You know it’s time to branch out when you find that your business constantly caters to only a handful of clients. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways for you to grow your customer base, even during a pandemic. If your business wants to grow your list of clients and customers, here are some key tips to achieving that goal.
Identify a niche
If your business has been around for a while, you most likely have a target demographic that you know has a demand for what you have to offer. They say that when you constantly aim at nothing, you will hit it every time, so knowing your key demographic will help you be more intentional in your strategies and aims.
Is your target client an upstart in the industry, or are you looking for veterans? What is their annual income? What kind of businesses or customers do they cater to? Know what kind of clients you are after so that you can employ tailor-made tactics in reaching them.
Use every technology available
Growing a clientele, trying to reach new audiences, doing research—all of these activities can be time and energy-consuming, causing you and your team to focus on the minute details of the process and neglect your core tasks. Thankfully, so many tech tools, software, and platforms are available that can help you simplify these processes.
Response for proposal or RFP software for information technology, for example, can help make the process of growing your client base much smoother. The software can help you sort through and manage RFPs with accuracy, speed, and ease. It helps you and your employees save resources like time and energy as you close deals and eliminate mistakes. The service can help you accommodate contributors, stay organized, save time and energy while producing and refining answers, and easily revise outdated content.
Encourage your employees and other clients to take part in the task
It’s always a good time to involve your employees in the process of growing your client base. Take note that it is also possible to do this without putting undue pressure on them, especially if it’s not in their job description or their line of expertise. To encourage your employees to help out searching for more clients, you can come up with financial incentives for every successful referral.
If you already have existing clients, they can also be part of your lead generation system. Whether you only have past clients or ones who have you on retainer, you can check in with these customers now and again or explicitly ask them for referrals, especially if they’ve had good experiences partnering with your agency.
Unlike with your employees, however, your clients might appreciate experiences and connections more than financial incentives. So suppose they successfully manage to connect you with new clients. In that case, consider taking them out to dinner or give them a gift that can help them out in their business endeavors.
Stay consistent on social media
Since most people are constantly on their electronic devices, there are many opportunities to expand your reach and engage new audiences. You need to get ahead of your competitors by being consistent in your social media strategy and content. Use ads, leverage SEO, constantly communicate with your audience. There is no shortage of tactics that can help you reach more people as long as you consistently put out engaging content that rings true to your brand identity and goals.
Host events or webinars to promote your business
Aside from going all out on social media, physical and virtual events can also help you create new networks of opportunities. In-person events can help you come up with new pictures to showcase online, and they will also help you meet and greet potential customers through referral pipelines.
Events are also a good opportunity to highlight your company’s branding and make waves in your industry. Take note, however, that you always have to be ready to pivot to online events, especially if COVID-19 cases remain at an unmanageable level across the United States.
Growing a business in a time like 2021 may feel incredibly challenging, but it’s not impossible. The pandemic may have closed some doors, but it also opened windows of opportunity that weren’t there before. More people are spending more time online and reaching potential clients from all over the world, and this is not just in the U.S. As long as you keep a weather eye on trends, you might find your firm ahead of the game.