How do I get more customers, is a common question I get asked by business owners, but it’s actually the wrong question. The first, most important question you should actually be asking is: ‘how do I get more leads coming into my business?’ The second question you should be asking is: ‘how do I increase my conversion ratio so that more of these leads become customers?’
So, how do we get more leads? Well that really depends on your market, but you should start by thinking about who your ideal clients are, and then create avatars for these people. Where do they live? How old are they? What sex are they? So they have children and, if so, what ages are they? What do they read? What do they care about? It’s about gathering together as much information as you can, so you can get a real feel for this person.
OK, so now you should have a good idea of where you’re likely to find these people – now you can start to think about what media you can use to get in front of them. It’s actually a good exercise is to list all the media platforms you can think of, then score them on cost, effectiveness and ease of use. From here, you should be able to come up with your top ten marketing methods.
Let’s say that you decide PR is one of your marketing options. I’m not just talking about getting a press release out; I’m talking about getting an opinion-led article in a magazine that your ideal client reads, so you’re positioned as an expert in your field. (Remember, you know your ideal client reads this particular magazine because of the avatar you created earlier).
Great. So now you can sit back and wait for the phone to ring, right? Nope – completely wrong. What if your ideal client doesn’t read that page this month – or worse still – they don’t buy the magazine? It can often be difficult to get a call to action into an article of this nature, because it’s there to inform people, not sell to them. What you need to do is use multiple streams of media, in conjunction with each other.
There are a number of things you can do to ensure your ideal client reads that opinion-led article. For starters, you can email your database, mentioning the fact that you have a double-page spread in said publication. You can also highlight “as seen in” on your website, and put it on your News page. And if you want to get really clever, you can send a shock and awe package to your potential client, including a copy of the magazine, or you could frame it and put it on your reception wall if you have one. It’s all about raising your profile with your clients and potential clients.
In my next blog instalment, I’ll explore increasing your conversion rate. In the interim, if you have any questions at all, please do get in touch.
By Alan S Adams