lady with binoculars looking for customers

“Where are all the customers?” and “We need help to find customers” are phrases that will come out of most business owners and managers at some stage. It could be you have a new business or a new location, or it could be a new product. It could even be circumstances out of your control like the weather or seasonal like Easter or Christmas!

Step 1 – Existing or Past Customers

The quickest and easiest method of finding more business and finding more customers is to simply reach out to existing customers, approach previous customers and also ask for referrals. If you have any type of CRM or database this is really easy to do. Other ideas include:

  • Implement a Customer Loyalty Program: Reward your existing customers for their repeat business. Offer discounts, special offers, or loyalty points that they can redeem for future purchases. This not only incentivizes repeat purchases but also makes customers feel appreciated and valued.
  • Stay in Touch: Keep the lines of communication open with your existing and past customers. Send out regular newsletters or emails with updates, special promotions, or helpful tips related to your products or services. Personalize these communications whenever possible to make customers feel special and connected to your brand.
  • Ask for Feedback: Reach out to your existing and past customers to gather feedback on their experiences with your business. This shows that you value their opinions and are committed to providing excellent service. Use this feedback to improve your products, services, or customer experience, which can help retain existing customers and attract new ones through positive word-of-mouth.
  • Offer Referral Incentives: Encourage your existing customers to refer their friends and family to your business by offering incentives such as discounts, freebies, or exclusive access to special events. People are more likely to trust recommendations from friends and family, so leveraging your existing customer base in this way can be highly effective.
  • Create Exclusive Offers: Make your existing and past customers feel special by offering them exclusive deals or promotions that are not available to the general public. This can include limited-time discounts, early access to new products or services, or VIP perks for loyal customers.
  • Provide Excellent Customer Service: Delivering exceptional customer service is key to retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Make sure your team is trained to provide prompt, friendly, and helpful assistance at every touchpoint, whether it’s in-person, over the phone, or online.
  • Re-engage Inactive Customers: Reach out to customers who haven’t made a purchase in a while and offer them incentives to come back. This could include special discounts, personalized recommendations based on their past purchases, or reminders about products they showed interest in but didn’t buy.
  • Utilize Social Proof: Showcase positive reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content from your existing customers to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Social proof is a powerful marketing tool that can help attract new customers by demonstrating the value and satisfaction others have experienced with your brand.

Step 2 – Your Followers, Likers, and Newsletter Subscribers

Most businesses are active on at least one social media platform or have an email list and after your existing customers or past customers your social media following should be your next port of call! Lets explore some of the things you can do to find more customers here. Lets explore a few ideas:

  • Engaging Content Creation: Create high-quality, relevant content that resonates with your target audience. This content could be informative articles, engaging videos, eye-catching graphics, or entertaining posts. Tailor your content to address your audience’s pain points, interests, and preferences.
  • Consistent Posting Schedule: Maintain a consistent posting schedule across your social media platforms and newsletters. Consistency helps keep your brand top-of-mind for your followers and subscribers. Use scheduling tools to plan and automate your posts, ensuring that you stay active even during busy periods.
  • Interact with Your Audience: Foster a sense of community by actively engaging with your followers and subscribers. Respond to comments, messages, and inquiries promptly. Encourage discussions, ask questions, and seek feedback to make your audience feel valued and involved.
  • Incentivize Engagement: Offer incentives to encourage your audience to engage with your content. This could include running contests, giveaways, or offering exclusive discounts or promotions for social media followers or newsletter subscribers. Contests and giveaways can help increase your reach as participants often share your content with their networks.
  • Cross-Promotion: Promote your social media channels on your website, email signature, and other marketing materials. Likewise, encourage your social media followers to subscribe to your newsletter for exclusive updates and offers. Cross-promotion helps expand your audience across different platforms.
  • Optimize for Engagement and Conversions: Tailor your social media posts and newsletter content to drive engagement and conversions. Use compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage your audience to take the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or visiting your website. Experiment with different CTAs and track their performance to refine your approach.
  • Utilize Social Media Advertising: Consider investing in social media advertising to reach a wider audience and drive targeted traffic to your website or landing pages. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer robust advertising options that allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.
  • Track and Analyze Performance: Monitor the performance of your social media posts, newsletter campaigns, and overall engagement metrics regularly. Use analytics tools provided by social media platforms and email marketing software to track key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Analyzing this data helps you identify what’s working well and where you can improve.

