What’s the best way to find new customers?
It’s a big question for businesses, regardless of where they are on the growth scale. Without new people buying your products and services, your sales will probably not increase by much. Here are eight effective ways to land your next paying customers.
If this is your biggest bother at the moment, this article should give you the answers you’re looking for. Here are eight effective ways to land your next paying customers.
1. Scale Up Your Web Presence
Does your business need a website? If it does have a website, is it updated often enough?
What about adding your company’s information to online business listings, so that people can find your contact details when they are on such platforms?
By taking these steps, you’ll increase your presence on the web, and make your brand more visible in search engine results. And the more visible it is, the better your chances of being contacted by a prospective client.
2. Work With Other Businesses
You can partner with another company, perhaps outside of your niche or industry, in a mutually beneficial relationship. Barter your services if you can’t pay for them, and promote each other’s work on your platforms.
For example, let’s say you’re a digital marketing outfit. You want to get managed IT services for your firm, but you can’t pay cash. You could strike a deal with an IT services provider to market their work for the amount it would have cost to pay for their services. So you’re actually paying, but doing so with your services instead.
There’s more information about bartering services in our article, the Pros and Cons of Business Bartering.
3. Use Content Marketing
Why not try some content marketing ideas, like writing a blog post that answers your audiences’ questions, and sharing it across your online and social media platforms? You can do the same with video as well.
Here’s another idea: pitch those articles or videos to a bigger website or blog, where there are a lot more people reading and watching stuff. If you can get such content on those platforms, many more people will interact with it. Ultimately, some of them may want you to answer more questions.
That’s their start of a journey to paid-customer status right there.
4. Zero in On Your Typical Customers
Have you been marketing to ‘the public’ without understanding who your ideal customer is or should be?
You can achieve much better results with your marketing efforts by defining who your real target audience is.
Ask these questions: Are they university students, big company CEOs, or nursing mothers? What’s their average age? Are they from certain parts of the country? What makes them want to buy the kind of products you sell?
These are some of the questions that should help you define your typical customer. When you’re done with the definitions, make your messaging and brand portrayal appeal to that particular kind of person.
5. Spruce Up Your Website
If your website loads slowly, it’s probably turning off a lot of people who might be coming to it. You don’t want this to happen. You can get a web developer to fix this for you.
Make sure that the site is also easy to navigate, and that important things like your services, portfolios, and contact details are easily accessible from any of its pages.
It should also look good on the eyes. A lot of people are moved by design, layout, and colours.
6. Collect and Publish Customer Testimonials
Testimonials are a marketing magnet like no other. You can blow your trumpet in the fanciest way possible and still get little traction. But show the world the commendations of people you’ve worked with (especially ‘big names’) and they’ll want to know more.
Use testimonials on your website, share or retweet positive mentions on social media, and encourage happy customers to put in a good word for you when they can.
7. Get Active on Internet Forums
Why not leverage internet forums that are frequented by a lot of people? You can sign up on them, or use more specialized platforms for people interested in your kind of service.
8. Talk About Your Product’s Benefits
Does your marketing message gush over your product’s pretty features? If you do this a lot, you may improve your sales by toning down on this.
Instead, talk a lot more about what your potential customer will gain from using your product. Make your message about how your services will improve their lives. They will be more willing to pay attention to this.
Rounding Up
These are just some of the best ways to find new customers for your business. Perhaps we’ll share more in a little while. For now, get cracking with these, and watch the traffic to your business increase.
Featured Image Source: Grid Magazine
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