How to Identify Your Ideal Customer and Write a Value Proposition That Gets Attention
January 20, 2025
7-minute read
KEY INSIGHTS:
We cannot market to “everyone” without paying for it in time, money, and confusion.
An ideal customer profile tells us who is worth our effort, and who is not.
A value proposition is not a slogan. It is a reason to choose you.
Clarity beats persuasion. Especially on your website and in your outreach.
Most of us have had that moment where we try to explain something we care about, and the other person just does not get it. You start talking faster, adding more details, and somehow it gets worse. Totally normal.
That is exactly what happens in marketing when we do not know who we are talking to yet. We end up saying a little bit of everything to everyone, because we do not want to exclude anyone. And then nobody feels like it is for them.
So if you are feeling stuck on today’s DIY Digital Marketing Guide action item (ideal customer and value proposition), you are not behind. You are just early in the process. This is the part where we get clarity, and clarity creates momentum.
The Difference Between “Target Audience”
and “Ideal Customer” (why we keep mixing them up)
When we say “target audience,” we usually mean a broad group. Like “authors” or “marketing managers” or “small business owners.”
But when we say “ideal customer,” we mean the specific kind of customer who is a great fit both ways.
They win because your product genuinely helps them.
You win because they buy, stay, refer, and do not drain your soul.
That matters more than ever in 2026 because attention is expensive and fragmented.
If we chase the wrong people, we build a business that feels busy but not profitable.
One stat I love because it is blunt: companies that regularly exceed revenue and lead goals are more likely
to use ideal customer profiles as a core part of their sales and marketing process.
Let’s Use an Author Example
(because this is where it gets real)
Say we are helping an author.
They just wrote a leadership book. They are excited. They want “everyone” to read it.
But “everyone” does not buy books the same way.
One reader is a first-time manager who needs practical scripts for hard conversations.
Another reader is a founder who wants mindset and decision-making frameworks.
Another reader is an HR leader buying in bulk for a training program.
Same book. Different reasons to care.
If we try to market to all of them at once, we end up with mushy messaging like “a book for anyone who wants to be a better leader.”
And nobody leans in.
So instead, we pick the best-fit buyer first and build outward.
That is how we get momentum without burning out.
Today’s Action Item: Identify The Customer
Group That Will Actually Buy
Here’s the simple framework we are going to use.
1. Know what we sell (like, really know)
We write down:
The main value we deliver
The problem we solve
Who benefits the most
What makes us different
If we cannot explain what we do in one sentence, our customers cannot either.
And that matters, because clarity is a conversion lever. Research shows that increasing clarity in a value proposition can significantly improve conversion outcomes.
2. Use the data we already have (even if it is messy)
If we have any customer history, we look for patterns:
Who was easy to sell to?
Who got results fast?
Who paid without drama?
Who referred someone?
Then we look at the opposite:
Who wanted everything customized?
Who stalled forever?
Who asked for discounts, trials, endless calls, and never bought?
We are not judging. We are protecting our future time.
3. Make sure the math works
This part is where founders get quietly wrecked.
We can love a customer and still realize the deal size, retention, or sales cycle does not match our goals.
For a B2B offer, this is the difference between selling a “big system” to a tiny team that cannot implement it,
versus selling the right system to the right-sized team.
Fit matters.
4. Research like a professional, not a hopeful person
We do three things:
Look at competitors and how they position themselves
Talk to real customers and ask why they chose us
Pay attention to the language people use when they describe the problem
The fastest way to waste months is to build messaging based on our own vocabulary instead of the customer’s.
Build The ICP First, Then The Buyer Persona
Quick definitions we can use:
Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): the type of company or customer segment that is the best fit.
Buyer persona: the decision-maker or user inside that ICP.
So for an author selling bulk book orders to organizations, the ICP might be:
Mid-size companies that invest in leadership training
Located in the US
Has a people ops function
Budget exists for learning and development
Then the buyer persona might be:
HR director
Learning and development manager
Chief of staff
This is why we do both. The company sets context. The person makes the decision.
And yes, we keep it simple at first. One strong persona beats five vague ones.
Now the fun part: Write The Value Proposition
That Makes Them Care
A value proposition answers three questions:
What do we do and who do we do it for?
What specific outcome do they get?
Why choose us instead of the other options?
It is not a slogan. It is not “best in class.” It is not “revolutionary.”
Here is the quotable insight for this section:
“If your value proposition could describe your competitor, it is not a value proposition.”
We want specificity that feels obvious to the right person.
A simple value proposition structure (steal this)
Headline: the main benefit
Two sentences: who it is for and what changes for them
Bullet points: proof, outcomes, or differentiators
Example for our author scenario:
Headline: Leadership training that people actually use on Monday.
Two sentences: A practical leadership book and toolkit for first-time managers who need scripts, structure, and confidence. Built for real workplace conversations, not theory.
Bullets: real examples, quick-start framework, team discussion prompts
Then we test it.
We do not “debate” it for weeks internally. We put it in front of the market and watch what gets responses.
Done is better than perfect.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
We do not need a bigger audience. We need a better match.
ICP tells us who is worth building for.
Personas tell us how to speak so people feel seen.
Value propositions work when they are specific, outcome-based, and clearly differentiated.
Momentum is clarity, systems, and synchronized strategy.
If you are doing this as today’s DIY Digital Marketing Guide task, keep it simple:
Pick one ideal customer segment
Pick one buyer persona inside it
Draft one value proposition using the structure above
If you want the full step-by-step system (including templates, examples, and how this connects to your website, email, and content), grab the DIY Digital Marketing Guide.
And if you want the big-picture explanation of how this plugs into an omnichannel system, watch our FREE workshop on building omnichannel digital marketing infrastructure.
Clarity first. Systems second. Synchronized strategy always.
