If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably thinking about ways to find customers for your business. This may be easy for a handful of business types, but it’s a real challenge for the majority of SMEs and startups. People won’t buy from you just because you exist. You will often have to prove that your product is worth their time and that your brand is reliable.
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Are you thinking about how to find new customers and increase sales? This article is for you. In it, we’ll run through 6 things you should do to attract significant traffic to your venture, and boost sales and repeat patronage.
Take Advantage of Word of Mouth
Nigerian cultures place a great premium on human relationships. So, while you may produce sleek marketing collateral and put on a brilliant show with your campaigns, none of that will beat validation from satisfied customers. People who love your product and brand are likely to spread the word about your offerings. Doing this helps draw more people to your business.
To maximise results from word-of-mouth, actively encourage customers to refer their contacts to you. Even the most loyal of them may sometimes forget to mention your brand to other people. So, be proactive.
This isn’t just some canned, oft-repeated advice. Many of Nigeria’s most successful businesses in this era attribute much of their success to word-of-mouth. You should take it seriously.
Use Social Media the Smart Way
Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) are powerful tools to reach customers at little to no cost. Sadly, many people (including entrepreneurs) underutilise them.
Instead of just posting pictures of your products, tell stories about how your product solves a problem. Use hashtags Nigerians follow (this works better on some platforms than on others), join community groups, and interact genuinely with potential customers.
The more quality content you share, the greater the visibility and engagement you’ll get. It might take a while, but the following you seek on those channels will materialise if you keep at it.
Network at Events and Gatherings
There are lots of trade fairs, community meetings, and business events taking place in Nigeria. These all present you with ways to find customers—people who may otherwise never hear about your business.
We advise that you carry your business cards, flyers, or even samples of your product with you to these occasions. Don’t be an attendee who is passive through it all. Talk to people, introduce your business, and explain how what you sell can help them.
This goes back to the point made earlier about Nigerians valuing personal relations in business. You might want to sell online as well, and that’s probably a good idea. But don’t try to replace in-person marketing with digital interaction. You should be pursuing both.
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Offer Value Before Selling
Almost no one likes being constantly pitched at. And indeed, there’s something off-putting about overtly selling to people in the most inconvenient of settings or moments. But potential customers may be swayed by your demonstrating the value of your product or service.
Here’s an example. Let’s say your business is a skincare product producer. A good way to get the attention of your target audience is to share free tips on maintaining healthy skin. Or, if you’re into catering, share recipes or cooking hacks on social media.
Do this (i.e. give value) willingly and liberally. When people see your expertise, they’re more likely to trust you and eventually buy from you.
Partner with Other Businesses
Collaboration is a smart way to gain new customers. It’s a way to gain off the reputation and strengths of another business—preferably one that sells products or services that complement yours, or is related to it in some way.
An example: if you sell children’s clothes, partner with a school photographer or a kiddies’ event planner. Customers of these businesses who want the sort of products you sell will be directed to you, even as you recommend your existing customers to them.
Look for businesses that complement yours, and create win-win partnerships.
Go Local Before Going Big
Many Nigerian entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to appeal to everyone. What they get by trying to win everyone over is that they win almost no one as a result.
It’s very often advisable to define one’s target audience before commencing any campaigns aimed at growing one’s customer base.
There may be no better way to begin this than by targeting your immediate environment: your street, neighbourhood, or office. Build a solid base of loyal customers there; then expand. Local customers are easier to reach and often bring in repeat business.
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Final Thoughts
Now you know how to find new customers and increase sales.
As you can see, it’s not just about running paid adverts on social media or entering skits for radio or television (there’s nothing wrong with these things. Much of the advice we’ve shared here encourages you to build connections that benefit all the parties involved.
Apply these tips, and you should see your business grow its customer base in good time.
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