How to build your client avatar to improve your sales and marketing strategies (expat language school edition)
One of the most overlooked aspects of online content is the client avatar (also called buyer persona). The client avatar is a representation of your students and what they need to read or see in order to be persuaded.
The key is to build a full profile of your potential student, their interests, what they like and don't like, their pain points - the whole deal. And then you can come up with content that's tailored specifically for them. Which will ultimately improve your conversion rates and sales in general.
This way you can be sure that you're not just sending out generic content that nobody wants to read or see. One of the best ways to ensure this is to make the content as personalized and targeted as possible. Personalizing the content can help ensure that it is specific to a particular person or audience, and by including keywords relevant to them, you can increase the likelihood of them clicking on your post. And that’s when your client avatar comes in hand!
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What is a client avatar and why you need one
Client avatars are representations of a company's target customer. They help marketers understand what the customer needs, wants, and desires.
Since many schools work with different customers, they need to create multiple client avatars. This helps them understand the differences of their students and create lessons that satisfy more people.
It's important to understand that your customers are no longer just buying a language course; they are buying the experience. A customer wants to know who they are buying from and what they stand for. What do they believe in and why should I trust them? The bottom line is that you need to create a client avatar to know what he or she will resonate with and to show those values via the content you’re producing, the way you interact with them, etc.
A customer's decision to purchase is as much about the course that is purchased, but also about the emotional and sentimental value that is attached to it. Understanding and meeting these needs help schools and tutors connect with customers on a deeper level.
Schools need to understand the needs of their students and meet them with customized products. That’s why you should ask your students in-depth questions about their learning goals, schedule, and other elements before you offer a service.
If a student is taking an exam for work just for example, they can't use Skype or any other form of video call. The school has to offer classes in person at times that are convenient for the student.
As you can see - successful schools are those who know what their students want before they even know it themselves. They are more likely to keep their customers happy than schools who don't do as much research into consumer needs.
“Just as in any great relationship, it’s important for schools to understand what their customer wants and needs, while also being honest about themselves.”
Here's a list of things for you to think about when designing your avatar
The avatar should be realistic, not something that is too specific like the person's favorite food, color, or place.
When having to create a client avatar, it's important to be realistic. People are different and you should not exclude any of them when creating your client avatar.
A person's favorite color or favorite band doesn't really say anything about their buying preferences. Focus on broader, but still specific questions: what is their occupation? Where do they work? What are their hobbies? All of these details matter when creating an accurate representation of what your client might be looking for in a language course.
Humanize the avatar by adding in personality traits and preferences
One of the best ways to do this is to use a "personality-based approach." This means that you ask yourself, "What kind of person am I writing for?" and fill in those details about the client into an avatar. This helps you speak to this person as if they were right in front of you. And with this approach, it's also easier to tap into your creativity when brainstorming unique content ideas.
Create a story about the person
It might feel silly at the very beginning but trust us – if you’ll tell yourself a story about your ideal client it will become so much easier for you to connect with them, talk to them in the language that resonates with them and – oh yes! – sell easier as well 😉
Get access to our library of free marketing guides, trackers, and templates for expat language schools:
Understand your students' needs and emotions by understanding data points
Data is a company's most valuable asset. There are so many data points just waiting to be analyzed and used to create meaningful content for your target audience. Doing this will help you retain your customers, keep them coming back, and even attract new ones.
Today, when people look for information on the Internet, they don't want to read the same old content that everyone else has seen before. They want fresh ideas and solutions.
Let’s explore how language schools can use marketing data for insights into customer needs and emotions in order to generate content that will drive results:
Which data to rely on when creating a buyer persona
A buyer persona is a representation of a potential customer with the aim of developing better marketing strategies and messages. It is based on the data that we collect about our students in order to understand them better. The data we gather can be either qualitative or quantitative, and will be more accurate if it’s combined with other sources of data from other channels. You should keep an open mind and gather lots of data from different sources.
Qualitative data is usually gathered through interviews or surveys where students are asked open-ended questions about their preferences, needs, experiences etc. You can also have a look around on expat groups on Facebook, LinkedIn or Quora – they are an amazing source of information!
Quantitative data can be collected by analyzing user behavior patterns on your website, your social media and by performing a basic analysis of your competitors.
Identifying the necessary data for an avatar is critical to understanding the person you are trying to serve. Once you understand the person, then you can start to design and create content that resonates with them.
This process includes researching what they like and don't like, how they spend their time and money, and what their goals are in life. It also includes understanding who influences them in their everyday decisions as well as understanding what society expects from them as a member of their community. Also – very important – what are their social media preferences!
By identifying these things you will be able to design campaigns that speak directly to your client's needs - which may not just be sales-oriented campaigns.
Common mistakes when creating a client avatar
Some of the most common mistakes when creating a client avatar are:
Not having enough information about the students
Don’t make things up – use real data d=from real people in your marketing!
To avoid this problem, take time to get to know students and learn what their needs are. You can do this by asking them questions (online surveys are very cost effective!) or discussing your teaching plan with them. Make your students your friends – it’ll get you a long way! 😉
Generalizing too much
The best way to create a client avatar is to think about the person in specific. You need to answer questions such as "What are their goals?", "What is their background?" and "Where do they want to go?"
The more you know about your client, the better you can tailor your message. Instead of making assumptions, you will be able to create a rich backstory for your avatar. This will help you sell them on the idea that you have for them and ultimately make them feel like they are being listened to.
Relying on stereotypes
It is hard to create a fully accurate client avatar without relying on broad stereotypes. However, the best way to make your stereotype become more human is to talk with real students and learn about their goals, challenges, and needs. That way you’ll get the real picture.
How are expats different than other language learners
Expats have a very different goal than other language learners. Expats are usually living in a new country and want to learn the language in order to fit in with their surroundings. They can't rely on English alone, so they need to learn the new language as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, people who are learning a language in their own country want to enjoy a few hours of general academic or pleasure-reading time before an exam, for example. The goal is not to be immersed in the culture but rather just speak and read at a higher level of proficiency.
Those different needs have a colossal impact on buying decisions when it comes to language courses. It also makes expats respond to a surprisingly different range of content than your standard language learner. But more on that in one of our future articles.
Conclusion
When it comes to marketing, we all know that buyer personas are important. But when it comes to your school’s future... they’re imperative
By creating a unique, authentic buyer persona, you’ll be able to tailor your marketing strategies and campaigns to their needs - making them more successful and valuable. So create a buyer persona today and see how it transforms both your sales and marketing!
