Every business big or small needs customers, it’s as simple as that. There’s no doubt that customers are the lifeblood of a company. We don’t think any business would say no to new customers most of them have trouble figuring out how to get new customers in the first place. Shergroup went through a similar phase a decade back, but gradually we understood we have to keep up with the changing trends, switch to Digital and undergo the necessary training to keep our business afloat. And today here we are sharing our recommendations to help our fellow business owners how to overcome the challenges of business and grow their customer base.

Growing your customer base isn’t as difficult as you might assume. You can get them in a number of ways. That’s exactly what we’ll be talking about today. There is no one-size that fits all solution here; each business has unique requirements, which is why we’ll go through the ins and outs for all types of organisations.

We hope after reading this article, you’ll learn about plenty of new ideas on how to attract more customers to your business. So, without further ado, let’s get right into this.

#1 Identify Your Ideal Customer |

It’s easier to look for customers if you know what type of customers you seek. You wouldn’t know where to start looking if you didn’t have a composite of your ideal customer. You need to know your customer type and preference to attract their attention, keep it, and then entice them to buy from you.

If you offer high-end business suits, for example, your target customer is unlikely to be made up of 20-year-old college students, therefore marketing to that demographic would be a waste of time.

That’s why it’s so important to gain an understanding of your ideal customer through tools like Google Analytics. You can get introspections that you wouldn’t get otherwise using tools like these, and you can figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t using those introspections.

So, today’s first tip is to understand your audience.

Once you’ve gotten to know them like the back of your hand, the remainder of the process will be a lot easier. With that out of the way, we’ll be talking about three different approaches to attract more customers today:

• First, we’ll cover how you can use content to get more customers.
• Then, we’ll talk about how improving your reputation can net you a more extensive customer base.
• Lastly, we’ll be discussing the power of excellent customer service & relations.

We’ll mostly be focusing on how to attract more customers online, but many of these strategies can be applied to brick & mortar businesses, too.

 #2 Identify Your Ideal Buyer Persona

You may have an excellent product or service, but if you don’t put it in front of the right audience, all your efforts might go to waste. To attract more customers to your business, it’s crucial to identify your ideal buyer persona and target your efforts towards them.

But what is a buyer persona anyway?

A buyer persona is a semi-fictional, detailed depiction of your ideal consumer. You may figure out who your ideal customer is by looking at your present customers’ data or conducting market research.

When establishing a buyer persona, the more specific you can be, the better. However, the following information should be included in each buyer persona profile |

• Demographics – such as age, gender, geo-location.
• Behaviour patterns.
• Motivations and goals.
• Pain points – this will help you sell your product as a solution.

Additionally, you can also include |

• What does their daily life look like?
• Where do they spend most of their time?
• What do they do in their leisure time?

And more – there’s no limit in what details you can include.

#3 Sell the Solution, Not Your Product / Service

People will only buy your product or service if it makes them feel better or solves their problem, regardless of what it is. With so many similar products and services on the market today, you need to stand out to attract more clients.

And the best way to achieve that is to showcase the answer to your consumer persona’s pain points.

It’s important to remember that consumers don’t buy vitamin water because of its colour or packaging. Instead, people purchase it to help in the strengthening of their immune systems.

People buy Apple items not for the products themselves, but for the way the brand makes them feel – posh.

#4 Word-Of-Mouth Always Works the Best

Happy Customers are your best allies, they will spread positive word of mouth about their experience with you. People love sharing their experiences with others – and it’s free advertising for you.

And offering a great experience for customers doesn’t end when they make a purchase. It’s just as vital to have a good post-purchase experience as it is to have a good pre-purchase experience. You may maintain a positive post-purchase experience in two ways:

• Provide excellent customer support service.
• Create the content on your website and social media that will further entertain your customers or educate them on how to benefit from your product.

#5 Influencer Marketing

It’s a fantastic idea to engage in influencer marketing if you’re just getting started and looking for a means to attract more customers to your brand. Influencer marketing works best here. An influencer, on the other hand, reaches a much larger audience than people who spread the word about you to their friends and family.

A thought leader in a given field, a social media influencer is someone who others trust and are influenced by. Even though people are aware that influencers are paid to endorse items, a successful influencer marketing campaign does not seem like a commercial.

#6 Run User-Generated Campaigns

User-generated marketing is a terrific method to keep current customers happy while also recruiting new ones for little or no money. But you might wonder, how do you manage a user-generated campaign. The ideal way to launch user-generated campaigns is through contests. It is a well-known fact that everyone enjoys winning. It’s not always about the prize, but rather the excitement of defeating your opponents.

#7 Free Works Like Magic

Who doesn’t like a Free product or a service? Giving out free stuff works in 2 main ways for you:

• It gets you in front of more customers.
• Free products show people how your product works and give you a chance to prove value. If a customer likes you, they become your paid customers and might as well spread the word about you.

