Create a Customer Profile That Wins Customers with these 3 things

A customer profile helps you understand your customers. And develop marketing strategies to target them. Your customer profile serves as the roadmap for decision-making in your business.

Keep reading this article to learn how to create your ideal customer profile. And advance your marketing tactics.

Your customer profile is an embodiment of your target audience. Created to help you make better business and marketing decisions.

But before we delve into the details about how to create your customer profile, you need to know who your target audience is. If you don’t know yet or are unsure read my article about how to do a target market analysis. In it you will find all the information you need to decide who your target audience is.

A customer profile includes detailed information about your target audience.

There are three things included in a customer profile; consumer culture, lifecycle & social status, and psychographics.

But there is much more incorporated in each of these three factors. And you need to consider all of them when creating your customer profile. In this article I will outline the important factors that affects what decisions a consumer makes:

Defining your customer profile with demographics
Lifecycle & social status influences on your customer profile
- The different stages of your customer’s life
- Social status indicates behavior
Your ideal customer profile’s psychographics
Creating your ideal customer profile

How a customer buys varies based on many different factors. Before we delve deeper into how certain criteria affects how the customer buys I recommend you read up on the consumer decision making process to reap the benefits of this article.

Defining your customer profile with demographics

The basis of your customer profile will be the demographics of your target customer. These help you define your target group and lay the foundation of your customer profile. Demographic factors should not be your sole consideration when creating a customer profile. But they are important to help set the range of customers that you want to target. And they are the most tangible elements to help you when communicating your offer.

The demographic factors you need to consider in your ideal customer profile are:

Generation
Gender
Geographic location

Generational differences between consumers

Does age really matter?

When growing a business and learning who your customer is, age does matter. People of the same age usually are going through the same life experiences. And they have similar references from their upbringing. This does not mean that everyone in the same age group are part of your customer group.

But understanding the four most significant generations and the differences between them can help you create your ideal customer profile.

Baby Boomers

The people born between 1946 and 1964 are baby boomers, because there was a baby boom during this period of time. 78 million people were born during these years, making the boomers one of the most influential generations. Many boomers are still working and have a large buying power. They are recently discovering their way onto social media. While not creating that much content, they do consume much content on social media. Although, they prefer shopping in-store or on their computers. Not in their smart phone.

Generation X

Generation X are people born between 1965 and 1979, is a generation that is often forgotten. They come in between the baby boomers and millennials that both receive much of businesses attention. Generation X are in the midst of family and work. They are often known for wanting a work-life balance. They are also characterized as being resourceful and independent. Generation X still uses traditional mediums such as TV, radio and newspaper to some extent. But they are moving more and more to the equivalent sources online. Social media is part of most of the generation Xs lives. The main platform being Facebook, where they are very active.

Millennials

Born during 1980 to 1994 millennials are media and tech savvy consumers because they grew up during the birth of the Internet. Due to high real estate prices and large student debts, many millennials are not homeowners yet. And a large portion still struggle financially. During and after the pandemic they have started to move out of the bigger cities to be able to find more affordable homes. Shopping online to save time and money is part of the millennials every-day life. Scrolling through social media to find inspiration and to buy products as well.

Gen Z

Gen Z is the generation born from 1995 to 2010. Growing up in an era of constant technological innovations, this group is constantly connected. Using their smartphones for most purchases either on mobile e-commerce sites, in apps or on social media. Sometimes the Gen Z are thought to be anti-social or tech addicted. But as the most ethnically diverse generation in the US they engagecin social justice, politics and the environment.

If you want to learn more about each generation check out this great article that goes more into detail.

Your customer’s gender

Gender has always been use to divide consumers into two groups: male and female. And often gender has a play in someone’s behavior, attitudes and traits. But as we move to a more liberal society these lines become more blurred. Where gender is not as much the biological state as how a person identifies.

Gender still plays an important role when you want to create your customer profile. Consider if your product targets “traditional” gender roles. Or if your ideal customer identifies with newer gender roles. The view of gender roles is usually tied to generation as well. Where baby boomers have a more conservative view of gender roles. Whereas Gen Zs are more likely to identify with a different gender than male and female, such as transgender or non-binary.

Geographical location separates customer profiles

Where a person lives has a major impact on how they behave, where they shop, their activities, interests and opinions. Region is one of the most significant factors when it comes to a consumer’s culture.

Urban, small-town & rural consumers

If you think about the typical person living in a big city. You will characterize them as busy, modern, with an office job. Living in an apartment and walking or talking public transportation to work. While if you characterize the typical small town person. They are down-to-earth, friendly people enjoying a quiet life close to family, taking the car wherever they go.

Where your customers live in terms of a city, suburb, small town or a rural area is important to consider when identifying your ideal customer profile. The urban consumer might rush in to a store during lunch to pick up something. While the rural consumer has to drive a long distance to the nearest store. Something as simple as the means of transportation affect your customers’ behavior. And, thus, how they buy from you.

Region

Not only does the size of the city your target customers live in play a role in how they act. But where in the country – or where in the world – is also significant for their behavior. People in the US have a different culture, needs and behavior than people in China or Germany. While it might be obvious that different countries have different cultures. There are also important distinctions within the US. Or whichever country you have your customer base in.

