Having a decently-sized customer base can be the saving grace for businesses even in the toughest of economic times. However, “old-fashioned” marketing techniques such as cold calling and handing out flyers can only get your business so far in the modern age. That is why it important that business owners are constantly exploring new ways to grow their client base as well as capitalize on their existing database. This article explores just a few ways you, as a business owner, can grow your customer base without needing to double your marketing budget.
When it comes to marketing, the rise in popularity of social media has opened up new avenues for businesses, both big and small. According to market research, just over 50% of social browsers research products and businesses via social media, so having a good presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is essential. Learning the fundamentals of social media marketing can not only save your business money on marketing costs, as it is more affordable than traditional marketing, but it can also open up your business to entirely new customer bases.
According to a study by Reevoo, when it comes to buying products, up to 22% of customers rely on reviews on a business’s website to determine if they should purchase a product or not. The only source that customers rely on more is the experience of friends or family, and that only accounts for 23% of shoppers. That is why businesses should make good use of online review and referral tools when looking to attract new customers.
It is important to bear in mind that not all client reviews are going to be positive so learning how to handle negative reviews is important. Moving the conversation onto a private chat is often the first step in dealing with a negative review as this can facilitate better conversation and gives you, as a business owner, more flexibility when trying to find a solution to the issue. Once the issue has been handled, you should ask the client to write a follow-up review that can be posted on your business’ website or social media. This will show potential clients that you know how to handle feedback and are open to finding solutions to your clients’ problems.
Sometimes, regardless of how much you would like to keep all your marketing in-house, you may need the helping hand of an expert to build your customer base past a certain point. Companies such as Lead Lists specialize in helping businesses reach a wider audience than they may be able to reach on their own by giving them access to email lists and databases of contact information for customers in their business’ region. By giving businesses access to the contact information of clients in their area that may be interested in the specific services that the business is offering, these types of companies can help grow a business’s customer base more effectively than an activity such as cold calling would. For more information on how services like this can benefit your business, as well as a free quote, visit leadlists.com.au.
Having a large customer base gives businesses a greater chance of success in a competitive world. However, building a customer base while trying to manage all the other aspects of a business can be difficult. That is why it is important to have a good marketing plan in place to relieve some of the stress of managing this aspect of a business. By implementing some of these tips into your marketing plan, you should start seeing a boost in your customer reach and, thus, an improvement in your bottom line.