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Clients are the bloodline of our businesses. They are the ones that keep our ventures afloat. Think about your current and potential clients each time you implement a new strategy. But if you’re having a hard time looking for prospects?! At times, looking for clients can be as simple as meeting people in a local networking event. However, in some cases (or most of the time?!), getting clients can be complicated. And it’s not just about meeting people online and offline. You need to meet the right people and close the deal.
Attracting a steady stream of clients is one of the most challenging parts of running a business. There are many ways to achieve this goal. If you haven’t mastered the number one step, your efforts will go to waste. The first stage? Identify your ideal client. So how do you identify them, understand them better and maximize your marketing ROI?
How to Identify Your Ideal Target Client in Three Steps
There are many ways to identify your ideal target client. Here are three methods that you can follow.
1. Brainstorm
In what way can your products and services help people? What problems are you trying to solve? Successful businesses solve key problems their audiences are facing. For example, business coaches help small business owners implement the best sales and marketing strategies. They help them with their online marketing and assist them in outsourcing important tasks.
That’s what they do. That’s what they’re good at, and it helps people improve their lives. Now, get to know your business a bit deeper. First, define the issues that your company aims to solve. Next, think about the people you are trying to help. Who are they?
Create a customer profile to get to know better-fit prospects. Here are some of the details you need to gather:
- Age
- Sex
- Income
- Lifestyle
- Goals
- Pain Points
- Habits
- Interests
2. Conduct a survey
You can pinpoint who is more likely to buy your offerings by conducting a survey. Who knows? Maybe you’ve already worked with these people. In your survey, ask questions about their goals, interests, and the issues they are going through. Also, don’t forget to ask where and how they got to know you.
Did they come across your profile on Facebook or your blog? This is critical information since it gives you an idea of where to find like-minded clients. Doing in-person interviews is also a great idea. As for creating the survey itself, no problem. You can easily make one via SurveyMonkey or SoGoSurvey.
3. Create a client journey map
A client journey map is a visualization of the client’s end-to-end experience. It comes in various forms, from diagrams to infographics. It shows all the touchpoints the clients come into contact with in your business.
Based on the data you’ll find, map out your customer journey. First, you should be able to identify how they interact with your business. Then, visualize the entire client experience, including various touchpoints and phrases geared towards improvement. Mapping out this specific journey will not only help you meet the ideal client. It will also help you nurture loyalty among your current clients and offer them a delightful experience.
14 Creative Ways To Get New Clients
1. Be active on social media
Social media expands your reach and helps nurture brand awareness. Create content with your business in mind, but don’t be like a salesperson who wants to sell 24/7. Instead, share your knowledge as a human being who wants to help and inspire others. Sincerity goes a long way when running a business!
I maintain an active presence on several social media platforms. My favorites? Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. With every post, I try my best to capture my followers’ attention with fantastic copy and visuals – as if telling them that I’m eager to start a conversation with them.
2. Participate in Facebook Groups
Using Facebook is a killer way to get clients and grow your business. And there are many ways to use this platform. Sure, you can actively post on your personal Facebook page, but Facebook Groups introduces a different kind of magic.
If you use your blog as part of your online visibility strategy, you may also want to join Facebook Groups where business owners, affiliate marketers, and bloggers actively post. Here, you can share your blog posts, ask questions, and share ideas. It’s a way of finding people who need your services.
Once you’re part of those groups, interact with people. Ask and answer questions posted in the group. Soon, other group members will notice you and check out your profile. I’ve met so many of my clients in these groups!
3. Write compelling blog content
Like in social media content creation, create blog content with your ideal client in mind. For example, if you’re a life coach, share inspiring tips that can help them improve their relationships and day-to-day lives. There are so many things to write about! You can show off your knowledge through beautifully written blog articles without really forcing anyone to buy from you.
Keep in mind that this is not only about writing informative articles. Acquaint yourself with internal and external linking best practices to build traffic on your site and lead clients to the correct pages. Constantly find a way to lead people to your services page. Remember that excellent SEO and content ranking can also lead you to more clients.
4. Add calls to action
Don’t forget to add a call to action statement to every marketing copy you send out in front of your audience. Whether it’s a Facebook post or monthly newsletter, add a call to action statement at the end before sending it out. This is a simple strategy that can potentially draw in new clients.
A CTA is a statement written to get an instant response from the reader. You’re simply telling a potential client to take the next step in the sales process. All it takes is a simple statement. Nothing too complicated or elaborate. Review some examples and develop the best line for your content strategy.
5. Guest blog on other websites
Guest blogging, or guest posting, means writing for someone else’s blog or website. It benefits all parties involved, fostering brand awareness, SEO, and thought leadership. Think of guest blogging as a way to seek new opportunities. In addition, it helps you share your knowledge and skills with someone else’s audience.
Since you can share your expertise with someone else’s readers, you can have more visitors that you can soon convert to clients. Look for a blogger who might be interested in your services. Ensure that the article links back to your site and mentions your credentials.
