8 Tips for Attracting New Customers for Your Small Business
Small businesses are often faced with a tough decision: to invest time and money in finding new customers, or to focus on current customers and try to increase their customer base. For many business owners, this is an easy choice: they focus on current customers because the risks of pursuing new ones seem too high.
But what if you could get both? What if there was a way for your business not only to grow but also become more profitable at the same time? It’s definitely possible. By implementing these eight tips, you’ll be able to nurture your current loyal clients while obtaining new business at a low cost.
The Importance of Consistently Finding New Customers
If you are a small business owner, it is crucial to actively find new customers at all times.
While it is true that it costs less to retain a customer than obtain a new one, seeking new customers is still imperative to your business’s growth.
There are plenty of excellent ways to reach out to potential customers who have not heard about your company before. Some of the most effective include: e-mail newsletters, social media campaigns on Facebook or Twitter, search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click ads, using billboards and sending postcards (a little old school but still effective!), and utilizing your current customer database.
Tip #1- Offer New Customer Discounts
In order to encourage potential customers to move foward with a purchase from your company, offer a discount on their first purchase.
This is a great way to gain new customers because it incentivizes them into buying something from your business after they were already eyeing your product or service. After all, they will have more expendable income after they buy from you and be eager for a good deal.
People love getting discounts! Don’t be afraid to give them one – even if they’re not ready to buy right now, this could always be an opportunity for them to come back later.
Pro Tip: Look into a Browse Abandonment email sequence. This is a series of emails that you can set up to automatically send to those who browsed your website but never added products to their cart. Use these emails to introduce your business to potential customers and offer a discount.
Tip #2- Leverage Current Customers and Ask for Referrals
Possibly one of the best ways to gain new customers is by leveraging current ones. The most effective way to do this is by asking for referrals. This will help you gain new customers and increase your customer base. If someone hears great things about your business from someone they trust, they’re likely to instinctively trust your business as well. You can then take advantage of this opportunity by immediately contacting the person who was referred to try and close the sale or at least get on first contact with them.
If you want some quick advice on how to ask for referrals, here are some ideas:
Send an email to your current customer database asking for referrals.
Post a referral request on your business’s Facebook page.
Have a brick and mortar store? Put up a sign in the lobby or reception area asking for referrals. This is especially effective if there are potential customers who walk by every day, but don’t stop to purchase anything from you. You can also place flyers or postcards at their places of employment, inviting them to refer others that could be interested in your company.
Don’t forget about word of mouth referrals! If you have a satisfied customer, make sure they know how much it would mean to you if they told someone else about your business. This way, when that person comes into contact with them again later on (such as at an event or meeting), they will be more likely to talk about how much they love your company.
- Offer an incentive for referrals! Providing a discount to those who send business your way is a great way to incentivize your current clients.
Tip #3- Revive Past Customers
It is likely that many people might have forgotten about your business. It’s time to bring them back from the dead!
You can try to remind them by sending a tailored email letting them know that they’re missed. Simply create an email segment of disengaged subscribers or those who have not ordered from you for a specific period of time. This would also be a great time to offer a discount to encourage their return.
They may not be ready to buy anything from you yet, but they are happy to be reminded of the services your company offers. It is possible that they may want to revisit these services in the future.
This can be a great way to get people back to your business as well because if they had an experience with you that was positive, it is likely that they will want to remember those memories by returning. Sparking that emotional connection can lead to a revived customer.
Tip #4- Optimize Your Website
Optimizing your website is important because people are likely to click on your links on search engine results pages or browse your site if they find it.
You should optimize your website by creating an effective keyword strategy, including social media marketing, and advertising with pay-per-click (PPC) ads.
These SEO tactics will help you get more business by ranking on top of search engine results pages for key words that people are searching for. Dialing in your SEO will ensure that you’re one of the top results that pop up on a Google search when someone searches for keywords directly related to your business.
You can also promote your business by adding a blog with useful content, blogging about different services you offer, posting pictures of different events at the company, and more!
Tip #5- Utilize Social Media (Both Paid and Organic)
One tried and true way to gain new business is through social media. You can do this by either creating an organic or paid campaigns.
There are many different ways you can use social media for your business such as posting pictures, videos, testimonials, and blog posts.
Becoming active on sites like Facebook or Twitter will allow people to see what you’re up to. Showing the faces behind the business allows potential customers to create an emotional connection with your brand. Don’t be afraid to show peeks behind the scenes of your company’s operations!
Another way to use social media for your benefit is by posting pictures of the products you offer, upcoming events/promotions, and even asking people what they would like from your company. This will gain new customers and increase engagement because it allows them to have a voice in their purchase decisions as well as showing others that people are interested in what you have to offer.
Paid social media advertising is another great way to make contact with potential customers who may be interested in what you offer. This is an extremely effective way to reach groups of people who have never seen or interacted with your brand before. Or, you can retarget those who have visited your website or Facebook page and haven’t taken the leap of purchasing yet.
Tip #6- Host a Giveaway
People love getting free stuff! Hosting a giveaway can attract new customers by giving them the chance to win a prize and enticing them with an incentive. There is no better way than to get someone’s attention than with a prize.
If you need some inspiration, try browsing the internet for freebies or contacting your local merchants and ask if they would be willing to donate something in return for promotion.
In addition, hosting a giveaway provides you with customer information such as their name and email address so that they can receive updates about upcoming promotions, services, and more. You can then use this information to either contact them again in the future or advertise to them through social media.
Tip #7- Partner Up with an Established Business
Partnering up with an established business is an age-old, effective tactic for gaining new customers. This is because people are more likely to trust a business that they already know instead of one that they have never tried before. Attending networking events and building relationships is necessary to find out if there are any potential partners that your company would be interested in working with.
Once you find a partner, choose what would be the best service for them to offer and then work on how you will offer it. After this is done, discuss ways of advertising it both at your company and theirs. Make sure that it is a mutually beneficial partnership and the brands make sense together.
Tip #8- Utilize Reviews and User-Generated Content (UGC)
Reviews are an important and effective tool used to get organic traffic to your business page. Reviews are often copied and shared across social media sites like Facebook, Yelp, Google+, and many other popular sites. This is because people trust what others say more than what the company themselves says about their product or services. You can get reviews by asking customers for them or you can post them all over social media sites.
User-Generated Content (UGC) is another great way to generate buzz around your company because it’s content that current customers create themselves. It includes pictures, social posts, videos, blog posts, photos of products, etc.
When you take this content and share it on social media networks or post them on the company website, your organic traffic will increase.
It's Time to Take Your Business to the Next Level!
The key to gaining new customers is by implementing a variety of strategies. The ones we’ve listed here are just a handful of the inexpensive ways that you can generate more buzz around your company and get people interested in what you have to offer. Remember, the most important thing when trying to attract new customers is understanding how they think and make decisions based on their needs. We know it sounds cliche… but put yourself in their shoes and think of what would entice you as a consumer.
Which strategy from this post do you feel would be best for your business? Let us know! We can’t wait to see you take your business to the next level.