The digital landscape provides an unparalleled platform for all businesses, irrespective of their scale, to procure a significant clientele base. We offer relevant insights designed to help you strategically connect with potential customers who are actively seeking your type of business services or products. While implementing these recommendations may require some time and innovative thinking, rest assured that they have been curated with budget considerations in mind; hence, will not impose any substantial financial impact on your company.
Send out newsletters
Your primary medium for advertising should be your established clientele. Ensuring their satisfaction could engender a powerful chain of verbal endorsements, allowing you to achieve considerable brand promotion without incurring additional financial expenditure in the realm of overt advertising strategies.
To achieve this objective, it is imperative that you provide your clientele with a compelling incentive to advocate for your brand. Ideally, presenting them with an informative and intriguing medium for dissemination – such as a newsletter – will effectively accomplish this task.
The essence of creating a successful newsletter lies in its utility. While it is certainly acceptable to include brief updates regarding your own achievements, these should ideally occupy a minimal space within the composition, preferably towards the conclusion. The predominant content, constituting 99%, should offer valuable and practical advice that your clientele can duly implement. Ensuring this balance helps maintain focus on client benefits while subtly highlighting personal advancement.
There is no need to be anxious about divulging all of your trade secrets, fearing that it might render your paid services redundant. Offering small insights not only showcases the substantial amount of thought and effort you invest in providing excellent service but also reaffirms the value they derive from employing a professional like yourself. Clients will promptly recognize how invaluable it is to have an expert like you adeptly managing the multitude of tasks necessary for their success.
Additionally, each insightful recommendation you offer demonstrates your expertise in the subject matter. The cumulative effect of these tips substantially enhances your authority, positioning you as the go-to resource for existing and prospective clients seeking guidance and solutions in this area.
Get a website
The majority of contemporary businesses possess their own websites and if you have not established yours, it is high time to consider this vital step. Operating without a website can impede potential customers from discovering your services, causing detriment to your company’s image by potentially portraying it as unreliable or transient. In our modern digital era, a business website carries the same weight of importance that was once attributed to directory listings in the Yellow Pages – one could scarcely envision any credible organisation operating successfully without such an online foothold.
When delineating the contents for your website, it is fundamental to incorporate essential information. This primarily includes your contact details along with a succinct yet comprehensive statement on the homepage that accurately portrays both who you are and what services or products you offer. It’s vital to ensure immediate comprehension among site visitors by eliminating any ambiguity in these key elements.
Endorsements and referrals significantly enhance the quality of website content. Incorporating video testimonials from satisfied clients serves as a robust validation of your services or products. Maximising this potential by featuring renowned figures, either universally recognized or prominent within your specific industry, further amplifies the persuasive impact on prospective clients.
It is advisable for you to maintain an active blog. Consistent posting – once a week at minimum – is recommended. Through this platform, share insights, provide expert advice and address inquiries from readers, ensuring that all comments receive thoughtful responses. Analogous to the newsletters, regular blogging solidifies your position as an authority within your field of expertise. An extensive archive of blog posts not only expands the breadth of topics covered but also enhances discoverability for potential clients searching relevant subject matter related to your business.
Be the one with the best customer service
Exceptional customer service presents a significant value enhancement, serving as one of the most effective initiators for propagating word-of-mouth recommendations.
In the event of any mishaps, it is crucial not just to rectify them but also to enhance your response in such a way that exceeds mere client gratification. Service quality extends beyond tangible interactions; it encapsulates your digital presence as well. Responding swiftly and constructively to online feedback and criticism demonstrates commitment towards superior customer service.
Furthermore, it is essential to bear in mind the ever-increasing prominence of business rating services such as Yelp. Current trends indicate that your ratings are now spontaneously appearing adjacent to your location on Google Maps. A greater number of positive star reviews enhances your visibility and credibility, heightening the likelihood for potential new customers to seek out and engage with your services or products.
Get on social media
In today’s digital age, it has become practically indispensable for businesses to maintain a presence on at least one social media platform, similar to their need of having a website. (e.g. Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.)
