amount of resources to put into action, and there is no guarantee of success. You obviously want to see a return on your investment in every aspect of your business, but it’s critical with your marketing efforts because no company can survive without customers. To achieve the highest ROI possible, you should target not just any customers when marketing, but the right customers.

Rather than casting the widest net possible, going after clients that are a good fit for your company is a more effective strategy. Clients that are bad fits will eat up an excessive amount of your time, monopolise your resources, drive you and your staff crazy, and hamper the growth of your company. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you attract the right clients for your business.

Identify your ‘ideal’ customer – The first step should be brainstorming and coming up with what makes up the right customer for your business, including factors such as age, gender, location, industry, revenue, pain points, etc. Having this knowledge will provide you with a demographic so you can carefully craft your marketing messages.

Target your ideal demographic – Use the model of your ideal client to target them with messages that apply to these preferred market segments, using their preferred delivery method. Focusing your marketing efforts on your targeted audience will result in you casting a smaller but ultimately more efficient net.

Utilize strategic partnerships – Leverage relationships with non-competitors that share your ideal customer. These mutually beneficial partnerships will provide you both with direct access to this market without having to find clients on your own.

Raise your prices – While this may seem counterproductive, charging more for your products or services will drive away demanding clients that expect the world for the lowest price. Those types of customers aren’t right for any business—they’re difficult to work with, difficult to please, and difficult to keep, as they’re always looking for a cheaper alternative. By raising your prices, you’ll attract more loyal clients looking to get what they pay for.

Not every client is a good fit for your business. Rather than trying to fit any-shaped pegs into a round hole, your efforts would be better served identifying and targeting the right clients. Your company will be better because of it.