Satisfied US customers will share their positive experience with 11 other people.
Word-of-mouth is one of the many ways businesses can expand their customer base from investing in social media ads to brainstorming new methods of driving web traffic. Perhaps you want to expand your customer base but you’re not sure where to start.
Sound familiar? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
1. Use Your Existing Network
If you’re unsure how to generate more customers, start with your current customer base as their recommendations can grow your network. In fact, 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know.
Because of this, if you prioritize great customer service and their digital experience they’ll likely refer others to your business. Make sure you listen to them, respond in a timely fashion, and go out of the way to ensure a great customer experience.
You could also offer a two-sided incentive that rewards both the current and referred customer. For instance, give your customers 15% off their next purchase and give the referral a gift card so they’re both encouraged to spend in your store.
Further, ask customers to leave reviews either by sending them an automated reminder via email or posting a call-to-action on your social media pages. This will encourage prospects to engage with your products and, hopefully, convert.
2. Offer Free Trials
Not sure how to get more customers?
A great way to get customers is to provide your service for free in exchange for a word-of-mouth referral. For instance, if you’re a spa then contact an influencer in the wellness industry and offer them a free session in exchange for a shout-out or blog post on their site. In return, you’ll get increased brand exposure, credibility, and many new clients will engage with your product or services.
You should also give free trials to new customers as everyone loves giveaways. This could also include discounts, promotional sales, or freebies.
So you’re not losing profit, tell customers they can receive the giveaway if they spread the news on their social media channels so their friends and family learn about your business. And if their followers have similar interests then you’ll get at least a few new customers.
3. Promote Your Business on Social Media
Regularly posting to social media is a surefire way to engage customers and generate leads. You can do this by posting valuable content and adding your channels to your website. For instance, include social media follow buttons on your site and ask customers or visitors to follow you. You should also add these to your blog.
If you’re unsure how to get customers, consider hosting a photo contest. Ask current customers to share photos of their experience with your product or service and turn it into a contest as it’ll generate hype around your brand.
You should also invest in paid advertising as it helps you reach a larger audience and increase your market reach. This lets you create customized messages relevant to your particular audience so it’s more effective and efficient.
4. Prioritize Email Marketing
You should also use emails to reach prospects as it helps build brand awareness and generate reviews.
Once you’ve gathered an email list, customers will expect your updates especially if they’re filled with promotions or useful content. Subscribers will likely click through the offer, make a purchase, and recommend your business to their loved ones.
If you’re stuck on how to get new customers, send out a weekly free newsletter to your email list. When you offer prospects free content, you show them that you’re willing to give them value from the get-go at no cost or commitment on their part. As a result, potential customers will learn about your brand and become more interested in it.
5. Start a Blog
Starting a blog is a fantastic way to reach new customers.
Craft blog posts so they’re tailored towards your target market and pique their interest. You can also create a post that’s dedicated to answering your customers’ most popular questions which not only saves you time but convinces them to buy from you. Plus, creating engaging blog posts lets you showcase your expertise and reach new prospects when they search for answers online.
Stumped for blog post ideas? Find out what prospects want to know about your business and address pain points that your product can solve so you can turn this into a blog post. Further, ask your customers via social media to find out what content they want to see such as their favorite topics, which content format they prefer, and which areas of your industry they want to learn more about.
You should also contact industry experts and ask them for tips or recommendations about a relevant subject. Not only do they get promotions but you get free content and your readers learn from specialists for free.
Don’t worry if writing isn’t your strong suit; you can either outsource the responsibilities or embrace video marketing. You should create how-to videos, tutorials, Q&A videos, and webinars to spark interest in your brand. To ensure it’s effective, post these onto your social media channels and YouTube so it’s easy for viewers to share.
That’s How to Expand Your Customer Base
Now you know five ways to expand your customer base.
Start by looking after your current network so they refer your brand, offer a free trial of your product or service, and reach prospects through a winning email campaign. You should also prioritize content marketing by producing valuable content that both current and prospective customers can benefit from. Good luck!
Hopefully, you found this article helpful. If you’re interested in similar content, check out our posts on everything from Business to Startups.
