Whether you’re an established business owner or a brand spankin’ new entrepreneur, everyone wants to land more clients. In last month’s blog post, we covered how to tweak your marketing to spark more leads. This month, it’s all about manageable steps you can take to keep your phone ringing and your email box lighting up with people who are excited to work with you. Here are some jumping off points to get you inspired when you’re looking to boost your business. Choose the ones that seem most appealing to you, and use them as a way to take steps to be more visible in your marketing efforts.
1.) Blogging
This year, I’ve made a commitment to make blogging a regular part of my “to do” list. When you’re adding fresh content to your blog, you’re getting in front of your audience regularly, while giving them a reason to return to your site. Additionally, this dynamic content is extremely important for SEO. Many of my clients who rely on my team for blogging services have had to reduce their posting frequency to every other month because of the new business it’s brought in the door. It’s a good problem to have!
2.) Videos
Videos are a unique way to present relevant information to your audience. For example, check out Nourish Medical Center’s website and you’ll find a wealth of videos that provide useful tips, while positioning Dr. Stewart and her team as subject matter experts.
3.) Podcasting
You can create a podcast about any number of topics. This one, called The Margarita Confessionals, talks about anything you’d chat about with your best friends over Happy Hour cocktails. Much like blogging, podcasting allows you to brand yourself to potential new clients, demonstrate your expertise, and show off your personality. When used in tandem with blogging, it’s great for SEO.
4.) Instagram
Instagram is the perfect place for visual storytelling, but it’s also an effective way to make your followers aware of new offerings. One account I especially love is Soul Sparks. I think she does a terrific job promoting her products and keeping her page both beautiful and on-brand.
5.) Grassroots marketing
For newer, smaller businesses, this is key. You want to personally invite people in your community to get familiar with your services. Having a strong process for how you extend that invite is essential if you want to boost your business.
6.) Lead development
Any kind of freebie or opt-in offer that allows a user to get more involved with the content you’re creating is a major win. I’m a huge fan of tools like LinkTree and ConvertKit to promote leads.
7.) Inbound referral partners
I’d highly suggest collaborating with another provider who can support what you’re doing. If you can offer services to complement what someone else does for her clients and vice versa, everybody wins.
8.) Referral networks
Let’s say you’re a personal trainer and you know a nutritionist who knows someone who owns a gym. You can easily create a cyclical referral source for each other. You become a team, without having to formally create a company, and everyone benefits as the result of a tight-knit referral network of resources you know are worthy of your clients’ trust.
9.) Media features
What better way to catch the attention of a potential client and boost your business than by appearing as an expert source on TV, on the radio, or in a magazine article? If you’re not sure how to get started with this, check out Help a Reporter Out, where journalists put out a call for sources. If you’ve got the expertise they need for a piece, you just might get featured.
10.) Webinars
A webinar helps to keep potential clients engaged while showing them the benefits of working with you. You don’t have to speak for hours on a particular topic, even 10 minutes can be a powerful sales tool. Plus, they’re a great way to educate your audience!
11.) Speaking
Many organizations are in need of speakers to share their knowledge with employees. This is especially important for companies that are trying to expand their employee wellness efforts, as speakers and workshops are a major part of these initiatives. This includes paid and unpaid opportunities. Though unpaid opportunities aren’t as ideal, they’re important if you’re looking to boost your business and expand your audience.
12.) Advertising
Print advertising can be valuable if you’re using a highly targeted publication, such as a magazine that circulates in your neighborhood. However these days I tend to recommend putting your budget toward social media advertising, as this tends to be where your desired client base is spending a significant amount of time. Algorithms for these platforms change constantly, so make sure you’re advertising with intention.
13.) Partnerships
Identify other business owners in your community who might be in search of a mutually beneficial partnership. This can include referrals or collaborations for workshops, events, etc.
14.) Giveaways
Let’s face it: people LOVE free stuff, and you can use this as a way to build your email list or your social media following. You can either give something away solo or partner with a larger group. Participating in a larger giveaway offers even more exposure, as those business owners are sharing details about your brand with their networks. The giveaway doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective.
15.) Challenges
There are so many different ways to engage your network in a challenge. I’ve seen fitness challenges, money challenges, even charitable challenges. This is terrific for engagement and yields results quickly.
16.) A video series
Put out several (usually three is ideal) videos that build on one another and support your brand. You can share tips and tricks, then finish them with a strong call to action.
17.) A sneak peek at a program or download
This is often the encouragement a would-be customer needs to stop hesitating and make a purchase.
18.) Bundle of resources
If you’ve created a bunch of freebies over your time in business, bundle them together and do a giveaway! You can use this as a list-building opportunity. You’ve already created the content, so make it work for you.
19.) Classes or workshops
These provide similar benefits to webinars. The classes should be consistent so clients know when to expect them. If you can only do them once a quarter, that’s okay, but make sure that you’re sticking to that schedule even when life gets busy.
20.) Summits featuring multiple experts
Clients interested in a particular topic can hear multiple experts share their advice on a particular subject. They’re also able to get exposed to a variety of businesses while participating in personal growth.
21.) DIY courses
This builds your email list, and it’s appealing because those who sign up can work through the material at their own pace and convenience.
22.) Letting your email list know about your availability
It sounds simple, but if you have two coaching spots available, why not let your email list know? You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your schedule fills right up again.
23.) Twitter chats/ Q+A sessions/live webinars
By hosting group conversations, you’re creating a sense of community and an ongoing dialogue, while simultaneously reminding people about who you are and what you offer.
24.) Discount codes or sales
Everyone loves to feel like they’re getting a good deal, even if the total amount they’re saving is small.
25.) Bundling your products or services
Some clients will buy two or three of your services. By packaging them, you’re giving them more bang for their buck and encouraging them to make another purchase, which helps to boost your business and create ongoing relationships with your clients.
26.) Holiday-specific offerings
If a specific holiday is important to your business, try building in a special offer around this time of the year in order to boost your business.
Pick a few of the ideas from the list above that sound the most fun to you and develop a plan based on small, bite-sized actions. If you tell yourself that you’re going to develop a webinar tomorrow, the task will seem overwhelming and you’ll wind up procrastinating. Instead, focus on finding the platform you’ll use to build the webinar, crafting a summary of the content, and selecting a template. By tackling these smaller tasks one at a time, you’ll stick to your list and get things done faster without feeling overwhelmed.
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