What Is a Relevant Customer?

Advertising and promotion can help you draw in more business and create buzz about your business. But if you're marketing to the wrong group, you might as well just throw money out the window. A relevant customer is one who will be interested in your product or service, and several factors can affect a customer's relevance.

For a customer to be relevant to your business, she'll have to be interested in your product. Customers aren't born ready to buy a product. Instead, you have to create desire by showing how a product can fill a customer's needs or desires. But not every customer can get interested in your product. For example, no matter how good your marketing practices are, the odds are good that you'll never sell action figures to adults who have no interest in cartoons or comics. You can, however, create the desire for a new action figure among adults who are interested in comic or cartoon culture.

Customers are only relevant to you if they have access to your products, either by virtue of their location or their Internet access. A rural farmer might love your product, but if he doesn't live in your city and you don't offer Internet shipping, he's not relevant to your business. Consider the geographic location of your target demographic, as well as ways you can broaden your access by going online, offering paper catalogs or serving customers who want to order by phone.

Income is a major factor in customer relevance, and customers can only buy your products if the product fits into their budget. Inexpensive products are accessible to most people, but your marketing strategy should make note of the inexpensive nature of the product. Luxury items are only accessible to people with higher incomes. No matter how much a customer might like to buy these items, she won't if she can't afford them, so make sure you cater to the demographic that can afford to purchase your products or services.

Don't assume that you know who your target, relevant customer is. Men, for example, buy perfume, lingerie and clothing for their wives, and children buy gifts for their parents. Conduct market research to learn about who is buying your products. Read industry publications and search social networking to see who likes and reads about products similar to yours. Take note of the demographics of your customers and survey your customers to determine which products they like best and which products they wish you offered. Marketing firms can conduct market research for you as well.