If you’re starting an online business or even if you’ve been in business for a while but things aren’t quite clicking, you might feel overwhelmed by everything you need to do—building a website, booking a brand photoshoot, posting daily on Instagram, creating content, growing your audience, and figuring out the tech. The list feels endless! I see this happen all the time, especially with newer business owners and women transitioning from a 9-to-5 into entrepreneurship.
Just last week, I spoke to one of my clients, who is in the process of leaving her corporate job to start her business. She asked for feedback on her website—what to change, how to optimize it, and how to make it look more professional. But my response was probably not what she expected: I told her to forget about the website for now! Forget crafting the perfect tagline, batching Instagram content, or booking a brand photoshoot. Because before any of that, there is one thing you absolutely must get right—your ideal client clarity. If you don’t have clarity on your ideal client, everything else—your website, your content, and your offers—won’t be as effective.
Welcome to the Business Mindset Style Podcast
This is a show for women in business who want to make an impact, grow a profitable online business, and live a life filled with freedom and fulfillment. I’m Nina Walder, your host, and I can’t wait to dive into today’s episode!
The Foundation of Your Business Success
If you want to have the highest chance of success in your business, this is where you start. Knowing exactly who you help and what you help them with is the foundation of everything. Before you focus on Instagram posts, website design, or offer creation, you need extreme clarity on your ideal client.
Why is this so important? If you have a general message, a general offer, and speak to everyone, you will struggle to grow your audience, attract clients, and stand out in the crowded online space. You might think that by casting a wide net, you’ll attract more clients. But in reality, the opposite is true.
Why You Must Niche Down
A broad message like “I’m a life coach for anyone looking for guidance” or “I help people feel more confident” is too vague. If you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’re actually speaking to no one. People won’t resonate with your content because it doesn’t feel like it was made specifically for them.
Instead, imagine saying: “I help women over 50 navigate a new chapter in their lives after their kids leave for college and they want to rediscover their purpose.” That level of specificity makes people feel seen and understood.
When someone reads your content and thinks, “Wow, it’s like she knows exactly what I’m going through”, that’s when they start to trust you. And when they trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you.
Step 1: Identify Your Ideal Client
If you’re just starting out, you may not be 100% sure who your ideal client is. That’s okay! The first step is making an educated hypothesis.
Often, your ideal client is you a few years ago—someone who has faced the challenges you’ve already overcome. You understand their struggles, fears, and desires because you’ve been in their shoes.
For example, when I started my first online business 12 years ago, I was helping people get into top business schools because I had gone through that exact process myself. Later, when I transitioned into styling, I knew my ideal client was a professional woman struggling with how to dress confidently—because I had been that woman too!
Step 2: Talk to Real People
Once you have an idea of your ideal client, don’t assume you know exactly what they need—go out and talk to them! Have conversations with at least 10–15 potential clients (ideally 20–30). Ask them:
- What are your biggest struggles?
- What are you most afraid of when it comes to [your niche]?
- What would be a dream solution for you?
These conversations will give you insights into the exact words and phrases your audience uses to describe their problems. This is gold because you’ll use this language in your marketing to make your message resonate.
Step 3: Use AI for Additional Insights
While real conversations are invaluable, tools like ChatGPT can also help refine your ideal client profile. By using well-crafted prompts, you can uncover more details about your client’s struggles, desires, and the messaging that will resonate most.
To help you with this, I’ve created a proven ChatGPT prompt that will: ✔ Identify your ideal client’s pain points and desires ✔ Help you create messaging that resonates instantly ✔ Generate a month’s worth of Instagram content tailored to your audience
And the best part? You can get this for free! Just go to nina.com/prompt and download it instantly.
Final Thoughts
Your ideal client should always be at the center of your business decisions. Whenever you create content or offers, ask yourself:
- Would my ideal client see this and immediately feel like it’s for them?
- Am I using the exact words and phrases they use?
- Is my offer solving a specific pain point they have?
Once you nail your who and your what, everything else—your content, your offers, and your business growth—becomes much easier.
I hope this episode helped bring clarity and motivation! Don’t forget to download my free ChatGPT prompt at ninawalder.com/prompt to refine your ideal client and start attracting dream clients on Instagram.
If you loved this episode, take a screenshot and share it on Instagram—tag me @NinaWalder so I can reshare it! And if you found value in this, I’d appreciate it if you could rate and review this podcast on iTunes.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you in the next episode!
— Nina