6. Grow your email list
Despite the success of marketing through social media, email marketing continues to thrive. Believe it or not, email marketing can still bring your business tremendous reach. However, this will only happen if you have a growing email list and know how to implement the best email marketing tricks and tips. A growing email list helps you stay in touch with your prospects and current clients. To grow your current email list if you are in the b2b industry, you can inquire about businesses that offer almost complete directories to other businesses. ZoomInfo is one example of this kind of business and you can inquire about their current ZoomInfo’s pricing if you’re interested.
Not all people check social media every day. Some people just stick to emails. Don’t ever miss to reach out to those people. Send out newsletters once a month (if you can, once a week!) to share new offerings and new deals. Sending newsletters regularly is a terrific strategy to keep your brand at the forefront of your target clients.
7. Offer free or discounted coaching sessions
Wondering what’s the best deal you can offer via your first newsletter? Why not offer free or discounted coaching sessions?! This may also come with free ebooks, printables, or anything else that your ideal client loves. Offering free trials and discounted deals is an effective way to capture the market’s attention.
By providing discounted stuff, you can show your potential clients the real value of your services. It’s a way to showcase what you can offer without requiring them to pay the full price. Prove to them that your products and services are excellent, and you’ll most likely be able to convert them into paying, loyal clients.
8. Look for speaking engagements
Speak at networking events or other gatherings that are relevant to your brand. You’re already on your way towards establishing yourself as an expert in your niche. Why not get involved with people in the same industry? You can also host gatherings and attend relevant events in your local community.
I met some of my clients when I spoke at previous networking events. It’s always amazing to start at a local level. Small gatherings can give you significant opportunities to help your business take off. But look. It’s impossible to become a good speaker overnight. It takes confidence and practice to establish your reputation, get invited, and get paid. Work on your skills. You got this.
9. Host webinars and podcasts
Hosting webinars and podcasts is an incredible way to get new clients. These avenues have high conversion rates, allowing you to connect with your target clients and share your knowledge by answering questions. The key to meeting new clients in his matter is through effective promotion.
Even if you’re talented and knowledgeable but don’t know how to promote your podcast and webinars well, no one will listen to you. Create the best promotional materials and distribute them on your social media platforms and newsletters. Invite your friends, family, and fellow business owners to attract a high number of attendees and listeners.
10. Run a client referral program
A client referral program is a marketing strategy that encourages clients to recommend your services. It’s a great word-of-mouth technique that helps small businesses and huge corporations. However, it will only be effective if you have already established a good brand image and client relationships.
Design a referral program that has clear messaging. Now, how do you reach your clients?! I suggest creating a landing page where your clients can get all the details they need about the program. One of the most essential parts of this page is your referral form to make it easier for people to send in referrals.
11. Connect with industry thought leaders and influencers
Sure, wait for the right clients to come to you. But never hesitate to reach out to potential clients. Don’t hesitate to reach out and establish a long-term relationship with them. The thing is, sealing the deal with big-name clients can be challenging. To be successful, you may want to offer discounts or even offer some coaching sessions for free.
It wouldn’t hurt to approach some people who can make an incredible impact on your business. Think of it as a win-win situation. Collaboration entails various learnings that can help your brand and team in the long run. You can also branch out to influencer marketing and collaborate with other influencers and bloggers through your blog. Connect with them in any way you can.
12. Follow up with previous clients and prospects
Most likely, some of your previous clients still need extra assistance. So shoot them an email and ask if they need help. And make sure it’s not just a simple email asking to work again together. Along with that email, send them an ebook or organization printable you know they would love.
When reaching out to previous clients and prospects, don’t make everything sound so salesy. Instead, prove to them that you’re not only reconnecting with them to do business. Compose your message in a way that they’ll immediately know that you’re sincere and you’re genuinely concerned about them.
13. Make the most out of YouTube and Facebook Live
The majority of people today love getting information through videos. As a busy entrepreneur, you probably don’t have that much time to attend in-person events. You can reach out to them even without leaving your home by sharing your knowledge with your clients through video.
Videos help you stand out from the competition. It helps you charm and educate your audiences even from a distance. It doesn’t have to be that long. Even ten-minute videos can assist you in getting a steady stream of clients. The question now is where?! Facebook and YouTube are the best platforms to focus on.
14. Know how to start good conversations
Knowing how and when to start conversations is crucial to every strategy. Reach out with confidence, whether you’re approaching someone virtually or aiming to strike a conversation in in-person events. Think about establishing outstanding long-term relationships first, instead of selling.
I know that this can be very intimidating for shy business owners who are just starting to widen their reach, but you have to get closer to people who can help you run your business. Learn how to start interesting conversations. Then, come up with a plan to help them stay in touch with you until they are ready to pay for your services.
Time to Meet New Clients!
Each day is a chance for entrepreneurs to inspire others and help people in need. Like I always say, it’s not only about putting your best foot forward and earning money to pay the bills. We want to meet clients because we want to impact the world, one client at a time. But let me tell you this. Everything can be researched and written in a notebook.
Aside from the above points, a genuine personality can help you get more clients and earn more than enough for your family.
Hi Angela
These are great ways to get clients, and especially for bloggers since they have a steady stream of content to lead with.
I love Facebook Live, especially, because you really get to communicate directly with people… and then the “live” posts show up in feeds as recorded ones. Win-win
Seemingly the most obvious, but also the most neglected is to follow up with existing or past clients. It’s much easier doing that than always looking for new business.