You don’t know your customer

You aren’t niche enough

Let’s take the example of Esa who, ostensibly has a kids clothing brand: conscious kids. They make sweatshirts, pyjamas, and leggings for children made from organic cotton, with bright dinosaur prints.

Esa came to me concerned that she needed to diversify because the brand wasn’t doing great. But she hadn’t really niched down.

Understanding your customers and your market is everything if you want to sell to them. Even if it doesn’t get much engagement on socials. Everyone is always watching, so please don’t post a photo of yourself having a cuppa musing about the day. That’s for your friends, not your brand account.

Using the example of Esa, her brand is a bit vague. Yes the products are made from organic cotton, but she doesn’t shout about it enough in the right way, so customers don’t really know that, and it’s not interesting enough (presented in a visually stunning way) to make someone buy.

Equally, she didn’t target the parents of kids who are obsessed with dinosaurs. Think about the natural history museum, sites where kids explore beaches looking for fossils and university stores. Lecturers have children, the Jurassic coast is brimming with kids desperate to find a piece of lost history. And if there’s a brightly coloured Quetzalcoatlus on their sweatshirt? They’re the coolest kids in class.

What’s also missing is the detail:

How soft is it?

How do the clothes come out after a few washes?

What about stains - easy to remove or do they affect the cotton?

And most importantly, are they breathable and warm? We’re in the UK after all and the UK and EU is her market.

Forget influencers, for most small businesses, that’s another cost, so it’s your job to do the most with what you have: your website and social media.

For Esa, she didn’t realise that her customers are Millennials and older, obsessed with natural fibres who adore both sustainability and design. Heavy on the and. Design includes function, aesthetic and hardiness. If it rips after one wash that’s not great.

Therefore, Esa needs to speak to Millennials and older: what are they buying outside of clothing for their little ones and why. What are their values?

That is how you identify your customers, you get to know them, and unfortunately, Esa didn’t know hers.