People in California and Hawaii might enjoy surfing, while people in Colorado or Utah likes skiing. The type of lifestyle people live in different states and cities also varies and plays a role in what and how they buy.

You need to consider local differences when defining your ideal customer profile. This is especially important if you sell products online to different regions. You have to consider the different preferences that your customers have to be able to appeal to all regions.

Lifecycle & social status influences on your customer profile

The second part in defining your ideal customer profile regards lifecycle and social status. Where a person is in life, if they have a family, their income level and education affects how they make decisions. And ultimately how they are going to perceive your products or services.

You need to include what lifecycle your ideal customer is in. And their social status to create a useful customer profile.

The different stages of your customer’s life

While age and generation have certain influences on where a person is in life – not all people of the same age will be at the same life stage. That is why it is important to consider lifecycle or life stage to get to know your customer better. And to be able to tailor the experience to them.

There are many stages that a person goes through and not everyone follows a traditional path. But below you will find the major lifecycle stages that differentiates groups and their behavior.

Student

Whether they are still living at home, or in a dorm with roommates, students have a special lifestyle. They have limited income and major expenses due to tuition and other school related fees, making them very price sensitive. Spending their time studying hard and usually partying hard, their needs and priorities differ from other consumer groups.

Young professional

Recently graduated and working their first job. Or in the height of building their career before settling down. Either way the young professionals focus on work. But also on friends and enjoying a single lifestyle. Financially they are fairly well-off but trying to save up to be able to buy a home in the future.

DINK

Double Income No Kids or DINK are couples without children that are enjoying the benefits of two incomes. Without kids and sharing living expenses DINK consumers have stress free lives with high buying power. They have a good work-life balance, able to spend time with each other, friends and family and go on vacations. They are not worried about money and can buy most things they want.

Family with children

Families with children have stressful lives, trying to make the everyday life work. With high expenses, families value time, convenience and bulk, low cost alternatives. They value anything that can help make life easier. These consumers do not have much time for themselves and will prioritize their children’s needs above their own.

Single parent

If life for families with kids is hard, then the life of a single parent is even harder. Costs are higher and income is lower. And taking care of children alone, while working is a difficult task. Single parents struggle to make ends meet. And price will be the determinant factor in any buying decision.

The Empty Nest

When the children are grown up, gone to college or moved out the parents have an empty nest. The parents are experiencing more free time and lower expenses again. With the parents still working they are once more able to enjoy the DINK benefits. And they have more time to spend their money on activities, restaurants and vacations.

Retired

When consumers retire they once again change their buying habits significantly. Without as high income they have less money to spend. But at the same time they have much more time on their hands. These consumers want to enjoy the good years they have left together with family and friends. Often joining different communities of individuals in the same position.

The various stages a consumer goes through in their life affects what their needs are. Not everyone will follow the typical stages described above. But they can give you an indication on what your ideal customers want based on where they are in life. And that can help you figure out how to better reach them with your offer.

Social status indicates behavior

Social class might be a controversial topic. But status and hierarchies in a society nonetheless affects how someone buys. And you need to consider this when defining your ideal customer profile. Consumers in the same social class usually share the same characteristics, values and lifestyle. Social class is typically based on factors such as income level, education and occupation. And is linked to social status.

Or more specifically consumers’ own perception of their social status. Some consumers strive to be part of and identified as a different social class. And therefore spend accordingly. A typical example is people who want to be perceived as rich and buy luxury brands and expensive cars. When they cannot afford it.

Social classes are by no means a guide to how everyone in that group behaves. They are more like loose affiliations that can imply certain behavior.

The most common definition of social class and their distinctions are:

Upper class

People in the upper class is usually associated with lush lifestyles. Status symbols like designer brands, expensive cars and luxury real estate, are important to this group. They have a high spending habit and value quality over price. They usually spend more time researching their purchases than other groups. And they also save and invest a large part of their money.

Middle class

While the middle class consists of a wide range of people with various characteristics, they have some traits in common. Most of them are white-collar workers with college education. Aspiring to move up on the ladder and retire with comfort. While they want to save money – it is usually short term. To spend on vacations or larger purchases.

Working class

The working class consists of blue collar workers. People in this group spend most of their income – but try to save to gain more financial stability. They are more financially conscious. And they base their purchases on the price of the product, as opposed to quality or features. Many bulk shop in discount stores and they tend to research less before their purchases.

Social class in combination with lifecycle stage can in say much about a consumer’s behavior. Think about who your ideal customer is and which groups they belong to. If you are targeting upper class families they are bound to think and behave different from a working class single parent. And that affects how they see and value your products.

Your ideal customer profile’s psychographics

Most people might think that demographic factors like age and gender create a customer profile. These factors, like I have discussed above, indicate behavior and purchasing patterns. But the most important factor, that is often forgotten or overlooked by smaller businesses, is psychographics.

Psychographics are the values, personality and lifestyle of a consumer. These lay the vital foundation of what a consumer wants and needs. And ultimately how, when and what they are going to buy. That is why you need to include these elements when creating your ideal customer profile.

