what to post.
Getting clear on your clients is about understanding them well enough to serve them thoughtfully.
When your marketing is rooted in real understanding instead of assumptions, showing up feels easier.
Your strategy will feel stronger and your business grows in a way that feels aligned instead of chaotic.
Hope this helps! See you next week.
🍊 L