#8 Get Your Business on Social Media

Social media has revolutionised business by allowing you to interact with people where they spend their free time. If your company isn’t on social media yet, now is the time to get started.

In reality, social media usage continues to rise year after year. According to Statista, 3.6 billion individuals used social media worldwide in 2020, with that number expected to rise to about 4.41 billion by 2025. However, which social media platform is ideal for attracting new clients to your company?

It depends!

Before deciding on getting on any social media, first identify which ones your ideal customers are mostly using. While one audience might be using Instagram, another audience might only be using Twitter.

#9 Improving Your Content

Content is the backbone of customer acquisition and marketing for many online businesses. And the reason for this is that it’s a great method to deliver value to people, encouraging them to become a member of your “following” and eventually become a devoted customers.

It has also been proven to cost 62 per cent less than traditional marketing while producing around three times the number of leads. That isn’t to say that traditional marketing isn’t effective, but content marketing is something you should consider.

But how would you implement that sort of thing?

Well, newsletters may be a good start.

#9.1 Creating A Value-Packed Newsletter

Remember when we mentioned bringing value to potential customers? Newsletters are an excellent way to do just that. Newsletters are one of the most underrated ways to reach out to your customers.

And the best part is that the more value you provide through your newsletters, the more likely your audience is to read any direct marketing items you send out on occasion. Just remember that there’s a thin line between bringing value to your audience’s life and spamming their inboxes, so aim for the former.

#9.2 Remarketing With Email — Always Be Collecting Emails

To start a newsletter, you’ll need emails to distribute it to, so wherever possible, collect the email addresses of people who engage with your business.

Email marketing is an excellent technique to gain clients at a low cost while yet having a significant impact. You can use email service provider platforms to your advantage. These services enable you to automate communication using beautiful templates while also keeping track of the previously mentioned data via email interactions.

Email marketing does not need a lot of time or money from small business owners when done correctly. You can reuse and adjust the automation template in the future, effectively establishing a low-cost, low-maintenance marketing machine.

#9.3 SEO-Focused Content Marketing

SEO is another low-cost and effective way to market your content. A strong web presence is critical to building a businesses’ digital footprint, and SEO is one of the best ways to make a presentation.

But some of you may be wondering, what’s SEO?

The practice of designing a website to appear near the top (or at least on the first page) of Google’s search results is known as SEO, or Search Engine Optimization.

SEO is a must-have for any company serious about its online presence. While employing SEO specialists may not be the most cost-effective option for every business, it’s critical to learn the fundamentals while building a website. When people search for relevant terms, your business will appear before your competitors.

#9.4 Engage with Bloggers in Your Space

Bloggers are always looking for new content to publish, which adds to the SEO concept. As a result, you might be able to provide them with something worthwhile to share with their audience.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

In addition to the valuable referral traffic, you may be able to establish affiliate deals with some of the bloggers, however organic content is still preferred because it builds brand confidence and creates a better precedent.

#9.5 Develop Your Brand with a YouTube Channels

Strong branding is another excellent way to attract customers. Companies with strong branding are better at attracting new customers, and one of the best ways to do that is through a YouTube channel. Consumers want to see more video content from the brands they follow, according to 54%.

In the United States, 63 percent of Americans use YouTube at least once a day. As a result, your target group, whatever they are, is very likely to utilise YouTube frequently.

So, if it fits your business strategy, a YouTube channel is one of the finest methods to provide your customers exactly what they want while also building a strong brand.

#9.6 Competition Analyzation — What Is Your Competition Doing?

Even if you don’t realise it, you’re probably already paying attention to the products and services your competitors offer.

But are you consciously noting how they’re marketing themselves?

It’s unlikely that they’re acting only on instinct. Because marketing is so costly, organisations that succeed at it have gone through a lot of trial and error.

If you see a competition using a particular strategy for a long time, it’s probably working. If you can single out the methods that get used more often, you can skip much of the needless experimenting and get right to the fun part: profit.

#10 Improving Your Reputation & Presence

Improving your presence and reputation is the next marketing approach to acquiring more customers. A solid reputation is essential for attracting new consumers; most people will only become loyal to brands they trust; therefore, we’ll discuss how to establish that trust here.

#10.1 Revamping Your Social Media Presence

Every business in the modern era requires some level of social media presence. It is up to the individual company whether they require a modest or huge presence. Every business should look for ways to leverage social media platforms, though.

Where do things get tricky?

Developing a fan base, particularly one comprised of your target clients. You’ll also have to develop material that those clients are interested in on a frequent basis. All of this isn’t to argue that social media shouldn’t be used; it may be beneficial. However, it might appear to be deceptively quick, straightforward, and inexpensive, when it is just as much of a process as other forms of marketing.

#10.2 Google Maps Isn’t Just for Brick & Mortar Businesses

Even if you don’t have a storefront, you should be listed on Google Maps. Google Maps is more than just a navigation software, contrary to widespread opinion among company owners. It’s used by a lot of individuals to check up phone numbers, business hours, and websites.

