The question below came from a recent dialogue with a client on the subject of defining a target audience:

Q: If “20-something Sarah” is my target audience and I’m trying to help her, how will I help her if the only people in my community are her age? It feels like I need to identify a target audience of a variety of ages of people. Sarah would benefit from interacting with older individuals with more life experience. Maybe my target audience should be based more on the needs the community can fulfill and not necessarily an age. -Carol Kouba

A: I hear you, Carol. And I feel your confusion. No need for discouragement though because you are on the right path. Think about Sarah as your "ideal" customer. That doesn't mean you exclude other people from benefitting from your content. I like to call Sarah your "bullseye" target because we want to aim for the bullseye, knowing that we'll hit the bullseye only a fraction of the time. For all the misses, we will—at least—be in range. 

Take my brand for example. My ideal customer is an executive of a $300+ million company. Now, you do not fit that very specific profile, but that doesn't mean that you can't benefit from what I have to offer.

My bullseye is specific, my target is less specific. 

Powerful branding comes down to defining one person and speaking to that person as if it's a one-to-one conversation. That's the trick! You don't want to speak to an audience, you want to speak to one, single person. That's how you create indelible connections and develop real relationships. 

Your words become more precise.

Your ideas become more relatable.

Your offers become more meaningful.

My goal is for you is to visualize and converse with the people you really want to work with. Those who really need your magic to achieve greater health, happiness, wealth, etc. 

So speak to Sarah as if Sarah were the most important person in the world and—soon enough—others will follow.