Finding new customers is a fundamental challenge for every business. If you’re looking to attract new business or service new clients here are creative tips to help attract and turn prospects into paying customers.
Networking and referrals
Landing referrals from networking or past business associations isn't just a cheap way to pick up new business. It's also a way to pick up customers with the highest retention rates. What's more, referral customers tend to purchase more over time and in turn become a source of additional referrals.
One of the best way to have good and responsive referrals, is to offer some free sevice(s) or low-price-product. Develop a clear offer for each prospective partner. Come up with a free or deeply discounted product or service that has a high perceived value for the consumer with a low dollar cost for you. In that way, customers will keep pouring into your business.
Investors
If your company is being funded, ask your investors to help spread the word about your new venture. Most investors have fantastic networks! Also make them to patronize you and be among your first customers.
When they are talking to people in their network, it is critical that you ask them for introductions to people in their network who might be interested in your product. You never know where network connections can lead!
Media Advertising
The key to advertising successfully is to generate promising leads in exchange for the money you spend. To do so, it helps to offer a message that not only hits on your target customers, but also showcases the value you can offer them.
Take television and radio, for example. Only advertise on programs that is related to the business you are into. In that way, your message will get to the right customers and not just any customers.
But even older people are increasingly turning to the Web -- making it a definite jumping off point for any advertising strategy. To tap into this medium, your first step is to establish a Web presence by having your own attractive website/blog(click to get one here), if you don't have one already. Then, depending on your target customer -- consumers at large or other businesses -- pick your Web channel. LinkedIn, for instance, is a mainstay among businesses, CEOs and other owners and entrepreneurs, while Facebook remains wildly popular among consumers.
Cold Emailing
Yes, the cold emailing. If you can get your first 100 customers from within your existing network, great!
But, sooner or later you’re going to have to approach strangers as potential customers and pitch your product to them.
When sending a “cold email” to someone you don’t know, it helps to have a mutual contact, If you don’t have a shared connection, take the time to do some research prior to emailing them. But if you are sending to many people that you don't know, you need to send brief and concise information only to prospect that could be interested base on demography, employment or age.
You can get active Nigerian email database here that can be sorted out to meet your marketing need. Click here to get it.
SMS marketing
We all can believe, that among all the communication devices we have today, the GSM phone is the most device the is carried around, of course that is the reason for it existence, every person that owns a GSM device carries it along right there at their arms, pauses, pockets and cases. I can never object the fact that most devices today has internet services for people who know how to use the internet, but that can never change the fact that this internet feature on your mobile device involves a cost and for you as the entreprenuer to have your service advertise on the internet also involve a cost, but sad enough that doesn't guarantee that people will access the page regularly.
One of the problem of SMS marketing is the attitude of phone users towards it. Most people won't open such messages with shortcode or companies name. This is why bulk SMS is better than shortcode SMS, apart from the fact that SMS shortcode is more costly, bulk sms sender's name can be changed to a common name like John. This in no thought will get the phone user to open and read the message.
To know more and learn how to get phone numbers database of Nigeria at giveaway price and how to send free SMS, click here to learn more
Online Communities & Forums
Ideally you did some market research when you first came up with your idea but before you started creating the new product. In that research you likely came across online communities and forums that are relevant to your product. You’ll want to return to them to help get your first 100 customers.
Look for forums where people are either specifically looking for a product similar to yours or they’re asking questions about issues your product can provide a solution for.
Finally, competition has always been fierce in every industry. Treat your customers well or they will find another business who will. People have options. But they choose you because of something you are doing right. Be so good at delivering great service that your customers will talk about you even in their usual conversations.
You’ve got to be consistently better and smarter at attracting and keeping customers than your competitors are. That’s probably a daunting challenge, but if you study what your customers really want, you will have all the ideas to pull if off and retain your most important asset as a business.
writer: Tochukwu Mgbeahurike
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