Want more clients? Start by knowing who you're marketing to.

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Let’s be real—if you don’t know who you’re trying to attract, you’re basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks. I’ve made that mistake before, and trust me, it’s exhausting. The first step to getting more clients? Understanding your customer personas.

A solid persona helps you figure out where your ideal clients are, what they struggle with, and what makes them say, “Yes, I need this!” Once you nail this, everything—from your messaging to your sales funnel—gets easier. Speaking of sales funnels, check out our guide on Building a Sales Funnel to turn those ideal clients into paying ones.

🚀 How to Create Customer Personas That Actually Work

Most freelancers have multiple customer personas they sell to, each requiring a unique approach. For example, a wedding photographer might cater to newly engaged couples looking for personal photography services, wedding planners who need reliable vendor partnerships, and even wedding venues that recommend preferred photographers to their clients. By clearly identifying and understanding these different personas, freelancers can craft tailored messaging, create targeted marketing strategies, and build relationships that lead to consistent bookings.

Forget the boring corporate templates. Your persona should feel like a real person. Instead of a vague persona like "Small Business Owner, 35-50, wants to grow their company," create a detailed one like "Alex, a 38-year-old owner of a boutique marketing agency, who struggles with client retention and wants a solution that provides measurable ROI." 

A great persona includes four key areas: Situation and Context, Goals and Motivations, Fears and Frustrations, and What They Spend Their Time Doing and Where. Here’s how to build a persona using these categories:

1. Situation and Context (Who They Are & Their Lifestyle)

Understanding the general background of your ideal client is crucial to shaping your approach. Consider their age, career stage, and typical income level—this helps determine their spending capacity and professional priorities. Think about where they live and their living situation—do they live in a fast-paced urban area or a quieter suburban neighborhood? Their surroundings often influence their decision-making process. Finally, analyse their work environment and lifestyle choices—do they have a structured corporate job, or are they entrepreneurs with unpredictable schedules? This information helps you position your services in a way that aligns with their daily routine, pain points, and ultimate decision maker.

2. Goals and Motivations (What Drives Them?)

People don’t just buy products or services—they buy solutions to help them achieve their personal or professional goals. Identifying what defines success for your target client helps you frame your offerings in a way that resonates with them. Ask yourself, what are their long-term aspirations? Whether they’re striving for financial freedom, professional growth, or work-life balance, knowing this helps you craft messaging that directly addresses their ambitions. Beyond financial incentives, what motivates them? Some clients may value recognition and prestige, while others may be driven by security and stability. Tailoring your marketing language to reflect these deeper motivations increases the likelihood of a strong connection.

3. Fears and Frustrations (What Keeps Them Up at Night?)

If you truly want to position yourself as the best solution, you need to understand what’s stopping your clients from achieving their goals. This means identifying their financial or business struggles—are they concerned about fluctuating income, poor client retention, or difficulty scaling their business? Think about their emotional and mindset barriers—do they lack confidence, suffer from imposter syndrome, or feel overwhelmed by the demands of their industry? Lastly, recognize the external factors that challenge them—economic instability, competitive markets, or time constraints. When you directly address these fears in your messaging, you build trust and credibility as someone who understands their pain points.

4. What They Spend Their Time Doing (and Where They Do It)

Knowing where your ideal client spends their time helps you determine the best way to reach them. Consider the locations they frequent—are they active on social media, attending networking events, or participating in industry-specific communities? Who do they spend time with, and how does that influence their purchasing decisions? Many freelancers find that referrals from trusted colleagues or influencers carry significant weight. Lastly, analyze where they look for inspiration, advice, or skills—do they turn to online courses, podcasts, or mentorship programs? Meeting them where they already seek knowledge and support positions you as an expert they trust.

Hands-On Example:

Let’s say you’re a freelance wedding photographer trying to book more gigs. While one of your main clients is newly engaged couples, you’ve decided to also focus on wedding planners because they often control which vendors get hired.

Meet Olivia, Your Ideal Client (Customer Persona)

• Demographics & Context: Olivia, 32, owns a small wedding planning agency in a major city. Her business is growing rapidly after initial struggles. She lives with her husband and young son in a 4-bedroom suburban home. While she can afford her lifestyle, she is not yet financially free. She enjoys jogging and cooking and occasionally dines out with friends and family.

• Goals: She wants every wedding to be flawless and stress-free for her clients. Beyond work, Olivia dreams of expanding her business into a full-service wedding planning agency with a team of specialists. She works tirelessly because she envisions financial independence, the ability to travel, and creating unforgettable experiences for couples on their big day.

• Challenges: She struggles to find reliable vendors who deliver high-quality work on time. Running her business comes with risks—last-minute cancellations, difficult clients, and seasonal dips in demand make revenue unpredictable. She often feels overwhelmed balancing multiple weddings at different stages of planning. Personally, she worries about burnout and missing out on time with her family due to long hours and weekend commitments.

• Buying Behavior: She finds vendors through Instagram, wedding expos, and referrals. Olivia invests in her business by attending industry conferences, subscribing to wedding trend reports, and taking business growth courses. She spends on branding, paid social media promotions, and networking events. When facing challenges, she looks for solutions in wedding industry groups, networking circles, and business mentorship programs.
• Preferred Communication: Olivia responds best to structured, concise professional emails for formal inquiries and Instagram DMs for quick discussions. She dislikes overly salesy or generic messages. She gets inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok. The last time she hired a photographer, she saw their work at a bridal shop, but their disorganization led to a strained working relationship.

How to Tailor Your Sales Approach to Olivia

1) Attract

Olivia is actively looking for vendors at wedding expos, networking groups, and social media. To capture her attention, maintain a strong Instagram presence, collaborate with wedding venues, and showcase your work at industry events where she seeks new talent.

2) Engage & Nurture – Build Trust and Stay Top of Mind

Olivia doesn’t hire vendors impulsively. Olivia values organisation and self-autonomy because she does not have the time to manage you. In your communication, show her you can work autonomously and that you can integrate and collaborate with her well. Keep her engaged by sharing helpful content like behind-the-scenes wedding day tips, testimonials from wedding planners, and case studies showcasing stress-free execution. Regularly engage with her content on Instagram and LinkedIn.

3) Convert – Close the Deal and Secure the Project

When Olivia shows interest, be proactive. Schedule a meeting to discuss how you handle the unique challenges wedding planners face. Provide clear pricing, packages, and examples of how you’ve collaborated with planners before. Offer a hassle-free booking process to make her decision easy.

4) Deliver & Upsell – Keep Clients Happy and Encourage Repeat Business

Once Olivia hires you, exceed expectations with punctuality, communication, and high-quality work. After the project, provide a referral incentive for future weddings and create a package deal for planners who want to book you for multiple events. Keep the relationship warm with occasional check-ins and value-driven content.

By speaking Olivia’s language and solving her problems, you make it a no-brainer for her to hire you. I saw this firsthand when I shifted my messaging to emphasise reliability and partnership rather than just my skills—suddenly, clients were reaching out to me instead of the other way around.

Ready to Attract Better Clients?

• Don’t just read this—take action! Use our customer persona template to define your ideal client and start tailoring your outreach today.
• Need help refining your persona? Drop it in the comments, and I’ll help you tweak it! Better yet, take five minutes to sketch out your ideal client using the framework above and start adjusting your marketing today. The sooner you define your persona, the sooner you’ll attract the right clients!