What every business person dreams of is having a good number clients/customers. Afterall, what’s a business without clients? Even though you’ve successfully launched your business, and built up a solid—if small—client base, you’ll definitely love to expand, bring in new clients and grow your business.
Growing your customer base is much easier said than done. It may seem like a daunting challenge, and perhaps it is, but it can be accomplished with smart strategy and consistent execution.
Here are strategies you can take with your marketing that can potentially draw in new clients.
Expand your network
While relying on your existing network to expand your customer base is great, you may eventually wind up out of new leads. When you find yourself in this situation, you may need to look to expanding your network.
You can have a great idea and a great business structure, but if you do not have contacts that might be interested in helping you, it’ll be impossible to succeed. Attend networking events, join organizations, form partnerships, and watch your network grow.
Host industry gathering
One of the best ways to get clients is by offering to speak for free or hosting a workshop at business events that you know your ideal clients would be attending.
You have plenty of expertise in your field—why not get involved in the community? Get involved in your industry by hosting industry-based events, speaking at those events and sharing your experience. You’ll not only have the opportunity to grow your connections, you’ll also be growing your reputation as a thought leader in your industry.
Use call to action
Add a call to action to every piece of marketing yo send out—whether it’s an Instagram post, a weekly newsletter, or one of your offline marketing strategies.It is not enough to just write a blog. After it’s written, you must add in a call to action that clearly states how clients can work with you. For example – ‘sign up for my…’.
Calls to action don’t have to be elaborate; often, the goal is as simple as increasing engagement. Ask them their opinions, suggest that they tag you with a certain hashtag, or provide a link so that they can sign up for your email updates.
Ask for referrals
Okay, referrals are the most obvious and well-known way to get new clients. However, too many business people just wait for referrals to fall in their lap. After all, happy clients should spread your name, right? Most clients will, but sometimes clients are busy and won’t go out of their way.
Instead of waiting, open your email and find 2 happy clients, who haven’t sent you referrals yet.Don’t beat around the bush or leave it open ended. Open by checking up on the client and then asking for a direct referral.
Offer free trials to new clients
Another practical tactic to acquiring new clients is offer them a free trial of your product or service. Free trials are a great way to market, since they attract new customers and garner good reviews and testimonials.
When you do this, you should also realise that turning them into actual client is key. How do you make this haapen? While offering free trials, ensure you show them the value of what you have to offer and convert them into paying returning customers later. Instill in this potential customer the value of your product, and make it clear that your product or service is truly exemplary.
What other tricks to winning new clients can you think of?
