How to Find New Customers

[lead]”I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars advertising and I’m not sure it’s done a darn thing to help me find new customers.”[/lead]

I’ve heard this dozens of times from prospective clients.  The response usually goes in one of three ways:

• Spend MORE money in the wrong places
• Stop spending, hunker down, and hope for the best
• Seek outside counsel to help troubleshoot the campaigns

When you see the ROI flat-lining, dipping, or non-existent, it’s easy to become discouraged. How do you find new customers without overspending?

Most companies I’ve worked with have been in business for more than 15 years, some several decades.  They’ve seen marketing and advertising trends come and go, experienced a fair share of “wins” in campaigns, but find themselves lost in a sea of tech-lingo and buzzwords as the burgeoning digital marketing world takes foot in seemingly all industries.

Businesses are told they have to participate in social media, “but don’t be sales-y; you need to be authentic & social.”  Or, “you need good content that people want to read, that will make it viral.”  Funny part is, most of my clients already have fantastic content, many have had it for years, yet none of it has gone viral.  “You’re not sharing it in the right places.”  True.  What are those “right places?”

Where is the right place?

The right place to find new customers is nearly always unique for each business.  Sorry if you were looking for a quick fix answer!  While the answer isn’t cut-and-dry, there are often some tells I look for when reviewing a client’s industry, business profile, and ideal customer, I often first look to the networks which they engage.  If they’re B2B in a services field, are they actively engaged on LinkedIn?  Do they participate in groups?  If my client is selling to consumers, are they active on Facebook?  If the product is very visual (and they have high-quality publicity images), are they active on Pinterest?

But How Is That Getting Me Customers?

Generally it’s not getting you customers; it’s getting you impressions. To turn that impression into a customer you need a couple items:

• an irresistible offer
• a way to convert the impression/reader

If you been in business more than a few years my guess is you already have that irresistible offer, so let’s focus on the means to convert.  A good website or landing page is a must.  Have you ever tried to look up a service/business, buy a product, learn about a vacation destination but there’s no way to contact anyone or complete a sale online?  If your Website is merely a billboard on the Web, you’re missing countless opportunities.  Every piece of content, every photo or graphic— every byte from your online presence that shows up in a Google search has the potential of an impression, of a sale, so long as the click leads to a means to hold the user’s attention and create an exchange of information.  You need to capture their contact details and interest points and they want information on the product/service or purchasing instructions (the best kind of information).

Most Importantly

The most important advice I can offer is to find an experienced and helpful guide who can assist you in planning and executing a sound digital marketing strategy.  A seasoned professional marketing consultant can help jump-start you on a path to find new customers.  If you need help finding new customers or looking for someone to step in to run your marketing operations, contact Nathan Wiens to learn how he can help you reach new customers and grow your business.