Step by Step: How To Attract Your Ideal Client

If you’re a small business owner, you know this struggle all too well: finding and attracting your ideal client can feel like one of the hardest battles you’ll face.

But here’s the thing—you don’t need (and can’t possibly serve) everyone. When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up speaking to no one. The secret to growing your business with confidence? Get crystal clear on your ideal client and start serving them intentionally.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

• Why narrowing your audience actually helps you grow.
• How to define your ideal client (with actionable steps and questions).
• How building a client profile simplifies your branding, marketing, and sales process.

Let’s get started.

Narrow Your Market (No, You Can’t Serve Everyone)

One of the first lessons I teach my clients is this: you cannot appeal to everyone.

There’s a southern saying I love: “You could be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there will still be someone who doesn’t like peaches.”

The same goes for your business.

Trying to speak to everyone doesn’t just feel overwhelming—it alienates the very people who would love you most. Instead of creating something for your true audience, you end up watering down your message to please the masses.

Think about the brands you love most. Chances are, you don’t just love their products—you love:

• The way they make you feel.
• The way their message and vibe seem to speak directly to you.

Take Anthropologie, for example.

• Their branding is feminine, boho, and aspirational.
• Walking into their store feels like stepping into a curated dream—complete with their signature Volcano scent and rustic, yet luxurious design.
• Everything they do, from their messaging to their product placement, caters to one specific customer: a well-educated, style-conscious woman who values beauty in her everyday life.

And here’s the most important part: they don’t waste time trying to please everyone.

Anthropologie isn’t trying to appeal to bargain shoppers or fans of minimalism. They are unapologetically themselves, and they’ve built a cult following because of it.

Why Being Selective Helps You Grow

I know what you’re thinking: “If I narrow my audience, I’ll lose out on potential sales.”

But here’s the truth: when you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.

Great branding is about knowing exactly who you serve and creating experiences, products, and messaging that resonate deeply with that audience.

When you know your ideal client, you’ll:

• Attract a loyal audience who loves what you do.
• Make your marketing, product creation, and copywriting 10x easier.
• Build trust and connection faster because your message is clear and specific.

As Jeet Banerjee says:
“9/10 startups fail, which is a harsh reality in the world of entrepreneurship. However, I believe that such a high number of startups fail because they do not take the right steps necessary when building their business. The biggest challenge people have is building something that their target audience or niche really wants.”

By getting laser-focused on your audience, you’ll build a business that speaks to their wants, needs, and desires—and that’s what turns browsers into buyers.

Define Your Ideal Client (Step by Step)

Now that you know why narrowing your audience matters, let’s get to work.

Creating an ideal client profile will help you:

• Clarify your messaging.
• Make confident decisions about your brand and offers.
• Connect deeply with the people you want to serve.

Think of it like shopping for your best friend’s birthday gift. You know her likes, dislikes, and hobbies—so you can easily pick something that feels perfect. That’s what we want for your ideal client.

Questions to Build Your Ideal Client Profile

Start by answering these questions:

1. Why did I start my business in the first place?
   • What need or problem am I solving?
2. Who was I trying to help when I first started?
   • Who were you creating this solution for?
3. What do my best clients have in common?
   • Think about the clients who have invested in you and loved the process. What similarities do they share?
4. What do my worst clients have in common?
   • Be honest. Who drained your energy, and why? This helps you know who to avoid.
5. Is my ideal client like me? A friend?
   • If yes, describe them as specifically as possible. If no, think about what motivates them.

Once you have basic answers to these questions, go deeper.

For example:

• What does your ideal client do on a Sunday morning?
• What keeps them up at night?
• What kind of brands, TV shows, or media do they love?

If you don’t know these details yet, ask! Poll your audience on Instagram, run surveys, or take your favorite clients out for coffee to get their insights.

How Anthropologie Defines Their Ideal Client

Here’s what Anthropologie says about their target audience:

“We have one customer, and we know exactly who she is. Ask anyone at Anthropologie who that customer is, and they can rattle off a demographic profile: 30 to 45 years old, college or post-graduate education, married with kids or in a committed relationship, professional or ex-professional. But those dry matters of fact don’t suffice to flesh out the living, breathing woman most Anthropologists call ‘our friend.’ She’s well-read and well-traveled. She’s urban-minded. She’s into cooking, gardening, and wine. She has a natural curiosity about the world. She’s relatively fit.”

The takeaway? Specificity builds connection.

Anthropologie knows their ideal client so well, they’ve built an entire experience—stores, products, messaging—that feels like it was made for her.

How I Help Clients Define and Attract Their Ideal Client

At Liberty Type, I’ve built my business on strategy before beauty. That means helping my clients get clear on who they serve first—so every decision, from colors to copy, is aligned with their audience.

If you’re struggling to nail down your ideal client, start here:

• Answer the questions above.
• Pay attention to your best clients and what they have in common.
• Get specific about what your audience loves, values, and needs.

Final Thoughts: Be Unapologetically Yourself

The brands that thrive aren’t trying to please everyone—they’re focused, intentional, and unapologetically themselves.

When you know who your ideal client is, you can create products, messaging, and experiences that make them feel seen, understood, and valued.

So here’s your challenge: stop trying to be everything to everyone. Start showing up for your people.

Your ideal clients are waiting. Let’s go find them.