Many of you want to get clients without running ads. There can be many reasons of that. One of which it can be you do not want to invest in ads. Also you may be thinking about your customers as many of them can be there who don’t like ads while browsing.
Be Creative and Offer Value to People
There are tons of other ways to get your first customer, and honestly it’s going to depend on what kind of services you’re providing.
Just make sure you are offering value first, not just trying to sell right away. That’s not how good relationships work. Show up, give so much value people can’t forget you, and follow up. 95% of people don’t follow up, so that puts the responsibility on you to keep that relationship going.
Most of them involve meeting people and reaching out to strangers. But referrals are extremely powerful, so make sure you exhaust your personal contacts list as well as reaching out to new people.
Here’s a list of my top 11 tactics you can use to attract customers without ads:
1. Develop Signature Content
What do you know or do that is special and unique to your business? People buy systems! You don’t just want to duplicate the same old content or tips everyone is already talking about, you want to develop and eventually sell a full solution. There is a lot of content online on side hustling and the gig economy, but I have developed Small BizLady’s Side Hustle Success Formula. I will write and teach about my system for side hustling which is how I pull away from the crowd of business experts.
2. Start a Blog
Blogging is an amazing way to build relationships with prospective clients and become an industry expert. My blog gets over 250,000 visitors monthly, and I have ten of thousands of newsletter subscribers. Start by blogging about topics that speak to your customer’s pain and care about. Position yourself as a resource to help them win.
3. Use Calls to Action
Engage your audience with calls to action in your blog content. Calls to action don’t need to be as aggressive as “Buy Now” if your goal is simply to increase engagement. Ask them if they have a suggestion, book or resource to share. Also, provide a link so that they can sign up for your newsletter or download a free checklist.
4. Make a Great Offer
Most website visitors to stop by and leave, so make them an irresistible free offer for their contact info, like sample book chapters, a free quote, video course, newsletter, eBook, or a checklist. Develop a landing page with a contact form to capture the email addresses. Once they join your prospect list send them an email sequence that establishes your expertise and builds trust. Your emails should offer your origin story, and provide helpful advice before you make a pitch. Your goal is to convert them into a paying customer, but help them for free first.
5. Offer a Free Trial or Consultation
Offering free trials and 30-minute strategy sessions on your website are a great way to market your services or software. They also allow you to get feedback on new products and services. During a free coaching consultation, you can listen and demonstrate your knowledge, by directing them a resolve a minor issue to show the value of what you have to offer. This should convert them into paying returning customers later.
6. Create a Branded YouTube Channel
Video converts better than anything online. YouTube is the second-most visited website in the world behind Google—which makes creating a branded YouTube channel a great business opportunity. Create a business channel so you can customize it for your brand and give access to team members. You’ll want to categorize your content by what you share: How to’s, Products, Advanced Education, Interviews and Success Stories, etc. Be sure to add links to your YouTube channel banner including your website and other social channels.
7. Create a Facebook Group for Customers
Any group should be about its members & how the group can provide value for them. Create a group to reward your customers & make them feel special — for example, a group exclusively for people who have purchased your product or taken a course. Include a link to join on your sales page or send emails inviting customers to participate. Use the group to follow up with customers or help them if they have questions.
8. Host a Free Webinar or Workshop
Let your prospects taste what you have to offer. Share your experience through a free webinar online which will allow you to build your email list. Or you can host a local workshop in your community about the content of a recent book. You’ll grow your prospects, and position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
9. Leverage Your Existing Network
Your existing network is the best place to start, not necessarily for business, but certainly to get their recommendations and warm introductions to people who can use your products or services to help grow your business.
10. Network at Conferences
Plan to go to an industry conference where your prospective clients are in attendance. If you can, pitch yourself to speak at the conference. Be sure to attend all the after-hours and early morning networking events available to build personal relationships.
11. Strategically Network Online
Social media is FREE, but you need to be strategic with your time there. Focus on one or two social platforms where your niche target customer spends the majority of their time online. Listen first, learn the culture of that site and then add value to the conversations and content there.
