5 Excellent Tips to Attract New Customers (without leaving your office)

Now more than ever, we need to experiment with new ideas to attract new businesses. If you can find other services to offer, set aside some time to brainstorm what those services would look like.

Industry events and trade shows are being canceled on a global scale. Customers aren’t just worrying about their futures; they’re worried about their situations right now. So there has never been a better time to think about how your business can deliver stronger service or product than now.

You don’t need to do it alone. Reach out to your competitors with a plan. Try to establish new ways to boost your financing and improve your industry—because your competitors are in the same situation as you are.

Are you a tradesperson unable to get out and give free estimates thanks to the coronavirus pandemic? Maybe you can offer free video conferencing estimates instead. You’ll be able to build rapport and connect at a time when people are all feeling a little—or a lot—isolated.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to ask. Always put a call to action message or a call to action button in your social media marketing campaigns, so your customers know what you’d like them to do.

The way customers shop is changing.
In the digital age, people choose to do business with the brands they trust and feel connected to.

One of the fastest and most meaningful ways to build this kind of connection with potential—and existing—customers is through social media platforms. Social media can be a minefield, but it can also be a goldmine, provided you use it correctly for your business. You must ensure that you have the right social media marketing strategy for your business, especially if you run a small business. Remember this always – Social marketing built around big data is the future of marketing and sales.

If you’re ready to capitalize on this digital avenue, here’s how to do it right:

Choose the right platform:
There are hundreds of social media apps out there and not every app is right for every business. Is your niche market on Instagram? Then think of some exciting ways you can share business-related images on Instagram, to connect with them. Your target on Instagram, for example, should be establishing your brand awareness with your target audience.

Is Facebook where most of your customers socialize? Then concentrate your marketing effort on there, and learn how to curate effective Facebook posts. Take note that different types of content work for different social networks and the conversion rates also differ per platform.

Offer value:
If you use social media to bombard your customers with ads and messages asking them to buy from you, you’re more likely to drive them away. To draw them in, share things they may like: exciting articles you’ve read, great photography that relates to your field, information about upcoming industry events, etc.

Use a Call-To-Action:
Once you’ve started building customer relationships through social media, learn to sprinkle effective CTAs into your posts. Asking your customers to perform a certain action—like clicking a link, checking out a new product, or writing a review—makes them more inclined to take action. Ensure to create a sense of urgency to it all.

Word of mouth has been the most effective form of advertising since the dawn of sales. Its results may be slower, but it works.

A satisfied customer will always be one of the most effective advertising tools in your toolbox. Happy customers want to share their positive experiences with their friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors.

According to consumer reports, there are two main reasons we do this: to reward a company for doing a good job and to talk about our experience.
If you haven’t already heard that everyone’s favorite topic is themselves—take note. When it comes to attracting customers, this insight can transform customers into your most vocal advocates.

Harnessing the power of word of mouth is simple:
Step 1.
Provide a great product or service. If people are happy with what they’ve received, they’ll want to talk about it.

Step 2.
Take care of every customer you get. Go the extra mile to make them happy. Treat them with respect and kindness and give them your attention. We all know when we are being rushed out the door, so avoid doing this to the people who give you their hard-earned money.

Step 3.
Encourage past customers to share their experiences. Word of mouth advertising doesn’t always happen naturally. You may need to offer some kind of incentive program, like a referral or rewards system. If this is the case, always ensure that the reward you offer is appealing enough to excite people. And always, always, always follow through on the reward!

Nobody is above the appeal of the freebie – Free Trial is a sales magnet. Psychological studies have shown that the words ‘free’ and ‘gift’ trigger a positive chemical reaction in our brains. Receiving free things also causes your customers to feel more obligated to reciprocate. Mostly, when you give something beautiful to your customers, they feel obliged to do something beautiful in return—like buy your products or services.

Ignoring the psychology, though, giving your customers something for free allows them to try your product or service in a limited way. If you truly stand by your business—which you do, right?—giving someone a small taste of what you have to offer should be a win/win situation for you and your customer.

For freebies to be effective in your business, the key is to know how to portion out what you sell. Brainstorm how much of your product or service you can afford to give away, and what portion you could sell as a follow-up. Think about how you can provide the absolute best customer service in the limited amount of time you spend with your customer, and how you will go about building on these new relationships after your free goods are gone.

Whilst there will be businesses that you are in direct competition with, there are others in your industry with whom you could form a strong alliance. Look at who these businesses could be, and how you could help each other—and your industry as a whole.

Especially in uncertain times, it’s essential to maintain ties. This helps you keep the finger on the pulse of new industry development, look for ways to improve your business, and elevate your industry’s reputation as a whole. It also helps you uncover new places to find paying customers.

Sharing advice with business owners from other areas can be a fountain of knowledge.
If you’re not a part of any industry networks yet, look for something local. Start small—and online—and gradually, you’ll feel more comfortable on bigger forums.