A Google maps listing is required if you want to attract clients and establish a strong online presence. Otherwise, they’ll most likely see your competitors’ results in the search results.

#10.3 Testimonials

Customer testimonials are another underutilized approach to improving your reputation. Positive testimonials can boost revenue per website visitor by up to 62%. Testimonials are one of the most important aspects of any business’s strategy; they’re essential for establishing the trust necessary to turn someone into a customer.

#11 Improving Customer Experience & Relations

A vital part of this equation is the client experience. Why? Because your most loyal clients can be some of the most effective marketers in the world. Consider this: if Customer A has a positive experience with your business, they are more likely to refer you to their good friend, Customer B, and so on.

Referrals from existing customers and nearby businesses are an excellent approach to gaining new clients. This leads us to the first method in this section:

#11.1 Referrals — A Classic Way to Earn New Business — And for Good Reason

Take some time to think about any nearby businesses with whom you could form strategic alliances. Your customers could be important leads for another company in your field, and vice versa. As I previously stated, your existing clients can also be excellent recommendation providers. To further motivate it, consider offering a discount to both clients and the people they refer to you. Or you can also start an affiliate programme.

#11.2 Creating an Affiliate Program

Consider building a full-fledged affiliate programme as an alternative to simply offering a discount for referrals. You might provide incentives and even commissions to anyone who can bring you knew business; it’s a win-win situation. You get more business than you would have had otherwise, and your associate partners get paid for their assistance.

#11.3 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Reviews

Before making any purchases, many shoppers conduct their due research on several review sites. They might even be presented reviews while searching on Google Maps, even if they aren’t actively looking for them.

As a result, it’s vital for any business to be aware of which review sites their customers frequent; this way, you can ensure you’re presented in the best light possible.

Your top customers are a great source of 5-star reviews, so don’t be afraid to ask them to post a review for your company.

#12 First Impressions Matter – Make It Top-Notch

Pay special attention to how you make an initial impression on customers. The significance of that first impression goes beyond simply increasing your close percentage.

Customers who don’t buy will still have formed an opinion about how likeable your company is, and if you make a good first impression, there’s a decent chance they’ll tell their friends and co-workers about it — or even post a review on a review site. I’m sure we’ve all seen the one-star evaluations from people who have never done business with the establishment they’re criticising.

#13 Add A Human Element

Adding a human element to your customer experience, especially where it isn’t expected is another wonderful method to attract more customers. A restaurant manager, for example, would inquire about the quality of a customer’s meal. Alternatively, a more personal touch could arise in unexpected places. If your eCommerce firm requires clients to wait longer than expected, consider including handwritten notes.

The only issue with “high-touch” techniques like this is that they are difficult to scale due to their time commitment. Keep that in mind while considering an approach like this.

#14 Online Paid Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising giants like Google AdWords, Facebook, and Bing have offered incredibly powerful tools to businesses, both big and small, when it comes to acquiring new clients.

The capacity to create personalised ad campaigns that target highly specific demographics is what makes these platforms so powerful. Not to mention the complete command over your finances.

PPC advertising appears to be straightforward at first, but it takes a lot of trial and error to get it right. There’s also the upkeep to consider. It’s far from a set-and-forget strategy if that’s what you’re seeking — depending on your sector. Just because a PPC campaign is highly successful now doesn’t mean it’ll be perfect in three months.

Furthermore, PPC advertising works best when prospects are directed to customised landing pages rather than home pages. So that’s something else to design, test, and maintain. Assume you wish to begin employing display adverts. Either make them yourself or get a graphic designer to do them for you. There are so many variables in PPC that it can’t be done on a shoestring budget. Again, that’s not to say PPC is bad by any means; no one would use it if it weren’t highly effective. It just takes work.

You want to make sure the customer service standards you set are long-lasting; otherwise, you may find yourself in a worse situation than when you first started when you have to cut them off.

#15 Putting It Together — Build A Sales Funnel

And this is where we bring everything together to create your sales funnel. Every business should have a funnel through which the bulk of potential leads pass.

The first step of the funnel will be cold, with individuals only learning about you and your business, and the last step will be a buy. (And, perhaps, a loyal customer conversion.) Every company’s funnel will be different, therefore it’s up to you to figure out which of these strategies is best for you.

Experiment | A lot of this is about trial and error; you might discover that SEO is incredibly profitable, or that social media gives better results. There is no right or wrong way; it is simply a matter of determining which strategies work best and in what order.

Summing-up

Whether you’re trying to expand your customer base through social media or offline activities, it’s important to be able to track which marketing initiatives are yielding the best results and which aren’t delivering any results at all. The bottom line is that your core objective should be met, and you should be able to track your progress.

If you want to accelerate your business’ growth and close more deals while streamlining your marketing processes with automation talk to Shergroup. We have the right set of tools to help you do just that.

Contact our business solutions advisors to get more information on our process.

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