4 minutes
How to target aspirational ICPs in your content
And a quick checklist to verify whether you should.
A few weeks ago I shared a simple, but powerful idea on LinkedIn:
💡 Create content not just for your current ideal customer, but for your aspirational customers too.
💡 The people who will become your ideal customer one day.
It’s a strategy that some of the biggest brands in the world have mastered, and one that could give your business an edge – especially if your ideal customer is notoriously difficult to reach.
This isn’t about simply broadening your content strategy for the sake of more content.
If this is going to work, it needs to be strategic. It needs to have a long-term focus. And it needs to make sense for your business.
Step 1: Start by looking at your current customer profile
❓️ Who will naturally grow into this role over time?
❓️ How might their circumstances, career path or lifestyle change in order to become your ideal customer, and how can you support this journey?
❓️ What are their current pain points, interests and challenges?
Mercedes-Benz doesn’t just market to people who can afford a luxury car today – they build brand loyalty from birth. They’ve sponsored children’s toy cars, branded strollers, and even created interactive experiences for kids at events.
This creates familiarity and desire early on, so by the time the child grows up and is ready to buy their first luxury car, Mercedes isn’t just a brand – it’s a lifelong aspiration.
The key insights here:
💡 Aspirational content is all about familiarity and trust.
💡 You’re not selling a solution today, you’re positioning your brand as part of their future.
Step 2: Don’t alienate your ideal customer
The goal isn’t to shift your entire strategy toward aspirational ICPs.
To quote my toddler: that would be silly.
Instead, layer in content that resonates with them, without losing focus on your core audience.
Depending on your industry, this could look like:
✅ Education: Valuable insights to up-and-comers who are learning about your industry.
✅ Inspiration: Share stories from customers who used to be in their shoes, showing how working with your business helped with their transformation.
✅ Behind-the-scenes: Build familiarity, so they feel like insiders before they’re ready to become customers.
Side note: I’ve written about a version of behind-the-scenes content before – it’s similar to how startups build in public. As the product is often new and disruptive, they need to let people in before demand can be generated.
Salesforce creates entry-level content aimed at future sales leaders – how to manage pipelines, how to increase deal velocity, etc. A sales rep might not have the budget to bring in Salesforce today, but when they eventually move into a decision-making role, Salesforce will already have built credibility and trust.
Step 3: Be memorable
I started my copywriting career writing long-form SEO content. I cringe when I think back to some of the generic entry-level blogs I produced.
Targeting people outside of your core audience has been a strategy to increase organic traffic for decades.
But more often than not, these strategies are keyword-driven, rather than audience-driven. (Plus with Gemini taking over the SERPs, they’re becoming far less effective.)
So when I tell you to write for your aspirational ICP – that is 1000% not what I mean.
Your focus needs to be on providing real value. If SEO is one of your distribution channels, that’s fine – but only if it makes sense. The value is what helps build memory structures, a core component of being considered when it is time to buy.
💡 For some industries, this might look like support when they need it most.
💡 For others, it might be desire.
Whatever it is, consistency matters. If your aspirational ICP sees you once and never again, it’s not going to stick.
Now you know how – the question is whether you should. This strategy works best if:
✅ Your current customer is difficult to reach through content.
✅ You have the resources to build on your existing strategy, not detract from it.
✅ You’re committed to a long-term approach – it takes time to see the impact of aspirational targeting.
Playing the long-game in business can be a balancing act. But when done right, it can have a compounding effect over time.
Targeting aspirational ICPs builds mindshare early – so you’re the brand they remember, when it’s finally time to buy.
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About the author
With a decade of experience in marketing, Cass helps brands craft content that builds familiarity, credibility, and emotional pull – so when it’s time to buy, you’re already top of mind.
And a quick checklist to verify whether you should.
Cass Whitaker