No matter the size and maturity stage of a business and the industry it is in, all entrepreneurs and company owners want to enjoy having a constant influx of customers—it is the one definite thing enterprises have in common. This is understandable as customers are, without a doubt, the backbone of every enterprise.
While companies share the need to drive their target audience to their online or brick-and-mortar stores, it is easier said than done, especially for small business ventures.
As stated in a recent report by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), out of the total 924,721 business enterprises operating in the Philippines, 99.6% of them are micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises—with a whopping 89.6% being micro businesses.
This doesn’t come as a surprise as nowadays, seeing new small businesses emerge nearly everywhere is nothing out of the ordinary. However, the sad truth is that not all are fortunate to pull ahead of the competition and succeed in today’s economy and market.
One of the biggest hurdles small ventures face is successfully attracting and retaining a steady stream of customers. While this can take time and effort, developing a sound strategy can surely make things less complicated and a bit more manageable. Here are the top fundamental tactics that have been proven to help get customers to your small business:
1. Harness the power of social media
You don’t want to be one of those businesses that don’t have any social media presence whatsoever. Since 75% of consumers reported that social media plays a crucial role in their buying process and 90% have interacted with a brand or business through social media, the benefits and influence of such online platforms are hard to ignore.
As we currently live in the digital age, it’s time to grow your business through digital and online technology and embrace the advantages of social media. If you haven’t already, create and optimize your accounts and pages accordingly.
It’s important to ensure that you have an online presence on platforms where your target customers are typically browsing. Consider exploring Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Make sure that vital information about your business is easily accessible, including a link to your website, contact number/s, and office address.
Also, you may choose to go the extra mile and get your profiles verified on different platforms to help add credibility to your brand, gain quality leads, and avoid losing people to imposters and fake accounts.
2. Establish your brand as a thought leader
Don’t be fooled—although this tactic may sound complicated at first glance, it’s as easy as one-two-three. Before we get into that, it’s necessary to understand its essence first.
In a nutshell, thought leadership marketing boosts a company’s authority by influencing as many people as possible that their brand and their ideas, views, advice, and opinions are to be trusted through featuring their business in well-known media outlets.
Certainly, you’re wondering, as a small fish in a big pond, how exactly can you achieve that without breaking the bank?
The process involved is simple: First, create industry-relevant content such as infographics, white papers, resource articles, and other types that may prove beneficial for you; second, find platforms that will connect you to various reporters from media outlets; and third, respond as a source to journalists’ queries.
You can check out Help A Reporter Out (HARO)—rather than reaching out to individual media outlets, HARO sends out daily emails outlining topics you can contribute to. Simply pitch relevant articles and get featured in articles by journalists from the likes of Time, The New York Times, and Fox News.
Aside from publishing helpful and informative content, you can also give speeches during events to share your knowledge and expertise. This can be a surefire way to establish your brand as a thought leader and get customers to visit your store.
3. Attract new customers with a free trial
It seems like a crazy idea, doesn’t it? As a small business, you may think this tactic is going to force you out of business. However, nothing could be further from the truth, as everyone loves freebies as long as you plan your giveaway properly.
Whether you offer your service or product for free, the trick is to let your potential customers know the real value of your business by showing them how you can effectively solve their problems. By positioning your brand as the answer to their unique issues, you can convert casual browsers into actual buyers.
On top of that, you can also ask for feedback and genuine reviews of your products or services to identify your strengths and improve your weaknesses.
4. Engage and take care of your existing customers
Work towards increasing customer engagement by interacting with your current customer base. You can achieve this in various ways, such as promptly replying to queries online, consistently delivering legendary customer service, and bending over backward to address their needs and exceed expectations.
In offering high customer satisfaction, you are sure to garner loyal customers—an army of promoters that will share their positive experiences with your brand to their friends, family, and colleagues. Through making your customers feel valued, you’ll have more people speak highly of your brand.
Don’t overlook the power of word-of-mouth marketing—you’ll attract more customers to your business when you keep your existing clients happy.
5. Partner up with local businesses
Join forces with other companies—team up with other companies and offer complementary services. Through collaborating, you can both benefit by tapping into each other’s current customer base. Although, it’s crucial to remember to vet your potential partners. Make sure you have a similar target audience to ensure you reap the benefits of this marketing strategy.
As there is no one definitive strategy that is suitable for every business, it’s logical to combine a number of these marketing tactics to effectively reach your target market, build your customer base, and propel your small business to success.
However, the key to experimenting with different marketing techniques is to measure and track your progress by defining your goals and appropriate metrics. In analyzing data and evaluating results through free marketing tools, you can continually improve your efforts and focus on tactics that actually work.
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