When you are at the head of a business, especially a small or medium sized enterprise, gaining and keeping clientele is an important part of your responsibilities. However, investing into marketing and advertising when your profits are low can prove to be a deep rabbit hole which can end in either a hit or a miss. Though there is no magic formula for instant success, there are some techniques and strategies that businesses use to boost their audience and increase their number of “low-hanging fruit.”
Ready to make the most of your operational budget while not just keeping but expanding your clientele? Well, buckle down and try the following:
- Go Social
Using digital marketing and social media marketing is one of the best ways to connect with your clientele today. Everyone is connected on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and spend a lot of time networking, chatting, relaxing and even researching there. It’s a great place to grow a “tribe” of loyal followers and also an incredible platform for advertising to specific demographics. Being able to pop up on Google is very important, and the closer to the top of the list, the better. You can even create ads on Google and believe us, it’s a lot cheaper and you get much more value for your investment than by buying ad space in the local paper. Consumers like to know that they can communicate with companies that they have a relationship with and it’s a great way to nurture your existing clientele.
- Add New Languages
When they told you in school that learning languages opens doors for you, they weren’t kidding. Think about it- you could be missing out on a huge segment of the market by simply not speaking the same language. An example of this is the Latino community in the US or the French-speaking community in Canada. Hiring a company to do professional English to French translation of your website and documents could be worth the extra work and expense. That market includes millions of consumers who feel more comfortable speaking and reading in French, and communicating with them in their language would give you a huge advantage over your competitors.
- Have a contest
Everyone loves the chance to win something, especially if the prize is something valuable to them. This is a great way to get your name out there, gain a fresh following and grow your clientele. If you are more of a service based business or your products cater to a very specific demographic, try implementing a referral program. By giving your clients an incentive to share their positive experiences with your business, you can gain some great leads. People trust their network’s opinion on things, so the leads you gain here might actually be better quality than the ones that you receive from other initiatives. A contest doesn’t have to cost you much, whether it’s a voucher, free products or services, or even tickets to an event, you have full control of how much you spend and the rules of the contest.
Doubling your clientele overnight is everyone’s dream, made even better if it was completely without cost. It is possible to grow your audience and retain what you have without having to spend a fortune, however, that requires strategy and hard work. Taking your business online, adding new language options and throwing a contest works with for many businesses, however it does take both a financial and “sweat” investment from your end. However, if you have the gumption and wit to start a business in the first place, we are sure you’ll be able to make it successful!