Your customer’s values

Values are abstract beliefs about what is important, if something is good or bad, or right or wrong. The values that a customer has will therefore decide what they want to buy. If someone grows up in a very health conscious family, learning that candy is bad and wrong. And they share that value. They are more prone to not like candy and therefore not buy it when they grow up.

More abstract, if someone values freedom, courage and spontaneity. They are more likely to travel and explore new things. While a person who values security and responsibility is more likely to secure a stable job in their home town.

There is an infinite number of values. But below are some values you can consider when creating your customer profile.

Health
Materialism vs. minimalism
Social justice/equality
The environment
Authenticity
Comfortability vs. pleasure seeking
Youth
Family
Individualism/freedom
Security

Thinking in terms of these values can help you understand your target audience better. And create a customer profile that you can adapt your offer to.

Personality affects how your customer buys

Even if two people have the same values they might act different when it comes to buying a product. Your customers’ personalities decide how they act in certain situations. And how they react to your marketing or communications attempts.

Imagine a very calm and shy person answering a telemarketing call. They are polite and listen to the entire sales pitch until they respectfully decline at the end of the call. While an assertive and outgoing person immediately starts a discussion and argue with the salesperson.

Therefore, you need to consider your target customer’s personality when designing your customer profile. That will help you understand them better. And create targeted messages adapted to this personality type. Knowing your target audience’s personality type can also help with your branding. When developing your brand, you can create a brand personality that correlates to your customers’ personality. To learn more about this, you should read my article about how to build a brand. And specifically the brand personality section.

How do you know your target audience’s personality?

Personality can be categorized in many ways. There are many different types of personality tests out there. And you probably know of some of them like Myers-Briggs.

But there five big personality traits that has an impact on buying decisions. And that can help you define your customer profile.

Openness: creative, imaginative, adventurous, and open to learning and new experiences.
Agreeableness: kind, helpful, altruistic with high empathy towards others.
Conscientiousness: thoughtful, organized, analytical, goal-directed with high impulse control.
Extraversion: social, talkative, expressive and assertive – where the opposite is introversion.
Neuroticism: sad, anxious and emotional instability with low stress tolerance.

All these personality traits are on a spectrum from high to low. And based on where your target audience is on each spectrum they are inclined to act a certain way. You should consider what type of person you want to target and define this in your ideal customer profile.

How lifestyle impacts your customer profile

Finally, the last factor that influences your customer, to include in your customer profile, is lifestyle. Depending on what type of lifestyle a consumer lives – or wants to live – they will act different. What your customer does in their spare time is a good indicator to what needs and wants they have. And will help you develop an attractive offer.

Lifestyles include interests and activities. If your customer is interested in fashion and likes online shopping, they will shop for clothes online. If your customer like outdoor activities and goes camping in their spare time, they will need camping gear.

Think about what interests your ideal customer has and what activities they enjoy. Even if your product is not linked to an activity or interest, it can help you in your communication. If your target audience spends time on social media – that is a good place to market your product.

Lifestyles are interlinked with needs and purchasing behavior. And you need to consider what activities and interests to include in your customer profile.

Activities can be:

Work
Hobbies
Social events
Travel & vacations
Different types of entertainment
Sports or exercise
Involvement in communities
Shopping

Interests can be:

Home
Family
Job/business
Fashion
Beauty
Food
Media
Politics
Sports

Some things can be both an activity and an interest, like sports. You can enjoy the activity of playing hockey. And you can be interested in hockey and follow every game.

Putting together the values, personality and lifestyle of your target customer will make your customer profile clear and unique. The next step is to put all the different factors discussed together and create your ideal customer profile.

Creating your ideal customer profile

Now you know about the different factors to include in your customer profile. Let’s put all these together and create the actual profile.

As a small business you will most likely target a niche segment. Because of that you want to start with demographic factors to narrow down your target audience. And then you can dive deeper into the lifecycle, social status and psychographics of your ideal customer.

Create a document in PowerPoint, Canva or your preferred tool. Then start filling out the information about all the above mentioned categories. I usually even include a picture and a name of my customer profile, to really get a sense of the type of person I am targeting.

To recap all the categories to include in your customer profile:

Demographics
- Generation
- Gender
- Geographic location
  - Type of location
  - Region
Lifecycle & social status
- Lifecycle stage
- Social class
Psychographics
- Values
- Personality
- Lifestyle
  - Interests
  - Activities

After completing your customer profile you have a clear picture of your target audience. Your customer profile helps you keep your target audience in mind when making business decisions. It is especially important when you are developing your offer, your sales channels and in all market communications.

To learn more about how to adapt your offer and communicate based in your new customer profile you might want to read:

If you liked this article please share it with a friend. And good luck on creating your customer profile!

I'm Emma Ellinor

I’m a digital marketer, project manager and retail analyst.

For the past 7 years I have immersed myself into the field of marketing and management. I am on a mission to inspire more women to take their business to the next level. By sharing my journey to escape the 9-5 trap along with useful marketing, time management and small business tips.