These platforms offer an excellent opportunity to establish backlinks to your blogs, thereby expanding your digital presence across diverse communities. They serve as effective mediums for keeping abreast of the strategies employed by competitors and evaluating their effectiveness or shortcomings. Furthermore, they provide a forum for engaging with philanthropic events and organisations, enhancing your corporate social responsibility profile.
Consistent with brand guidelines, these outlets can also be instrumental in showcasing lighter aspects of your personality where appropriate. Moreover, sharing inspirations can foster connections with like-minded individuals—another beneficial outcome of this approach on both personal and professional levels. This multifaceted utilisation substantiates the importance of maintaining active participation in these platforms.
When we refer to engaging with communities, it is not limited merely to platforms such as LinkedIn groups that are linked to your existing professional field. To illustrate, for our Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) accounting firm, joining community groups primarily focused on accounting may not be particularly beneficial. This can be attributed to the fact that a community composed of accountants would inherently possess the services that you’re offering – accounting services.
Alternatively, consider engaging with communities focused on small and medium-sized businesses within your locality. Contribute valuable advice to assist proprietors in overcoming initial tax-related obstacles. When relevant, refer them to one of your previously published blogs for further insights.
Please take note that restrained self-promotion is integral. As with our newsletters, prioritise the assistance of others above all else, thereby ensuring your message maintains an altruistic focus.
Create humorous content
This advice is partially contingent on your brand identity. If you position your enterprise as an organisation with stringent policies and a serious demeanour, then this recommendation may not necessarily align with your branding strategy.
Should your company exude a more cordial ambiance, incorporating elements of humour into certain deliverables may be advantageous. At minimum, consider sharing cartoons related to your industry for a light-hearted touch. Endeavour to produce original content whenever possible for an enhanced impression and individualization of your firm’s brand; this strategy typically offers superior results.
The quintessential illustration of this concept is The Dollar Shave Club – an online platform dealing in razor sales. They attained a remarkable level of internet success by creating an inexpensive yet engaging video that tremendously captivated the digital audience and proliferated extensively.
Buff Dudes, a duo comprised of two experienced physical training brothers, disseminate invaluable workout instructional videos. Additionally, they produce entertaining content that gently satirises their own experiences as well as those who occasionally struggle with observing proper gym protocol.
What are some prevalent critiques from individuals in your sector? Is there a way you can create an engaging and enjoyable experience around these aspects? It may only take one well-crafted video or post to humorously address these issues that could draw significant attention and visibility for your business.
Get involved in local events
Participation in engaging community events such as dunking booths, charity silent auctions, car washes, marathons, pie-eating competitions or music festivals can present excellent opportunities for individuals to establish and enhance their local presence. Explore such happenings within your vicinity that could serve as an effective platform for increased social interaction and introductions.
Freebies
Offering a complimentary consultation can serve as an exceptional marketing instrument. By demonstrating the excellence of your services during this initial interaction, clients will find it difficult to envision completing their tasks without your invaluable professional assistance moving forward.
It is crucial to bear in mind, however, that the aim of this consultation is not merely a stage for self-promotion. Your expertise and services inherently serve as the endorsement, thus it’s advised that you focus on providing substantial value to the prospective client during this complimentary session. The more tangible results you deliver at this stage, the higher your chances become of securing their approval for further engagement.
The concept of offering complimentary services can also serve as an exceptional approach to addressing discrepancies. In earlier notes, we emphasised the importance of surpassing expectations while issuing apologies. It’s essential not just simply compensate clients for any misstep that may have occurred, but rather strive to leave a positive and lasting impression on them through our resolution strategies; this leaves an indelible message to the client – ‘This company is indeed outstanding’.
Offering a complimentary consultation in the context of a service typically overlooked by the client, in addition to resolving the error at hand, demonstrates not only your commitment to acknowledged accountability but also provides an opportunity for clients to familiarise themselves with your extensive range of services.
Small budget, big ideas
Investing a substantial amount in advertising is not necessarily essential to attract new clientele. By providing an outstanding and positive experience, customers will become valuable advocates for your brand, essentially becoming a cost-effective form of promotion.
