When you start a business, the biggest challenge is finding your first customers. And without customers, your business can’t be successful.
When you just start trading, there aren’t many people that know about your business or have tried what you offer. This means that there aren’t many people that would spread the word about it.
So how do you attract people to buy from you?
Start with your existing network
You have some connections! No matter whether it’s family, friends, or colleagues from previous jobs, anyone can be your first customer!
Don’t be afraid to ask people you know to buy from you. Of course, not every single person will need your product or service. Others might not be able to afford it. But they can still support you by spreading the word. For example, if you’re a graphic designer but don’t know any business owners you could approach, someone from your network might suggest your services to their own network which unlike yours might be full of business owners!
Do you want to attract more customers? Get reviews!
One of the ways to show your potential customers that your business is credible is to get some reviews!
Did you know that 70% of consumers trust online reviews more than advertisements created by a company? Also, 68% of buyers are more likely to trust a local business if they read positive reviews about it.
But how do you get reviews if you don’t have many customers? Check this article to find out!
Use social media
When it comes to social media, you should start using it way before launching your business.
This will help you create hype and build an audience that is excited about your business and is ready to buy on day one.
Social media is a great tool that lets you reach new people, start conversations with your target audience and generate leads. However, it’s important to understand how to use it effectively.
Putting time and effort into your social media presence and not seeing any results can make you overwhelmed. So if you’ve just created your social media accounts and are not sure how to grow your audience, and most importantly engaged audience, we’ve got you covered with some tips here.
Start a blog
Blogging is another thing that you should consider starting before you launch your business. And there are a number of reasons why.
Firstly, writing a blog drives traffic to your website. If you don’t want to spend loads of money on advertising, you should be focusing on organic reach. As long as you use the right topics and keywords when writing your blog posts, you boost your rankings in search engines.
Secondly, you build trust and connection with your audience. By writing a blog, you can prove that you have the knowledge and experience needed to be successful in your field. Sharing tips, advice and stories from your personal experience will help your prospects see you as trustworthy and increase the chances of turning them into paying customers.
Moreover, blogging lets you advertise in a creative way. No want wants their adverts to be boring and easily forgotten. When you write a blog, you get a chance to talk about your product or service creatively, share some valuable content as well as provide in-depth information.
Do you want to find out more reasons you should start a blog for your business? Click here.
Attend industry events to meet with potential customers
Paying for a stand at an event can be pricey and seem to be an unnecessary expense for a new business. However, it’s a great investment. Industry events attract people that are actually interested in what you offer. This means that you get a chance to speak to your target audience face to face! It’s an amazing opportunity to not only attract your first customers but also understand what they think about your product or service and what objections they might have. This will let you improve your business as well as the way you market it.
Also, industry events are not only great for finding customers but also for meeting other professionals in your field. You can have interesting conversations with people passionate about the same thing as you, learn from those who have different experiences and find out about any new trends in the industry.
Become part of online communities
Think about your target audience. What do those people have in common? What are their hobbies and interests?
In this digital age, it’s easier than ever to connect with people who like the same things as you do. Social media groups, online forums and blogs are the things that help people find each other. Use them as an opportunity to connect with your ideal customers, build trust by sharing your own experiences and simply promote your business! While some online communities are location-based, others have members from all over the world. This can even bring you the opportunity to start selling internationally.
Offer special deals to new customers
Free trial, discounts, gift with purchase… don’t we all love a special deal?!
Many people are conscious when it comes to trying out new businesses. No one wants to spend money and regret it later.
A great way to overcome this objection is to offer something extra to the new customers. If you have a look at subscription-based businesses, most of them offer a free trial. This way people can decide whether those services exceed their expectations and are worth paying for.
However, it’s important to remember that there will always be people ‘hunting’ for free stuff. They’ll use your discount, free trial or any other special promotion without even thinking about buying from your business ever again. So it’s essential that you check your numbers and don’t give all your profit away!
Work with other businesses
No, you don’t need to work with your competitors.
Find businesses that target the same people but serve different needs and try to get referrals from them. A great example is the beauty industry. If you’re a hairdresser, connect with nail technicians and makeup artists in your area and start referring clients to each other.
If you’re selling products, for example, cakes, why don’t you contact your local coffee shops and try to get your cakes stocked there!
Monitor and adapt
When you do all you can to attract customers, you want and should see the results. However, things don’t always work. That’s why it’s essential to monitor all your efforts, understand what works and what doesn’t and find ways to adapt by improving your strategies.
Improve your customer service skills
The best thing you can do when a new customer comes through your door is to provide excellent customer service and leave the best first impression you can!
To help you improve your customers service skills, we run Above & Beyond Customer Service Course.
The aim of this course is to help you focus on the profitability of your business. It’s not always about increasing your marketing activities but making the most of what you already have.
The course will cover:
- How to turn a negative customer experience for one customer into a positive experience for another
- Understanding the importance of the first step of the customer journey with your company
- Delivering customer service to challenging customers
- Upselling to existing customers to get more sales
- Understanding the value of converting customers compared to marketing and finding new customers