Step 3 – Find Customers That Haven’t Found You Yet!

Targeting potential customers who haven’t found you yet involves strategic marketing efforts aimed at reaching new audiences and expanding your brand’s visibility. Here are several effective strategies to consider:

  • Define Your Target Audience: Start by clearly defining who your ideal customers are. Consider demographics (age, gender, location, income), psychographics (interests, values, lifestyle), and behaviours (buying habits, online activity). Understanding your audience helps you tailor your marketing efforts to reach them effectively.
  • Market Research: Conduct market research to identify where your potential customers spend their time online and what platforms they use. This could include social media platforms, search engines, forums, or niche websites. Understanding their online behaviour helps you determine where to focus your marketing efforts.
  • Content Marketing: Create high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. This could include blog posts, videos, infographics, or podcasts. By providing valuable content, you can attract potential customers who are searching for information related to your products or services.
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimize your website and content for search engines to improve your visibility in search results. Conduct keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your potential customers are using when searching for products or services like yours. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your website content to increase your chances of appearing in relevant search queries.
  • Social Media Marketing: Leverage social media platforms to connect with potential customers and increase brand awareness. Identify which platforms your target audience uses most frequently and create engaging content to share with them. Use targeted advertising options to reach specific demographics or interests.
  • Email Marketing: Build an email list of potential customers who have shown interest in your products or services. Offer incentives such as discounts or exclusive content to encourage visitors to subscribe to your email list. Use email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and keep your brand top-of-mind.
  • Collaborations and Partnerships: Partner with complementary businesses or influencers in your industry to expand your reach. Collaborate on joint promotions, co-host events, or participate in guest blogging opportunities to reach new audiences through established channels.
  • Networking and Community Engagement: Attend industry events, conferences, or local networking events to connect with potential customers and industry peers. Join online communities and participate in discussions related to your niche to establish your expertise and build relationships with potential customers.
  • Paid Advertising: Consider investing in paid advertising channels such as Google Ads, social media ads, or sponsored content to increase your visibility and reach new audiences. Set specific targeting criteria to ensure your ads are shown to individuals who are likely to be interested in your products or services.
  • Track and Analyze Results: Monitor the performance of your marketing efforts using analytics tools to track website traffic, engagement metrics, and conversion rates. Use this data to identify which strategies are most effective in reaching and converting potential customers, and adjust your approach accordingly.

Conclusion: find customers now!

Whether you are a new business, an expanding business or a business simply trying to balance the books then knowing where to find customers is vital. You can have the best product or most amazing service but until you have great marketing followed up by brilliant sales then sadly your business will eventually fail. The good news though is we are here to help you, your team and your business. Whether you need direction or a complete virtual marketing department we are here to help you grow your business and ensure you find customers and they find you!

If you have questions about how we can potentially support you and your businessĀ reach out today and speak to usĀ about our marketing audits, strategic action plans and marketing management services. plus of course how we can help you gain more referrals!

Liz Graney Photo
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Over the last thirty years Elizabeth has start up and run a number of successful businesses in a variety of industries including events management, restaurant, webdesign, business training and gardening! This has led to extensive knowledge of business startup, management and marketing.
She is also a qualified and experienced business and life coach with a passion for supporting small business owners. In addition to all of this she is an experienced and qualified further education lecturer, having taught face to face courses and workshops across England, as well as a range of online courses in a range of business and marketing topics .