Ways to Use Copy to Build Customer Relationships

2. Gender: Which gender typically purchases most of the product you're selling — male, female or both? Gender affects the tone in your writing. Be sure to appeal to both men and women if purchasing power is shared equally between the genders.

3. Marital status: Single, married, divorced, widowed? Take into consideration the similarities and the very different needs and wants of consumers.

4. Education and income level: Will the consumer be predisposed to buying quality, reasonably priced goods or higher-end products?

5. Homeowners: Homeowners love to remodel, accessorize, furnish, decorate, landscape, entertain and more. Look for ways your product can enhance their lifestyles.

This list is a start to gaining a good idea of who your ideal customer is. You know the general age group, income, education level and gender of this targeted group. Now, start to form a visual of just who this consumer is. To broaden this basic knowledge, check out the list below to see if you can come up with even more insight:

* Average order value: How much are customers spending? Is this amount meeting company goals? Can discounts be offered for purchases of more than one of the same product?

* Average number of items purchased: Do customers have a tendency to buy single items, or are they multibuyers? If they're single-item purchasers, can you suggest complementary items to go with that product? Is your copy engaging enough to keep consumers interested in other products sold by the company? Are you promoting the attributes of the company itself by providing testimonials?

* Interests/hobbies/lifestyle: Most people want to share with others their interests and hobbies, whether a love for animals, a health-conscious lifestyle or the fact that they're avid anglers, to name just a few. This information alone provides a tremendous amount of insight into what matters most to your consumer group.